Originally from Manitou Springs, Colorado, Bethany Gray took a circuitous route to High Desert Middle School at the Globe Theater, where she inspired 8th grade parents and peers to become Gila County Teacher of the Year. Awarded. One of the recommenders explained how Gray “inspires more students to take an interest in science and encourages students to maintain higher standards of behavior in class.” added that she “finds time to tutor students in math and other subjects.” She started a gardening club with her students and taught them how to grow plants. Bethany Gray began her educator career as a park ranger in some of the Southwest’s most iconic national parks after earning a BA in U.S. History from the University of California, San Diego. . At NAU she completed three years of postgraduate studies and took a series of jobs as a field biologist throughout the Southwest.

“I have family in central Arizona, but as the years went by, I sought a more regulated and stable work experience,” she said. “A close friend at the time encouraged me to apply for a teaching position nearby, so I was hired as a middle school teacher at a small Montessori school. There was a garden fence, I don’t know where I would be without that momentous event, but I wouldn’t be where I am today.

“Middle school chose me, and I chose them right then. Many of them graduated this year, some entered college last year. They also inspire me with their curiosity, the paths they take and what influences them.I feel like I have finally found my home teaching here. and was recently able to add a Master’s Degree in Education to my education.My first year at Grove was as completely transformative as my first year as a secondary school teacher. There’s a mix and magic here that Arizona just can’t match, and I want to work with kids like this, connect them with their communities, and help them understand that the world awaits them. I feel very fortunate to be part of the team that receives it.”

Marne Perez, runner-up, teaches special education to preschoolers at Rice Elementary School in San Carlos. Her recommender described how Perez “writes activity-packed lessons that keep her students engaged and learning.” These activities include storytelling, role-playing, singing, and sometimes animation is used to capture the student’s attention. She incorporates her Teaching Strategies Gold Early Childhood Criteria and uses data-driven decision-making to support student learning. ”

Jennifer Madrid, the runner-up, is a physics teacher at San Carlos High School and has been teaching the subject for 19 years. She has worked as a Research Advisor, Robotics Coach, Mentor Teacher, National Honor Society Advisor, and Project Lead the Way Biomedical Science Teacher. She is currently a Physics and Research (Biological Sciences) Teacher and Science Coordinator at San Carlos High School. Her recommender wrote: “Jennifer Madrid impacts the lives of her students as a scientist and is a teacher emeritus at San Carlos High School. I teach them to understand the value of