Spotlight: Holly Hunter (IA '24)

Iowa Milken Educator Holly Hunter (IA ‘24) is an English language arts and reading teacher at Davis Elementary School. As a leader in her school and district, Hunter fosters a culture of growth and empowerment, supporting both students and colleagues through continuous learning and development. With a focus on building confidence, community and lifelong skills, Hunter creates a lasting impact on every child she teaches. Hunter received her Milken Educator Award on January 16, 2025.

Milken Family Foundation: How did you feel at your Milken Educator Award notification? 

I was completely shocked! I thought our building was getting an Award, and then when I realized it was just one teacher, I knew it could have been any of the teachers at Davis! I’m so lucky to teach in a district with amazing educators. After winning the Award, I felt extremely grateful and so excited, and I’m still carrying those feelings with me today! 

MFF: How did students respond to your Milken Award? 

My students were so proud of me! Honestly, their reactions were the best part of the whole day! They were excited to get to celebrate with me and they continued to celebrate me until the last day of school. They also thought they were pretty famous for being on the front page of the paper! 

MFF: What made you want to pursue a career in education? 

I think multiple factors influenced my decision to become a teacher, but primarily my desire to positively impact students’ lives. I strive to be a positive role model in both the classroom and the community, embodying qualities such as kindness, empathy and passion. Additionally, being a lifelong learner and growing as a professional is important to me. Growing up in the Grinnell school district I had amazing teachers, and they helped guide me to a career in teaching. 

MFF: How do you blend hands-on projects with the science of reading to keep literacy both engaging and effective? 

One of my main goals is to keep school fun and engaging for my students. I want them to develop a love for school and with that, a love for learning. Since adopting the science of reading in our district, we have seen a significant increase in students’ reading success. My job as an educator has been to keep the learning fun, and I do this by creating unique experiences for my students that tie to reading concepts and skills. In my classroom, I build in a lot of team collaboration opportunities, community connection, and real-life experiences that help them learn the skills, while also preparing them for real life. 

MFF: Can you share a time your leadership helped shift teaching practices or mindsets among colleagues? 

I think my time to stand out as a leader is now. My district is going through a big shift right now to eventually get all K-4 teachers in the same building. This change allows me to lead groups to ensure that we are all looking at the whole child’s success, both academically and individually. It is important to begin developing a team that has the same goals and nurtures a growing mindset together. 

MFF: What does “success” look like for you and your students in life?

To me, success in life means being happy. Finding something that you love to do, that makes you happy. My goal as an educator is to help students accomplish this. I create a safe and welcoming environment for my students where I meet the needs of each of my kids, and I’m able to support them in growing in many different ways. Learning in school, to me, is far more than just academics; learning is also about becoming the best version of yourself and understanding what you are capable of. My students are able to do this in the loving and fun environment of my classroom. 

MFF: Who are your role models in teaching? 

My colleagues, both past and present, are my role models. I have been beyond lucky to work with amazing educators my whole career! From classroom teachers to administrators, instructional coaches, paraeducators, intervention and enrichment teams, school secretaries, specials teachers, food service, and school maintenance workers. Each staff member I have worked with has taught me something valuable, and through all of my collaboration, I have become a better teacher for my students. Growing up, I had an amazing middle school ELA teacher, Diana Buter. She was kind, calm and loving. She ignited curiosity in her students, built relationships and trust with them, and above all, left a positive impact on students’ lives. Her love for teaching and her students was evident in everything she did. 

MFF: How do you hope to be remembered by your students? 

I hope my students always remember how much I loved them and how much fun we had! I hope they always remember how important they are and how capable they are. I want them to continue to grow with confidence and find their place in the world doing something they love! 

MFF: Are you working on any interesting initiatives or new projects these days? Is there anything else you want to share about your school? 

I recently got back from the RULER Institute at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. I, along with a team in our district, am going to begin training our staff and applying the RULER principles, skills and tools in our schools. I am extremely passionate about integrating SEL practices into everyday learning, ensuring that students develop essential social and emotional skills alongside academic knowledge.

NB: According to the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, RULER is an acronym for the five skills of emotional intelligence: Recognizing emotions in oneself and others; Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions; Labeling emotions with a nuanced vocabulary; Expressing emotions in accordance with cultural norms and social context; and Regulating emotions with helpful strategies.