Indiana University Kokomo School of Education honors newly minted teachers
Last Updated on May 8, 2025 by Cass County Communication Network
KOKOMO, Ind. — Faculty and staff in the Indiana University Kokomo School of Education, along with the 2025 Indiana Teacher of the Year, welcomed nearly 35 new teachers to the profession at its annual recognition and pinning ceremony.
Scott Jones, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, congratulated the graduates on their success, calling teaching a noble profession.
“Each of you will have the opportunity to transform student lives every day, to make the sort of difference that people 50 years later will still be profoundly grateful for,” he said. “So, I wanted to thank you now for the great work you will go on to do.”
Chris Darr, interim dean, said as teachers they have chosen to make a difference.
“We all remember teachers who changed our lives,” he said. “Your students will remember you well. They will remember the effort you put into educating them, and they will remember the care you showed them as human beings. So tonight, we celebrate your achievements and look forward to the future.”
Outstanding student award winners Maleah Winger in elementary education, Russiaville; and Ella Hobson in secondary education, Logansport also addressed their classmates. Winger and Hobson each began their journey to teaching in the Tomorrow’s Teachers program, an IU Kokomo initiative that offered School of Education classes in their high schools.
Winger said she experienced “overwhelming gratitude” in receiving the award.
“To my peers, I desire to share this experience with you also,” she said. “To thank you for showing up for your students who are easy to love and those that you love only because you know they depend on it. And to applaud you for your resilience as educators to be on the front lines of chaos and adversity and yet be steadfast in enduring every challenge before you.”
Hobson thanked family, faculty, and her classmates for their influence on her as she earned her degree.
“I am so thankful to have learned and worked alongside you and see your passion for teaching flourish,” she said to her classmates. “We may be at the end of a beautiful chapter of life at IUK, but this is just the start of a thrilling new journey. I know each and every one of you are going to make a positive impact on so many students’ lives. You are doing such important work and changing the world for the better, one step at a time.”
2025 Indiana Teacher of the Year Graciela Miranda, an educator at Pike High School in Indianapolis, also offered welcome wishes to the graduates.
Additional award winners honored included:
IACTE Outstanding Future Educator Award: Tiffani Husband, Sarah Stonebraker, Kaci Whann
Honors Program Graduate: Ella Hobson, Logansport
Graduates honored included:
Elementary Education: Haelie Bellaw and Karen Pegg, Kokomo; Megan Fultz and Hannah Leach, Lafayette; Jason Mangus, Marion; Ashley Nightenhelser, Tipton
Elementary and Early Childhood: Lourdes Barnes, Makaila Carpenter and Elizabeth Felker, Kokomo; Victoria Holloway, LaFontaine; Alexis Trigg, Logansport; Elizabeth Enyeart and Margarita Solis, Peru; Lauren Piske, Russiaville; Katherine Wright, Zionsville
Elementary Education and Mild Intervention: Lauren West, Carmel; Kaylynn Alexander, Converse; Addyson Weaver, Kirklin; Emily Morgan, Sarah Stonebraker and Susan Yoe, Kokomo; Makayla Hughes, Linden; Abby Helms, Noblesville; Kaci Whann, Peru; Maleah Winger, Russiaville
Secondary Education, Earth Science: Yaritzi Correa, Monticello
Secondary Education, English language arts: Ella Hobson, Logansport; Brenna Hunt, Monticello
Secondary Education, Life Science Biology: Tiffani Husband, Kokomo
Secondary Education, Social Studies: Braydon Lake, Muncie
Transition to Teaching Elementary Education: Jaclyn Barnett, Peru; Shelby French, Akron; Amanda Trott, Kokomo
Transition to Teaching Secondary Education: Sally Wakeland, Lafayette
SOURCE: News release from Indiana University Kokomo
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