Abby Commerford
Abby is a senior at Southeast of Saline High School, with plans to attend Kansas State University and major in Elementary Education. She believes that teaching children to be kind humans in this world is such an important job. Abby wants to help students reach their goals and build intentional relationships while fostering accountability early. She wants her classroom to be a safe place for students and to help them to feel supported on any endeavor.
Elena Herbel
Elena is a graduate of South High School and is a junior at Kansas State University majoring in Elementary Education. She says she’s always known that she wanted to find a way to help people with her future career. She wants to be a teacher because she wants to be able to help others enjoy education as much as she has while growing up. In her free time, she’s usually at home, where she enjoys cooking, watching movies, playing the guitar, and doing crafts.
Lucas Nutter
Lucas is a graduate of Central High School and is a sophomore at Kansas Wesleyan University majoring in Music Education with an emphasis in Strings. Lucas realized from an early age that music was his greatest area of interest. He credits his music teachers for helping him to learn that perfection isn’t the goal – growth, persistence, and the joy of it matters more, and this lesson has shaped his approach to learning in all areas.
Charles Snyder
Charles is in his fourth year of studying elementary education, with an endorsement in special education at McPherson College. As a high school student, he would spend summers working as a youth sports instructor, which helped him realize a passion for helping teach children new skills. His grandmother was a special education teacher who also inspired him to leave a positive impact on future students, much like she did with her students.
Katie Snyder
Katie, a South High grad, is studying to become a High Incidence Special Education Teacher through Fort Hays State University. She credits the passionate, understanding, and dedicated teachers she had growing up with making an immediate and lifelong impact on her life. That impact is also why she wants to follow in their footsteps and pursue education as her career. Katie’s work as a para and as a coach has reaffirmed her passion for teaching students.
Grace is a graduate of South High School and attends the University of Kansas, majoring in Physical Education. She has a passion for working with elementary students. Grace wants to create an environment for her students that improves their physical and mental health. She believes it’s of the utmost importance to foster an environment of inclusivity that allows every student to participate and reach their full potential.
Kolbe is a senior at Central High School. He plans to attend Emporia State University and major in Mathematics Education. He is passionate about the process of learning for students. He wants to help them learn and support them in achieving their goals. He believes math helps students with their critical thinking skills and looks forward to helping them improve their skills.
Jessica is currently attending Wichita State University while working as a para-educator at Lakewood Middle School. This position opened doors for her as she realized she loves making a difference in students’ lives. She dreams of obtaining her teaching license and teaching Reading or English at the middle school level. She wants to bring a student-centered learning experience to an environment where all students feel safe and included.
Alexia is a senior at South High School. She plans to attend Kansas Wesleyan University and major in Elementary Education. She understands the lasting impact teachers have on their students and looks forward to welcoming them to her classroom with open arms. She wants students to know they matter and that someone cares for them. She loves seeing the light bulbs go off when students start to understand the material.
Vanessa is a senior at South High School. She plans to attend Kansas Wesleyan University or Fort Hays State University and major in Music Education. Vanessa is bilingual in English and Spanish. She plays the violin for the Kansas Wesleyan University orchestra and the Salina Youth Symphony. Her hope is to bring people together through music.
Isaac is a graduate of Central High School and attends Kansas State University, where he is Vice President of West Hall. He is majoring in Secondary Education and plans to teach Social Studies. Isaac wishes to create a safe place for his students to learn and develop through an understanding of the past.
Grace is a graduate of South High School and Hutchinson Community College. She attended Wichita State University while working as an instructional assistant at Heusner Elementary School. She enjoys working with children with disabilities and volunteers with her mother at “Night to Shine”, an organization that provides a prom for people with disabilities. Grace hopes to show her students that they are special. Grace is a Pre-K teacher at Heusner.
Sara is a graduate of South High School and attends Fort Hays State University, majoring in Secondary Education. Since 2016 Sara has worked at South High School as a para educator and instructional assistant. Sara says that her co-workers and mentors have been a tremendous help to her. She enjoys advocating for her students’ voices to be heard.
Alaina is a Southeast of Saline High School graduate who attends Emporia State University. She is majoring in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Special Education. Alaina shared that her experience working with a child with Down Syndrome was an incredible experience and helped shape her desire to study special education. Alaina says she believes she can help the world by bettering the lives of those kids who don’t get the same opportunities as the rest of us. She is teaching at Schilling Elementary.
Lauren Allen graduated from Southeast of Saline High School and attends Oklahoma Baptist University. She majored in Elementary Education and is teaching at Oakdale Elementary.
Diana Geist graduated from Salina South High School. She attends Emporia State University and majors in Elementary Education with an emphasis in science. She will graduate in 2025.
Megan Householter graduated from Salina South High School. She attends Fort Hays State University and majors in Secondary Education with an emphasis in History. She will graduate in 2026.
Paige Musselwhite is a graduate of Salina South High School and Kansas State University. She is completing a Master’s in Education and will graduate in 2023. She currently teaches Kindergarten at Coronado Elementary.
Zac Salas graduated from Salina South High School. He attends Bethany College and majors in Music Education. He will graduate in 2027.
Melissa Gates is a Business teacher at Salina South High School. She completed her teacher education at Fort Hays State University.
Reagan Stein is a graduate of Salina Central High School. She attended the University of Kansas, majoring in Secondary Education. She is teaching at Salina Central.
Mason Frost is a graduate of Wichita State University. He teaches Math at Central High School.
Ashley Matthews attended Baker University, majoring in Secondary English Education. She is teaching at Lakewood Middle School.
Kati Rivera attended Fort Hays State University, majoring in Secondary English Education. She is teaching English at Salina South.
Sierra Snethen attended Wichita State University and majored in Secondary Social Studies Education. She is a social studies teacher in El Dorado.
Grace Holgerson is a graduate of Salina Central and Kansas Wesleyan University, majoring in English Education. Grace teaches English at Central High School.
Melissa Mahoney is a graduate of Salina South and Kansas State University. She teaches Biology at South High.
Cameron Munk is a graduate of South High and Emporia State University. She teaches at Schilling Elementary.
Lance Rassette is a Salina South High School and Kansas State University graduate. He taught Science at South High.
Tabetha Deines graduated from Salina Central and Kansas Wesleyan University. She teaches at South Middle School.
Makenzi (Carlgren) Cullins graduated first in her class from Central High School. She is a graduate of Kansas State University, where she majored in Elementary Education. She teaches Kindergarten at Meadowlark Ridge Elementary.
Riley Rundell graduated from Salina South High School and Kansas State University. She teaches at Coronado Elementary.
Morgan Soldan graduated from South High School and Fort Hays State University. She teaches kindergarten at Stewart Elementary.
Dallas Froome is a Sacred Heart and Kansas State University graduate who taught 4th grade at Sunset Elementary.
Kelsey (Plummer) Wood graduated from Rock Creek Jr/Sr High School and Kansas Wesleyan University. She teaches kindergarten at Cottonwood Elementary. Kelsey was selected as the 2023-2024 Elementary Teacher of the Year for Salina Public Schools.
Trey Cullins graduated from Central High and attended Kansas State University, where he majored in Secondary English Education. He currently teaches at Central High School.
Ayla Beaugh is a graduate of Ell-Saline High School and Wichita State University. She taught 4th grade at Meadowlark Ridge Elementary.
Michelle (Franco) Ramsey graduated from South High School and Kansas State University.
Lindsay Radiel graduated from South High and Fort Hays State University, where she majored in Elementary Education. Lindsay teaches at Stewart Elementary.
Amanda (Merrick) Scheppelmann is a graduate of South High and Kansas State University, where she majored in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Special Education. Amanda is an instructional coach with CKCIE.
Taylor (Harner) Urban graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Elementary Education with an English focus. She teaches at South Middle School and was recognized as Renaissance Teacher-of-the-Month.
Kaitlin Paul graduated from Fort Hays State with a degree in Secondary Math Education. Kaitlin is a math teacher at Dodge City High School.
Samantha McCary graduated from South High School in 2010, where she was active in Lab Chicks and worked at Lakewood Discovery Center. Sam taught mathematics at Salina South Middle School.
Lauren (Meis) Cox, a 2011 South High graduate, graduated from Kansas State University, where she was the featured twirler for the Kansas State Marching Band. Lauren majored in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Mathematics. She is the math coach at Oakdale Elementary.
Jessica Steele is a 2012 graduate of South High School, where she excelled academically. Jessica graduated from Kansas State University, majoring in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Special Education and a minor in English as a Second Language. Jessica teaches at Cottonwood Elementary.
Cindy Carter graduated summa cum laude from Kansas Wesleyan University, received her teacher certification from Emporia State University.
Corey Ritter graduated first in her class of 240 from Salina South High School and graduated from Kansas Wesleyan University, majoring in Elementary Education. Corey taught English at Salina South Middle School and kindergarten at Cottonwood Elementary and was a literacy coach at Meadowlark Elementary.
Laney Brightbill, a Salina High School South graduate, graduated from Kansas State University in May 2011 with a degree in Early Childhood Special Education.
Joel Pruett was named the eighth recipient of the LIFT award. Joel was a 2007 Central High School graduate.
Molly Campbell, a Salina Central High graduate, graduated from Emporia State University, where she majored in Elementary Education. Molly taught third grade at Heusner Elementary before teaching 2nd grade at Spring Hill.
Nora Rindt, South High graduate, graduated from Pittsburg State University with a degree in Elementary Education. She is currently teaching at Schilling Elementary.
Caitlin Cox, a Salina Central High School graduate, graduated from Kansas Wesleyan University in May 2011 with a degree in Elementary Education/Special Education. After teaching at Stewart Elementary, Caitlin moved to Andover to teach Special Education.
Andrew Book, a Salina Central High graduate, graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in Music Education. Andrew taught orchestra at Salina Central High and four elementary schools. He is currently the Orchestra Director at Blue Valley West High School.
Darcy Bartz Leech, a Salina Central High graduate, graduated from Bethany College with a degree in English Education and Philosophy. Darcy taught AP English at Central High and was the gifted facilitator at Central. She and her family moved to Great Bend, where she is an instructional technology coach at USD 428.
The Salina Education Foundation’s first LIFT recipient was Kaysie (Rowson) Chrisman, a 2004 graduate of Salina South High School. She graduated from Kansas Wesleyan University and is currently teaching 8th-grade math at Salina South Middle School. Kaysie and husband Scott (Principal at Lakewood Middle School) have two beautiful daughters and a son.
