Each year, four Vanderburgh County educators are recognized for their love of teaching and commitment to local students.

The Outstanding Educators of the Year awards are sponsored by Liberty Federal Credit Union, the Courier & Press and the University of Evansville. In their 33rd year, the awards honor the dedication and contributions of Vanderburgh County K-12 educators at public and nonpublic schools that have at least three years in the profession.

Awards are given in four categories: elementary school, middle school, high school and principal. Winners will be announced in April.

Meet this year's middle school finalists for Outstanding Educator of the Year.

Libby Huffine, Washington Middle School

How many years have you been an educator?

This is my 4th year teaching. I am lucky to have spent these first crucial years in my career at Washington Middle School.

What was your background in education before starting your current role?

Before my current role in the classroom, I was an education major at the University of Evansville. I spent my sophomore through senior year of college in classrooms observing and interning. This time was so important in shaping my view of education because I saw a lot of what inspires me in my own classroom today. Having the opportunity to visit and work in so many classrooms solidified that Washington was the right fit for me during my student teaching experience.

What made you decide you wanted to be an educator?

I think what made me really want to become an educator was the idea of being for others what I needed when I was growing up. School never came easy for me and I did struggle, especially in middle school. There were times that I was so embarrassed by not being smart enough or not fitting in. When I think back on my time spent in school, however, I always think about the teachers that I connected with and the love I developed for art through discovery in the classroom. Those positive memories far outweigh the bad ones. I decided to become a teacher so I could help create some happy memories for my students.

What are the challenges you face in education today? And how do you overcome them?

A big challenge that I face in education as a teacher of the arts is motivating students who have never enjoyed art before. As I’m sure all teachers have heard, students love to ask, “when will I ever need this in the real world?” I work to overcome challenges like this by providing a classroom where students learn skills about thinking creatively, ways to calm and recenter themselves, and when it’s okay to laugh at yourself and learn from mistakes. Students come to see my class as a place to learn about themselves and have fun rather than a requirement to fulfill.

What’s your favorite thing about being an educator?

My favorite thing about being an educator is the connections that I make with my students. I love learning about my students' lives, their cultures, and seeing them grow. Middle school is a crazy time in every aspect, but those three important years transform the students and I get to witness their journey. I always tell my friends and family that this is the only job where I can sing and dance at 7:15 in the morning and laugh all day while working. Spending time with my kids is honestly the absolute best part of my job.

What makes you unique in your field?

I think what makes me unique in my field is that I don’t have any pretenses about what art my students will create. My favorite kind of projects to assign are ones where the students take the lead in imagining what their art will look like and the story it will tell. I am a firm believer that you do not need to be great at art to be a great artist. It is all about what you get from the process of creation. Some of the most fun we have had in my classroom is when we throw ideas around and build off of each other’s personalities and imaginations.

Kyle Lin, Helfrich Park STEM

How many years have you been an educator?

I have been an educator for nine years.

What was your background in education before starting your current role?

I began my education career in 2015 as a paraprofessional in the special education classroom at University Elementary in Bloomington, Indiana. Then, I was an assistant at Clear Creek Elementary from 2016-2017. I took my first lead teaching position at Highland Park Elementary in a self-contained community based classroom from 2018-2022, and I have been at Helfrich Park STEM Academy as the Life Skills Teacher since fall of 2022.

What made you decide you wanted to be an educator?

I graduated from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in 2015 but was not content with a career in business and began seeking another direction. My half-brother has a disability so I grew up with an understanding and compassion toward the realities that those with disabilities and their families face on a daily basis. This led me to pursue my first paraprofessional position, in addition to a summer job at Springhill Camps working as a special needs counselor. I fell in love with the students in both of these settings and decided to pursue a masters degree in special education through a Transition to Teaching program.

What are the challenges you face in education today? And how do you overcome them?

As a special educator, I face the daily challenge of adapting assignments, materials, and activities in various ways to accommodate every student’s individual needs. I also know my population of students often is misunderstood, even referred to as “less than”, “too far behind”, or “incapable of contributing to society.” I take seriously the responsibility of advocating for my students and ultimately teaching them how to advocate for themselves. To overcome these challenges, I believe that it takes an intentional and focused approach to understand every student’s interests, goals, and communication styles, which involves constant collaboration with families, paraeducators, other teachers, and therapists.

What’s your favorite thing about being an educator?

I actually have two things. First, I love celebrating successes with my students. Watching them make even a small amount of progress academically, functionally, or behaviorally means the world to me even in the midst of challenging days and weeks. In addition, I truly get to work with the best team around. In my field, there would no way I could be successful alone. From my paraprofessionals, to my fellow teachers and staff at Helfrich, to my therapists, and families I work with, I see the tireless work that is done each and every day to make an impact not only on my students, but students all around the school. It is a blessing to work with these people on a daily basis.

What makes you unique in your field?

As a special educator, I am constantly collaborating with others to help my students achieve their individualized goals as well as provide an inclusive environment for them within our school. Helfrich Park implements the Buddies program, which I co-sponsor with the fantastic Megan Wright. We plan field trips, community outings, and Fun Fridays that allow my students and general education students to build authentic friendships through shared experiences. We have gone to places like the Fall Festival, the Zoo, Swonders Ice Skating Arena, and CMOE with our Buddies, allowing my students to experience places many of them have not gotten to before.

Lindsey O’Brian, Helfrich Park STEM

How many years have you been an educator?

This is my 11th year in a classroom, but I have been working in an educational capacity for 15 years.

What was your background in education before starting your current role?

Before my current position as a 6th grade ELA teacher at Helfrich Park STEM Academy, I taught ELA to grades 5-8 at Holy Redeemer Catholic School, ELA to 9th and 12th grades at Seymour High School, and covered study halls and yearbook at Brownstown Central High School (my alma mater … go Braves!) I also tutored at Hillcrest Youth Home while I was in college. This experience really opened my eyes to the impact an educator can have. I got both of my degrees from USI and did my student teaching at the old North High School and Washington Middle School. I was blessed to learn from two fantastic supervising teachers: Mrs. Claudia Murphy and Mr. Tim Wilhelmus, who previously won the Outstanding Educator award.

What made you decide you wanted to be an educator?

I had a fantastic English teacher my 9th grade year, Kevin Gwin, who was also my Spell Bowl coach. His class was a transformative experience for me. I had always loved school, especially English, but that year it really “clicked” for me. It might have also had something to do with reading “Romeo & Juliet” the same year Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the film version! Mr. Gwin also inspired me to continue with Spell Bowl, and coaching the Helfrich Park team has been one of my greatest joys. I’m proud of the hard work my students put in. I think they’d tell you that I’m a tough coach, but it’s worth it. We have qualified for state all 7 years that I’ve coached, and we were state runners-up two years ago.

What are the challenges you face in education today? And how do you overcome them?

Keeping a good work/life balance is always a struggle, because this isn’t a profession that is easy to just “clock out” and forget until the next day. I do my best to set boundaries and prioritize what must be done now versus what needs to be done in the future. Another huge challenge is students coming to school who aren’t having their physical and, especially, emotional needs met. This is where building relationships is of supreme importance. To paraphrase the quote attributed to Teddy Roosevelt, students won’t care to learn until they learn that I care. It’s cliche, but true.

What’s your favorite thing about being an educator?

Like most educators, I can’t get enough of those “lightbulb moments” when a student makes a connection to something we’ve read or unlocks a complex concept. I also really love when students come back years later and tell me how much they enjoyed my class or value the relationships we built. This year, my favorite moment was when the ELA classes, after reading a nonfiction article about Africans’ struggle to obtain clean water, decided to fundraise to buy a Hippo Water Roller for a family. This device helps people transport clean water from their water source to their homes, which is a distance of over 3 miles, on average. Students themselves raised over $200 to provide a family with their own Hippo Roller.

What makes you unique in your field?

I work hard, love my students, and care deeply about doing my best. I’m not unique among educators, though, because that’s just who we are. I’m extremely grateful and humbled to be nominated and to be chosen as a finalist, because that means someone noticed the effort and passion I put in to my work.

Kathryn Wells, Evans Middle School

How many years have you been an educator?

I have been an educator for eleven years now and seven of those have been here at Evans.

What was your background in education before starting your current role?

I have had many opportunities to work in the education field. I worked as a special education assistant at Castle South Middle School for two years. I then worked as the 21st CCLC site coordinator/preschool teacher at Chandler Elementary School. After that I started my official classroom teaching experience as a 4th grade teacher at Washington Catholic Elementary School for three years.

What made you decide you wanted to be an educator?

I always knew that I wanted to work with youth and had many plans to do that. I come from a family of educators who inspired me countless times to see the benefits of education. Honestly, my senior year of high school is what changed my trajectory to officially decide that I wanted to be a teacher. If you went to Castle HIgh School and had the privilege of having Mr. Bracher, you know the impact of his classes. I remember feeling like what I said and contributed mattered. He taught class in a way that made everyone feel equal, seen, and heard. I knew then that I wanted to make the same impact for future generations.

What are the challenges you face in education today? And how do you overcome them?

There are challenges when working in a title school that come our way. One of the challenges we face is trying to meet the diverse needs of our students. They come to us with varying academic levels and social levels. We work with our students to handle their social emotional skills first and build those positive lasting relationships. We know that this is the key to helping each of our students reach their full potential. Despite the challenges, we strive to have a school community that is inclusive and equitable for all of our learners, and I am grateful for an administrative team that has the same priorities in mind.

What’s your favorite thing about being an educator?

My favorite thing about being a teacher is when student’s make those gains and growths that cannot be measured by a test. For example, I have a student this year that has struggled to read and write all of their academic career. She has been working so hard this year and brought me a paper. It had a sentence that she wrote all by herself and I could read it. We stood together and cried happy tears at not only her dedication, but her growth.

What makes you unique in your field?

I cannot say that I am unique in my field. I can say that I love my job and students and put 100% into it. I know that I am only as good as my team, and I am grateful to work with the best of the best. We each bring unique talents to our jobs which balance each other out. We rely heavily on each other, and I would not be the teacher I am today without them and their support.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Outstanding Educator of the Year: Here are the 4 middle school finalists