Educator of the Year awards given to five

Teachers from a variety of levels were recognized Tuesday at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's Educator Appreciation Reception at the Show Me Center.

Winning Educator of the Year awards were:

* Gretchen Bunch, a first-grade teacher at Blanchard Elementary School;

* Lenny Kuper, a math teacher from Notre Dame Regional High School;

* Cathy Matthews, an instructor at the Adult Education and Literacy Program;

* Josh Tomlin from Central Academy; and

* Tom Holman from Southeast Missouri State University.

Honorees received the Crystal Apple Award, a $500 check, resolutions of honor from the Missouri Legislature and a copy of a commemorative video shown before they took the stage for their remarks. State Rep. Kathy Swan and state Sen. Wayne Wallingford presented the resolutions.

Kuper, who has taught math at Notre Dame for 39 years, said he wanted to brag about the school.

"Notre Dame is the best place to be," he said. He added he loves his colleagues and students, "who I really love."

"... They bring a lot of joy and energy to the classroom, and it's contagious," Kuper said.

Matthews, who teaches at the Adult Education and Literacy Program, said relationships between teacher and student build respect and trust. When those are in place, lines of communication can open, and teaching can begin.

"I thank God for putting me in this classroom where opportunities to serve walk through the door every day," she said. "It's my hope that this award represents an awareness for a program that does so much good for the community."

Tomlin, a son of Jackson School Board president Terri Tomlin, said it was fellow social studies teacher Kyle Mabuce who pointed him toward the profession. He said people think teaching is easy, but if you're doing it right, it's not.

"He's totally deserving," Terri Tomlin said.

Holman, professor of recreation in the College of Health & Human Services at Southeast, said he teaches students how to navigate life through hands-on experience.

"I feel like I'm living the dream. I just thank God for guiding my direction and guiding my path," he said.

Chamber vice president Tim Arbeiter said about 220 people attended the event. He said it was nice to spotlight many aspects of education from first grade to university level. This was the 21st year for the awards.

"Overall, I think it was a great event, [a] great turnout," Arbeiter said.

Fifty-five nominees were submitted for the award, and 28 applied. The 28 were narrowed down to eight who were interviewed and the five who were chosen.

"My volunteers say ... this is the hardest volunteer job to do because there's so many good candidates, and to whittle it down to a few is very difficult," Arbeiter said.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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