Utah Teacher of the Year (UTOY)

By Staff report · November 5, 2026 · 27 min read

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Utah Teacher of the Year (UTOY) Utah Teacher of the Year (UTOY) Talia Casares Originally from Mexico City, Talia Casares believed education creates opportunities and transforms lives.

Utah Teacher of the Year (UTOY)

Talia Casares

Originally from Mexico City, Talia Casares believed education creates opportunities

and transforms lives. She earned a Master of Arts in Spanish Pedagogy from Brigham

Young University, where her research explored the integration of literacy, science,

and technology in dual language immersion classrooms. Throughout her nine-year career,

she was recognized for creating innovative learning experiences that connect language,

literacy, STEM, and technology while helping students build confidence and discover

their potential. Her commitment to instructional excellence earned her the 2025 Utah

Coalition for Educational Technology Innovative Teacher Award, and she continued to

support educator growth through mentorship, leadership, and professional learning

opportunities. Through her teaching, leadership, and service, Talia strove to create

learning environments where every student felt valued, empowered, and capable of making

a positive difference. As a sixth-grade Spanish Dual Language Immersion teacher at

Moroni Elementary in the North Sanpete School District, Talia brought joy, innovation,

and unwavering belief to her students every day.

The Utah State Board of Education and broader Utah education community mourned the

unexpected passing of 2027 Utah Teacher of the Year Talia Casares in September 2026.

"Talia was an extraordinary educator whose warmth, passion, and devotion left an indelible

mark on her students, her school, and our entire state," said Dr. Molly Hart, State

Superintendent of Public Instruction. "To lose someone of her vision, kindness, and

heart so suddenly is a profound tragedy for all of our education community."

Talia Casares of North Sanpete School District Selected as Utah’s Teacher of the Year

Utah State Board of Education Mourns the Loss of 2027 Utah Teacher of the Year Talia

Casares

Daren Lentz

The Utah State Board of Education honors Daren Lentz as a statewide 2027 Utah Teacher

of the Year, recognizing an exceptional 28-year career dedicated to student achievement

and instructional excellence. Currently teaching seventh-grade mathematics at South

Cache Middle School in Hyrum, Lentz has anchored the department for a decade and served

as its mathematics team lead for the past eight years. A proud alumnus of Utah State

University, he earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education in 1998 and a

Bachelor of Science in mathematics in 2016. Representing Cache County School District

on the state level, Lentz brings a celebrated record of service that includes the

2007 Golden Apple Award from the Utah PTA and PBS Utah, as well as the 2007 George

Shell Award from the Utah Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Lentz’s classroom philosophy centers on a profound dedication to middle school learners

and the belief that mutual trust is essential to academic discovery. By cultivating

an encouraging environment where students feel secure taking mathematical risks and

learning through trial and error, he sparks genuine engagement and instills lasting

problem-solving confidence. His leadership reaches across the broader educational

community as well; over the course of 25 years, Lentz has mentored university clinical

students through their field experiences, actively modeling relational teaching and

investing in the future of Utah’s educator workforce.

Utah State Board of Education Names Daren Lentz of Cache County School District as

the 2027 Utah Teacher of the Year

Utah's "Fab Five"

Along with Talia and Daren, three other Utah educators make up the "Fab Five". These

finalists represent the pinnacle of teaching excellence in Utah, demonstrating an

unwavering commitment to student growth, exemplary teaching, and professional leadership.

They are master teachers who not only deliver exceptional instruction but also create

learning environments where every student feels seen, valued, and empowered to succeed.

Utah State Board of Education Announces the 'Fab Five' Finalists for 2027 Utah Teacher

of the Year

Danielle Carter

5th Grade Special Education, Delta Middle School, Millard School District

Past Awardees

2026

Joanna Andres

Joanna Andres is a dedicated and accomplished educator with a deep commitment to public

education and civic learning. Currently serving as a Social Studies teacher at Park

City High School, she teaches AP and Concurrent Enrollment U.S. Government & Politics,

preparing students for academic success while fostering civic engagement and critical

thinking. Her students consistently score above state and national averages on AP

exams under her instruction.

Speaking French and Spanish, Joanna holds multiple endorsements, including English

as a Second Language (ESL), Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Criminal Law,

and is completing her Instructional Coaching Endorsement in 2025. She also serves

as a Concurrent Enrollment Political Science Instructor through Utah Valley University.

Joanna’s previous role as a Civics Teacher and MTSS Coordinator at the Weilenmann

School of Discovery saw her pioneering a data-driven Response to Intervention (RTI)

program, designed to support students academically, behaviorally, and emotionally.

Her work was instrumental in establishing a multi-tiered support system tailored to

diverse student needs.

She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from National University, a Social Science

Professional Teaching Credential from San Diego State University, and a Bachelor of

Arts in Political Science from California State University, San Marcos—all earned

with honors. Beyond the classroom, Joanna has taken on numerous leadership roles, including Social

Studies Department Chair, AP Department Chair, and Grading for Learning Committee

Leader. She is a committed advocate for educators and students alike, actively involved

with the Park City Education Association and the Utah Education Association.

2025

Sayre Posey

Sayre Posey teaches 8th grade U.S. History at Northwest Middle School, a Title I school

in Salt Lake City, Utah. She fosters a classroom environment where students are challenged

with rigorous learning experiences and are supported through strong relationships.

Through Posey’s culturally relevant and project-based learning, students become historians

and researchers, building self-esteem and closing the achievement gap. As participants

in National History Day, her students have won awards at both regional and state levels

for their exhibit projects.

Posey comes from a family of teachers and is now beginning her ninth year of teaching.

After volunteering with at-risk students in after-school programs throughout college,

Posey began her teaching career in Baltimore City Public Schools before moving to

Utah. Her experience in developing literacy-based social studies instruction has been

instrumental in supporting linguistically diverse students. Posey is committed to

challenging students and eliminating educational inequities.

Posey presented at the 2022 NCTE Annual Conference on literacy strategies for social

justice teaching and was a 2016 Maryland Teacher of Promise. She holds a Bachelor

of Arts in History Education from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and

has endorsements in social studies, English as a second language, and education technology.

She just received a Master of Education degree from Southern Utah University. Her

thesis was titled “The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Student Attitudes Towards

History.” Posey enjoys canyoneering in southern Utah and is a classically trained

violinist.

2024

Carly Maloney

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson named Carly Maloney, a concurrent

enrollment English, advanced placement psychology, student government, and English

language development teacher at Viewmont High School in the Davis School District,

as 2024 Utah Teacher of the Year.

Maloney, of Bountiful, was presented with a check for $10,000 and will compete with

her fellow state teachers of the year in a national competition. She will participate

in a number of state and national leadership opportunities. Midvale Middle School (Canyons School District) eighth grade mathematics teacher Maxwell

Eddington and Mountainside Elementary (Cache School District) kindergarten teacher

Stephanie Parish were named runners up and each received $4,000.

A committee consisting of representatives from parent and teacher advocacy organizations,

charter schools, the Utah State Board of Education, and the 2023 Utah Teacher of the

Year selected Maloney for the honor from local teachers of the year across the State

of Utah. “Carly is one of the hardest working and most inspiring teachers I have worked with

in my 22-year career,” wrote Viewmont Principal Travis Lund. “One of Carly’s most

remarkable qualities is her ability to handle a multitude of responsibilities in a

highly effective manner.”

“Mrs. Maloney is not only an incredible teacher in the classroom, but is a notable

example of kindness and friendship,” wrote one of Maloney’s former students, a recent

graduate of Viewmont High School. “She takes time to get to know each student and

goes out of her way to make sure we each feel loved and cared for.” Maloney succeeds 2023 Utah Teacher of the Year Chad Warnick, an agriculture, biology,

leadership, and communications teacher at the Delta Technical Center in the Millard

School District.

2023

Chad Warnick

Chad Warnick earned a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education from Utah State

University, minoring in Horticulture and Animal Science. He then continued his education,

receiving a Master’s degree in Agricultural Systems Technology from Utah State University.

Chad teaches high school agriculture courses including animal and veterinary science,

plant science, biology, leadership, and floriculture at the Delta Technical Center

in Millard School District.

Chad believes in the statement of “Doing to Learn.” He has used this mantra to build

a school livestock facility that gives students hands-on experience in raising cattle,

pigs, and goats. Warnick also utilizes two greenhouses to engage students in learning

science and plant production in a practical setting. He is a pioneer in proficiency

based learning at the secondary level and has served as a leader on the state and

national level by providing training and professional learning to other teachers.

Warnick loves his students and his work. He believes that every student has worth

and can learn. He believes in teaching skills like public speaking, leadership, work

ethic, confidence, grit, and service to prepare students for success beyond the classroom.

His wife, Traci, is also a teacher and Chad shares the honor of Utah Teacher of the

Year with his father, Waldo Warnick, who earned this distinction in 1991.

Alysssa Ewell, a former student of Warnick’s, said of him, “I have never met a teacher

with the passion, enthusiasm, and ability to change lives that I experienced firsthand

as a student of Mr. Warnick’s. I have never seen a teacher more willing to give themselves

over to their students and serve them selflessly in and out of the classroom. Mr.

Warnick exemplifies what those in the teaching profession should aspire to be; a teacher

and mentor who develops students into leaders, doers, and successful adults.”

2022

Mark Daniels

Mark Daniels graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor of Science with

a composite major of communications and theatre arts. Daniels also earned a master’s

degree from Central Washington University in Educational Theatre Production.

During his 25 years of teaching, Daniels has loved watching the magic of theatre happen,

the creativity and the imagination of his students flourish, the jitters of opening

night, and the smiles of accomplishment. He loves the fact that his students are not

only creating memories for a lifetime, but building self-confidence through performing.

Daniels has received the Sterling Teacher Award from the Utah Advisory Council of

Theatre Teachers, the Utah High School Activities Association Distinguished Service

Award, and the Weber State University Arts and Humanities AHA! Alumni Award.

In his spare time, Daniels still loves performing and over the years he has been seen

on many stages throughout the state as an actor. Some of his favorite roles include:

Frankie in Forever Plaid at the Grand Theatre, Elliot Garfield Grant in The Goodbye

Girl at Hale Centre Theatre, the Mysterious Old Man in Into the Woods at Ogden Musical

Theatre, and at Beverly’s Terrace Plaza Playhouse in Ogden, Daniels has been seen

as Ebenezer Scrooge in Scrooge, A Christmas Carol for the last three years.

2021

John Arthur

John Arthur teaches 6th grade at Meadowlark Elementary, a Title I school in Salt Lake

City, Utah. His students have gained national recognition as advocates for children

and immigrants thanks to the music videos they create together and share on their

YouTube channel, 9thEvermore. Arthur allows his students to take the lead in their

work, coaching them as they craft their content and providing a platform for their

work.

After receiving a Bachelor of Art in English from the University of Utah, Arthur discovered

his love for working with kids while substitute teaching in elementary classrooms.

Inspired by the students he met, he earned a Master of Arts in Teaching and Master

of Education from Westminster College. He is now a National Board Certified Teacher

entering his 8th year in the classroom. Arthur holds endorsements in K-6 Special Education

(mild/moderate disabilities) and English as a Second Language to ensure that he meets

the needs of every student he teaches. He has presented at conferences and spoken

on panels for organizations including the National Association for Multicultural Education

and the Utah Education Association, and delivered the keynote address at the Leadership

and Inquiry for Turnaround Conference at the University of Utah. A fierce believer

that educational equity is both necessary and attainable, Arthur serves on the Advisory

Committee on Equity of Educational Services for Students for the Utah State Board

of Education. He also works with preservice teachers as an adjunct professor in the

Graduate School of Education at Westminster College.

Award Presentation

Utah Teacher of the Year for 2021 John Arthur

YouTube

Nominees and Finalists

2021 Utah Teacher of the Year Nominees | 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year Finalists

2020

Lauren Merkley

As a product of a sprawling, diverse Chicago public school, Lauren Merkley knew early

on that she wanted to teach high school English. However, after graduating with a

Bachelor of Arts in English from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Merkley stumbled

into an unexpected career: fundraising. Over nearly a decade, she worked on behalf

of a theatre in Washington, DC; Cornell University in Ithaca, New York; and Mount

Sinai Health System in New York City to alchemize donors’ passion into dollars supporting

the pressing needs of art, education, and global health.

Thanks to a move from New York City to Salt Lake City, Merkley returned to her long-held

dream of teaching. She jumped at the chance to work at Cottonwood High School in Murray,

Utah, where she has the joy of teaching juniors in English 11 and AP English Language

and Composition. With students hailing from Afghanistan to Eritrea, Merkley has embraced

the challenges of helping extraordinarily diverse students find and hone their own

voice through critical thinking, close reading, and civil discourse.

Together and separately, education and philanthropy manifest Merkley’s highest aim:

to love (philos) mankind (anthros). In the classroom, her love takes the form of engaging

instruction in literature and rhetoric that hones and honors each student’s story,

helping them wield their own voice as a tool among peers and mankind.

2019

Kellie May

Be the teacher who believes in the kids who don't yet believe in themselves." Kellie

May is one such teacher. It is easy for her to believe in her students because as

their teacher she has been given the ability to see the future in them. Kellie feels

fortunate to be fueled by the student potential that fills her classroom every day.

One of the most rewarding aspects of Kellie's career has been her involvement with

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a college preparation program for

underrepresented students. In her opinion, being an AVID elective teacher and site-coordinator

is a dream job because it involves supporting first-generation high school and college

graduates. What could be better than to have two former students currently earning

graduate degrees in education?

Kellie loves teaching and works to spread that passion along to others. She actively

mentors new and provisional teachers, hosts practicum students and student teachers,

and is also an instructor for an introduction to teaching course at the local university.

Kellie wants others to know that though teaching can be challenging, it can also be

the most rewarding profession.

Kellie is a life-long learner who has dedicated her life to public education. She

had no idea 23 years ago how much her students would impact and enrich her life. Kellie

is certain her students are and will always be her greatest teachers.

2018

Aaryn Birchell

Draped on the wall in lace and burlap a sign in Mrs. Aaryn Birchell's classroom asks,

"Does your Grit have Gratitude?" Modeling this mindset with eager eyes, endless energy

and a "You-can-do-it!" attitude, she champions and celebrates students.

Aaryn honed her teaching skills after earning her degree by volunteering at the Utah

State University Writing Center and working as a substitute teacher for twelve years.

When a part-time position teaching advanced sophomore English classes opened at her

alma mater, Uintah High, she jumped at the chance to teach emerging adults the beauty

of life through world literature.

Now teaching full time, she has additional responsibility and joy teaching AP Literature.

In school, Aaryn advocates by listening to overwhelmed teens and arranging over eighteen

service projects for Honor Society; by coordinating a scholarship writing workshop

and teaching ACT prep classes; by decorating for Prom late into the night and co-writing

the annual Senior Poem.

In her community, she serves as a board member of the Uintah Literacy Commission and

as director of the Vernal Storytelling Festival, constantly looking for opportunities

to connect a well-lived life to literacy.

In her professional affiliations, her service on the local and state Education Agencies

demonstrates the grit needed to advocate for the teaching profession.

In her home, she shares her deep gratitude for the joy that teaching brings with her

four kids, often nestling them under a tree in the Uintah Basin she calls home.

2017

Valerie Gates

Valerie Gates has been a teacher at West High School for the past 13 years, teaching

English to non-English speaking refugees and immigrants. She is an advocate, taxi

driver, social worker, protector, fundraiser, facilitator, mentor and confidant for

the refugees and immigrants who make up her classes.

Valerie was raised in Canada, learning both English and French. An interest in language

brought her to study at Penn State, where she earned a Masters in Bilingual Educator.

Twenty years ago she settled in Salt Lake City with her husband, Rick.

2016

Melody Apezteguia

Ms. Apezteguia has been teaching for over 20 years, 6 of those years at American Fork

High School in Alpine School District. Melody did not set out to become a teacher,

she started with studies in business and quickly decided it was the wrong career for

her. As she was thinking of degrees, she remembered many of the positives in her life

to that point. She started helping others with mathematics in middle school. It was

rewarding to see the "light" of understanding come on when she helped someone understand

a difficult concept. She decided this was a career she would enjoy and make a difference

in the lives of children. So her teaching career began.

She believes that for students to truly learn, they have to feel that the teacher

cares about their success. Her students know she cares and one example comes in a

thank you note from one of her students at the end of the year saying, "Thank you

for caring about me and each of your students individually." Along with caring, she

makes it a point to have great communication with her students and high expectations

for their learning.

Her beliefs about teaching are infused in all that she does. She sums it up with this,

"I love my students; just being around them makes me happy. I am excited to share

the fun and joy I find in mathematics with them. I am happy, energetic, and encouraging

in my teaching. My door is always open to anyone with a question. I love my profession!

I found a career I not only enjoy but love, I am able to contribute to society, and

I absolutely make a difference in the lives of my students."

2015

Mohsen Ghaffari

Mr. Ghaffari has been in education for over 18 years, 15 of those years at North Star.

He has a great presence not only with his students but with the entire staff and community.

He says as an educator, he is responsible to his students as well as their parents

and his colleagues. All of his work is based on brain research and psychology of learning.

He shares his findings and information with his colleagues through collaboration meetings,

school-wide bulletin boards and lesson plans. He believes if they are all educated

educators, their students will benefit the most.

Mohsen was born and raised in Iran to a set of parents with a combined five years

of schooling. In his home country he did not have the freedom to choose his career.

When he took the entrance exam in order to be able to continue his education, his

test scores and the educational system in Iran were determining his career to become

an agricultural engineer. He had other dreams, so he left Iran and never looked back.

He wanted to be an educator and that is just what he did.

Mohsen became Nationally Board Certified in 2010. In 2014, he won the Exemplary Teacher

Award and the Highly Qualified Teacher Award in Math. In 2013 he won the Highly Qualified

Teacher Award in Math, Language Arts, and Science.

2014

Allison Riddle

Allison Riddle teaches 5th grade at Foxboro Elementary School in Davis School District.

She has been in education for 25 years with four of those at Foxboro. Allison was

inspired to be a teacher when she attended Bountiful High School by now Davis District

Superintendent Bryan Bowles who was a teacher at the time. Allison says, "he instilled

in me confidence and a real love for presenting to groups." While still at Bountiful

High, she met another favorite teacher, Kim Burningham, now a State Board Member,

when she took his speech and debate class. She tells of how they encouraged her to

investigate a career where she could help others with her talents in presentations,

and that eventually guided her toward teaching. Allison says, "I love what I do each

day! Watching my students progressing and sharing their successes and challenges with

their parents is deeply rewarding." In addition to teaching her 5th grade students,

Allison is also a mentor to provisional teachers as well as a consultant for a small

math company.

Additional Information

North Salt Lake Educator to Receive National Recognition with the 2015 California

Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence from The National Education Association (NEA)

Foundation

2013

Sara Hacken

Sara Hacken teaches US History and Language Arts at Lakeridge Jr. High in Alpine School

District. She has been in education for 27 years and 14 of those at Lakeridge Jr.

High. She has a belief that ALL children are entitled to an appropriate public education,

including the right to a year's academic growth in school. This applies not just to

her children or students, but ALL children. She believes that learning should be interesting,

active, and relevant. She structures each unit she writes so that at some point each

student will be engaged where they have strengths. A parent who had five of her children

in Mrs. Hacken's class in a span of 13 years writes, "Mrs. Sara Hacken is the teacher

our children will remember. She is the one we all talk about. My husband, also an

educator, said recently that Mrs. Hacken understands that her role is so much more

than merely disseminating information—it is treating students with respect; recognizing

individual strengths and weaknesses; engaging her students in life; holding them to

high standards of honesty, creativity, preparation, and loyalty; and love."

2012

Leigh VandenAkker

Leigh VandenAkker teaches Techniques for Tough Times at East High School in the Salt

Lake City School District. She has been in education for 20 Years, 3 of those years

have been at East High School. Her sister provided her with the motto in which she

teachers her students, "You have the strength to face and accomplish hard things."

Her greatest accomplishments in teaching, she says, come when a student with no prospect

for the future realizes his abilities and finds the courage and strength to overcome

his challenges. To see the value of education become a priority in the life of a student

is a dream come true for a teacher. In her application she describes her philosophy

of teaching, "Our role as educators must reflect that we truly value each individual

student for their uniqueness and sincerely believe they can be successful. Every student

who walks through my door deserves to be respected and treated as my most valuable

customer. It is an honor to be their teacher. As an educator, I firmly believe it

is my job to motivate the desires of my students into a productive course of action

that will successfully guide them into the future. I must provide an environment where

my students feel safe to make a mistake, feel comfortable to question and debate,

and have the desire to find success. I want my students to feel valued and find the

courage to achieve not only as a student, but more important, as a conscientious member

of their community."

Additional Information

2011 Utah PTA Golden Apple Award

Education for an Empowered Life

TEDxBYU

East High Teacher Leigh VandenAkker a Crucial Assistant for Leopard Football Team

Deseret News

First 2015 Huntsman Education Award Winner Surprised at Salt Lake City's East High

Salt Lake Tribune

2011

Gay Beck

Gay Beck is a Kindergarten teacher at Highland Elementary School in the Alpine School

District. She has taught for 16 years and 9 of those years were spent at Highland.

Gay loves to see the faces of her students light up when they come into her room,

this is what she has to say about her students: "I love it when I see a student read

a sentence for the first time and they smile up at me saying, "I can read!" It is

rewarding to see a small group of students working with blocks and the intricate patterns

they create. It is also fun to run into a student in the community. The reward of

seeing their enthusiasm as they recognize me outside of school is precious to me.

When they realize that I do not live at Highland Elementary, it surprises and delights

them! There is great joy in watching the progress of a five-year-old mind-from learning

the abc's to reading, from counting to five, to adding and subtracting by the end

of the year. I find it rewarding going to my classroom, each day, to meet the challenges

of eager and diverse learners. It is gratifying that I can make the school environment

enriching and one of the best parts of a student's day. It is such a reward to see

children improve their behavior and to learn to self- manage. Seeing children learn

to improve their work habits and take pride in a quality finished product is satisfying.

I love seeing learners who find a niche they become passionate about. It is also wonderful

to see students learn to appreciate each other and work together. Watching the development

of young children learning appropriate social skills is truly amazing. I also feel

very fortunate to have developed many meaningful relationships with students and their

families. However, the biggest reward is the intrinsic value of knowing I made a difference

in a child's life."

Rhonda Bromley, an administrator at the Alpine School District, and who has also had

two of her 6 children in Gay's class writes, "Gay is one of the most positive and

loving teachers that I have ever met. As an administrator as well as a mother, I have

worked with my share of teachers. Gay is genuinely concerned about every one of her

students, current as well as former. I remember an experience with my daughter when

she wasn't feeling well one night. We talked about the fact that she might not be

able to go to school the next morning if she wasn't feeling better. My daughter was

so sad at the thoughts of missing school, but she was very worried about Mrs. Beck.

When I asked her why she was worried for her teacher, she told me that if she misses

school the next day, Mrs. Beck would be so sad not to have her there. As a mother,

I loved hearing the confidence that my five year old had in knowing that her teacher

cared for her so much."

2010

Mary Jane Morris

Photo: President Obama and Mary Jane Morris

Ms. Morris is a 7th and 8th grade reading teacher and the AVID site coordinator at

Northwest Middle School in the Salt Lake City School District. She has been a teacher

for 33 years, the last 14 at Northwest Middle, a school whose population is two-thirds

Hispanic and 95 percent free and reduced-price lunch eligible.

For those of you not familiar with AVID, it is the acronym for Advancement via Individual

Determination. It is a college-readiness program aimed at increasing the number of

students who are college-ready upon graduation.

"Few people can measure up to Mary Jane," wrote her former principal, Rosemary Baron.

"As a principal who had the fortune of working with her, I would only hope that all

teachers in our public education profession had her love for teaching and learning,

determination to help students succeed and desire to learn new ways of helping students

in their achievement."

One of her former students, Jose Hernandez, took the time to write to Ms. Morris when

he graduated from West High School in 2007. Who wouldn't want to receive a note like

this? "Words could not express my gratitude," he wrote. "You have given me the strength

and determination to keep on going in my education. … You gave me the key to open

the door of knowledge; you gave me the spark that started the flame of education.

Thank you for articulating my think, never giving up on me and, most importantly,

always believing in me."

2009

Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh

Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, (middle) with Superintendent Patti Harrington and State

Board Chair Richard Sadler.

"Sharon is not only a remarkable teacher ", said the Salt Lake City District Superintendent,

McKell Withers, "she is a leader, mentor, and advocate for others. She is a dedicated

and thoughtful public school educator that will work hard to assist all students and

to advocate for public schools in all settings."

Sharon's desire to become a teacher has been nurtured and influenced by the teachings

of many extraordinary people along the way and the dreams and goals she had as a child.

These lessons came from her parents and teachers who always expected the best from

her, her colleagues whose continual collaboration and example make her want to be

a better teacher and her students who bring their unbridled enthusiasm for learning,

a keen sense of community and family, a true example of what it means to love one

another, and boundless energy to her classroom.

During a holiday break, a student mentioned to his mother, "Mom, do you remember when

we went on a long trip last year and I missed our house?", "Yes", the mother said,

"you said I was homesick. Well, I am wondering, is it possible to be schoolsick?" Initially, the mother was dismayed that her young son, who two nights previous slept

fitfully in anticipation of Christmas morning, was already bored with his new toys

and ready to return to school, but as the conversation continued, the young boy shared,

"I'm happy because of the holidays but I really miss my classroom and I really miss Mrs. Gallagher."

Sharon speaks about an inspiring student diagnosed with a learning disability, and

who struggled with reading, he came running up to her on the last day of school, and

said, "Thank you for making me feel smart!" Sharon says it is the culmination of thousands

of small moments, which have positively impacted a child's life that are her greatest

contributions and accomplishments.