The LINK nky Educator of the Week contest is back from summer break!
The Educator of the Week contest is our way of recognizing and celebrating the incredible educators who go above and beyond for Northern Kentucky students every day.
Each week, we will choose three nominees who have made an impact on their community and who represent a diverse mix of roles, grade levels, subject areas, school types and geographic locations.
LINK nky’s Educator of the Week is sponsored by Gateway Community & Technical College. Each weekly winner will advance to the Educator of the Semester contest, where readers will vote to select one outstanding educator to receive a $100 gift card from Gateway to help purchase classroom supplies, decorations and other school essentials.
Click here for a full list of official rules and to nominate an educator.
The Educators
Educator: Ashley Cook
Role: Teacher at Campbell County Middle School
Nominator: Jemma Lewis
Why Lewis nominated Cook:
I am nominating this educator because Ms. Cook has made my school year so much better with her positive attitude. When I would walk into her class having a bad day, I would walk out having a good day. Her class has helped me learn so much.
Educator: Jessica Kuhn
Role: Teacher at Turkey Foot Middle School
Nominator: Aryana Steely
Why Steely nominated Kuhn:
Mrs. Kuhn is the best teacher I’ve had this year. Her kind nature helps a ton of students be prepared for 8th grade. She is always there for her students and will provide them with anything they need. My classmates and I have learned a lot from her, and she helps us maintain our grades and set high goals and expectations for ourselves. She teaches us everything she knows, and has an excellent way of keeping us all hooked and focused on her teaching, helping us to prepare to be seventh graders,
Educator: Katie Young
Role: Teacher at Villa Madonna Academy
Nominator: Becky Scheper
Why Scheper nominated Young:
Ms. Young is a bright light every day at Villa. As the K-6 intervention specialist, Ms. Young interacts with a wide variety of students across all grades and abilities and provides robust support socially and academically. She knows every single student in K-6 by name, on sight whether she provides additional supports for them or not. She works with teachers and families to provide each individual student with the best learning environment and tools possible. It is not unusual for Ms. Young to find something that reminds her of a student on a weekend and bring it in to make the student’s day (my daughter uses fidgets in school and Ms. Young found a rock that she thought my daughter would like). She is a steady presence in the cafeteria, the hallway, school house meetings, and school events.
She can often be found dressed on theme for holidays and spirit days. She fully commits and consistently has bold, fresh, fun ideas to enhance the learning environment and experience. Students know she is fun, caring, and someone they can go to in a time of need. Parents can expect consistent investment, care, and small emails and notes throughout the weeks and year that clearly show she’s paying attention and invested. She assists after school, before school, and shows up on weekends. My kindergartener experiences a lot of school anxiety. Ms. Young regularly checks in and chats to make sure she is comfortable, connected, and happy. The high school students often come back to visit her! Students and families alike can count on her smile, her communication, her support, her enthusiasm, and her commitment to helping our students thrive and become well rounded people in AND out of school. The school and community are SO lucky to have her.
Read more about why Young was nominated here
Now it’s time to vote
Voting closes at 3 p.m. on Aug. 31.
Vote as often as you like! There’s no limit to how many times you can show support for your favorite educator during the week.
Share the voting link with friends, family, students and coworkers — the more people who know about your nominee, the more votes they can earn!
LINK nky encourages friendly competition and community spirit. We want to see entire classrooms, schools and neighborhoods rally behind their favorite educators.
