Celebrate, elevate, activate: The theme of our 2017 Milken Educator Awards Forum in New Orleans rang true for this year's new Milken Educators. How will the connections made at the Forum help the class of 2016-17 find their voices, develop their platforms and impact the profession? Participants share their reactions to the time they spent together in New Orleans.
Hawaii Milken Educator Kelly Sutcliffe (HI '16) knows teachers are underpaid and overworked, but she believes more will stay in education when they're reminded that teaching is a labor of love: "If you keep the kids at the front of your mind and think about the direct impact you can have on their future, then all of the other stuff doesn't seem to matter."
Masaru Uchino's favorite part of the day is right before dismissal, when he connects with his third-graders for heart-to-heart talks about the day's successes: "It's an amazing feeling when you know that your students are bummed to go home and really excited to come back the next day."
Amanda Raupe (OK '16) chose to teach first grade for one simple reason: She wanted to teach kids to read. "Reading determines a big part of a child's future success," she says. "I love being part of that process."
Katelyn Baker (TN '16) found math difficult when she was in school, but that's actually made her a better math teacher: "I can relate to the frustrations and misconceptions my students have in math."
The customer service skills and patience Amber Simpson (TX '16) learned in her very first job in a call center help her every day as an educator: "Much of what teachers do with the community, co-workers, parents and students is dealing with people."
Jessica Villanueva (CA '16) knows she's succeeding when she sees her students take risks without fear of making mistakes: "That's when I know they feel safe, loved and supported."
Teachers put in long hours both inside and away from the classroom, but kindergarten teacher Katherine Shaw (CA '16) knows the ends justify the means: "All the efforts are for someone's child, and that child will be a contributor to our country."
Though Amara Alexander (AL '16) always preferred science to novels, her first job was teaching sixth-grade English. Vampire fiction got her hooked on books. Amara received Alabama's 2016-17 Milken Educator Award at Horizon Elementary School in Madison on November 29, 2017.
Principal Timothy Thomas (AZ '16) has a mountain of administrative responsibilities, but his favorite moments are the ones he spends visiting classrooms: "I love kneeling down next to primary students and having them read for me."
