The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) has announced the 2025 Kansas Horizon Award recipients, recognizing exceptional teaching by new educators. This year, 32 educators will be honored at the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network (KEEN) State Education Conference on February 21 in Topeka.
The Kansas Horizon Award program, sponsored by KSDE, allows each school district to nominate one elementary and one secondary teacher. Eligible nominees must have completed their first year of teaching and demonstrated outstanding performance.
Each year, up to four elementary and four secondary teachers are selected from each of the state’s four regions, aligned with Kansas’ U.S. congressional districts.
Recipients of the 2025 award were personally notified by Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson.
The 2025 Kansas Horizon Award recipients include:
Region 1
Dalton Kraus, Victoria Elementary School, Victoria USD 432
Emma Lidstrom, Coronado Elementary School, Salina USD 305
Anglie Linden, Lyons Middle School, Lyons USD 405
Jessyka Mikkelson, Southeast of Saline Elementary School, Southeast of Saline USD 306
Rylie Sanders, Buhler High School, Buhler USD 313
Sarah Schlottman, 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, Spring Valley Elementary School, Geary County USD 475
Jasmine Colle, Hillsboro Middle/High School, Durham-Hillsboro-Lehigh USD 410
Jason Dester, Topeka West High School, Topeka USD 501
Brennen Feeback, Fort Scott High School, Fort Scott USD 234
Makayla Gray, Burlington Elementary School, Burlington USD 244
Michael Lager, Junction City High School, Geary County USD 475
Alyssa Larson, Gray Hawk Elementary School, Basehor-Linwood USD 458
Trenton Lowry, North Lawn Elementary School, Neodesha USD 461
Region 3
Sarah Alas, Delaware Ridge Elementary School, Bonner Springs USD 204
Ryleigh Diskin, Ray Marsh Elementary School, Shawnee Mission USD 512
Marie Jones, Scarborough Elementary School, Olathe USD 233
Brock LaPlante, Spring Hill High School, Spring Hill USD 230
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 Reece, Central Heights Middle School, Central Heights USD 288
Region 4
Viridiana Arias, Maize South High School, Maize USD 266
Lexie Bullinger, Robert M. Martin Elementary School, Andover USD 385
Joshua Isaacs, West Elementary School, Valley Center USD 262
Tyler Kohlman, Amelia Earhart Elementary School, Goddard USD 265
Matt Miller, Truesdell Middle School, Wichita USD 259
Anna Patton, Augusta Middle School, Augusta USD 402
Hannah Reynolds, Eisenhower High School, Goddard USD 265
Kelsy Sproul, Sedan Elementary School, Chautauqua USD 286
