Six of the 2024 Horizon Award winners earned their degrees from Emporia State University. The recipients were announced by the Kansas Department of Education recently. They will be honored at a ceremony during the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network State Education conference on Feb. 23 in Topeka.
The ESU alums among the award winners are:
- Braiden Allen, BSE Elementary Education 2022, Haven Grade School, Haven USD 312
- Drew Carney, BSE Physical Education 2021, El Dorado Middle School, El Dorado USD 490
- Allison Jones, BS Speech and Theatre 2022, Emporia Middle School, Emporia USD 253
- Brennan Mills, BS Modern Language 2022, Indian Woods Middle School, Shawnee Mission USD 512
- Brianna Oglesby, BSE Elementary Education 2021, Prairie Creek Elementary School, Andover USD 385
- Elizabeth Palmer, BSE Elementary Education 2022, Rosehill Elementary School, Shawnee Mission USD 512
The Kansas Horizon Award program allows school districts in Kansas to nominate one elementary and one secondary teacher for the award. To be eligible for the award, PRE-K-12 teachers must be teaching full time, have completed their first year of teaching and performed in a way that distinguishes them from their peers. Four elementary and four secondary teachers are chosen from each of the four U.S. Congressional districts in Kansas.
Dr. Sara Schwerdtfeger, interim dean of The Teachers College at Emporia State University, expressed pride for the ESU alum recipients.
“The Kansas Horizon Award Program seeks to recognize exemplary first-year teachers who perform in a way that distinguishes them as outstanding,” Schwerdtfeger said. “Congratulations to all the Horizon Award winners. We are especially proud of our Emporia State University elementary and secondary graduates.”
More information about the Kansas Horizon Awards can be found on KSDE’s website.