Honorary Local Teachers – KSAL

Trio Local Teachers are among those honored by the Kansas State Ministry as the Kansas Horizon Award for 2025, a program that recognizes the exceptional teaching skills of new teachers. The district teachers who are distinguished include:

• Emma Lidstrom, Elementary School Coronado, Salina 305 USD
• Jessyka Mikkelson, Southeast Primary School of Saline, southeast of Saline 306 USD
• Sarah Slotman, Abilene High School, Abilene USD 435

According to the agency, the 32 educators selected for this prestigious award will be awarded at a special ceremony during the State Educational Conference of the Kansas Network for Sample Educators on February 21 in Topeka.

The Kansas Horizon Award program allows all school districts to nominate one elementary and one high school teacher for the award. In order to be eligible, teachers must have successfully completed their first year of teaching and have presented themselves in such a way that they are distinguished as exceptional.

Four elementary and four classroom teachers can be selected for the prize from each of the four regions, which correspond to the US Congress regions.

The recipients of the Kansas Horizon Award for 2025 are as follows:

Region 1

• Dalton Kraus, Victoria Elementary School, Victoria 432 USD
• Emma Lidstrom, Elementary School Coronado, Salina 305 USD
• Anglie Linden, Lyons Middle School, Lyons USD 405
• Jessica Mickelson, Southeast Primary School of Salin, southeast of Salin 306 USD
• Rylie Sanders, Buhler High School, Buhler USD 313
• Sarah Slotman, Abilene High School, Abilene USD 435
• Kiley Seidl, Haven Grade School, Haven USD 312
• Brayden Smith, Hays High School, Hays USD 489

Region 2

• Denise Acosta, Elementary School Spring Valley, Gueri County 475 USD
• Jasmine Colle, Hillsboro Middle/High School, Durham-Hilsborough-Liei USD 410
• Jason Deter, Topeca West High School, Topeka 501 USD
• Brennen Feback, Fort Scott High School, Fort Scott 234 USD
• Makayla Gray, Primary School Burlington, Burlington 244 USD
• Michael Lager, Junction City High School, Geary County 475 USD
• Alice Larson, Gray Hawk Primary School, Basehor-Linwood USD 458
• Trenton Lowry, North Lawn Elementary School, Neodesha USD 461

Region 3

• Sarah Alas, Delaware Ridge Primary School, Bonner Springs 204 USD
• Ryleigh Diskin, Ray Marsh Primary School, Shawnee Mission 512 USD
• Marie Jones, Skarborow Elementary School, Oalat 233 USD
• Brock Laplante, Spring Hill High School, Spring Hill 230 USD
• Tara Mulcahy, Broadmoor Elementary School, Louisburg USD 416
• Steve Murray, Olathe West High School, Olathe USD 233
• Allaire Pigg, Turner High School, Turner USD 202
• Eric Rees, Central Heights High School, Central Heights 288 USD

Region 4

• Viridiana Arians, Maize South High School, Maize USD 266
• Lexie Bullinger, Robert M. Martin, Andover 385 USD Primary School
• Joshua Isaacs, West Elementary School, Valley Center USD 262
• Tyler Colman, Amelia Airhart Primary School, Godard 265 USD
• Matt Miller, Truesdell Secondary School, Wichita 259 USD
• Anna Patton, High School in August, August 402 USD
• Hannah Reynolds, Eisenhower High School, Godard 265 USD
• KELSY SPROUL, Sedan Elementary School, Chautauqua USD 286

Jessica Mickelson

Emma Lidstrom

Sarah Slotman