FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2023
Contact: Christina Mazzanti
703-717-5333
christina@aaeteachers.org
AAE Announces Winner of Darrell and Suzanne Holmquist Student Teacher of the Year Award for 2023
Mission Viejo, CA – The Association of American Educators (AAE), a national nonunion, professional association serving educators in all fifty states, is pleased to announce the winner of the Darrell and Suzanne Holmquist Student Teacher of the Year Award for 2023. The award goes to Kansas educator Kylee Marler. Miss Marler completed her student teaching training as a third-grade educator at Walnut Elementary School in Emporia, Kansas. She received her Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) degree from Emporia State University in May of 2023.
The Darrell and Suzanne Holmquist Student Teacher of the Year Award recognizes excellence in student teaching, and is made possible through a generous gift by long-time educator and AAE member Darrell Holmquist and his wife Suzanne. This is AAE’s only award dedicated exclusively to student educators. The purpose of the award is to celebrate student teachers who excel in this critical phase of education training and acknowledges the many opportunities for growth as well as navigating the unknowns that student teachers face as they apply their years of coursework, preparation, and theoretical knowledge in a classroom setting for the first time.
“Miss Marler is a teacher known for her innovation, creativity, and keen knowledge of best practices that have ignited her students,” noted Principal Hannah Wright of North Lawn Elementary School in her nomination letter. “Students love her because she is kind, loving, fun, and cares about them. Miss Marler gets to know every student in her class as a whole person. The structure of her classroom rapport with students, parents, and colleagues invites participation and establishes an atmosphere of openness.”
In her acceptance of this national recognition, Miss Marler said, “I am deeply honored and grateful to have been nominated and selected as the 2023 recipient of the Darrell and Suzanne Holmquist Student Teacher of the Year award. The gifts that come with this award are incredibly generous and I will be putting them to good use within my new classroom.”
We salute all of this year’s nominees and congratulate the 2023 winner Kylee Marler as she begins her career in education as a first grade teacher at William Allen White Elementary School in Emporia, Kansas, in the fall.
The Darrell and Suzanne Holmquist Student Teacher of the Year Award includes $250 toward setting up a new classroom and a one-year professional membership in KANAAE. The competition was open to all education students who completed their student teaching in the 2022-2023 school year and will be entering the classroom for the first time in fall 2023. For further information and questions regarding the program, email awards@aaeteachers.org.
The Association of American Educators (AAE) is the largest national, nonunion, professional educator organization, advancing the profession by offering a modern approach to educator empowerment and advocacy—promoting professionalism, collaboration, and excellence without a partisan agenda. AAE is committed to a teaching profession that is student oriented, well respected, and personally fulfilling. AAE serves members in all fifty states and welcomes professionals from all education entities. Membership includes $2 million professional liability insurance, employment rights coverage, professional resources, and many other benefits. Classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, student teachers, university professors, and supporters can learn more at joinaae.org.
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