Two Western Grads get Top Teaching Honor from the State

I can hardly put into words how wonderful it feels

GUNNISON, Colorado: The Colorado Department of Higher Education chose Western Colorado University alumni Shelby Alm and Christine Stephan for the state’s 2023 Future Educator Honor Roll. They were honored during an event on Wednesday, May 10 as part of Teacher Appreciation Week. The fifth annual Future Educator Honor Rollcelebrated 42 outstanding teacher candidates from the educator preparation programs at Colorado’s colleges and universities. Alm and Stephan were nominated by mentors and faculty in Western’s teacher licensure program.

Alm Excited to be Honored

One of Alm’s mentors said she was “the most committed student teacher I have ever had. Most days she arrived before me and stayed hours afterward.” In her final semesters at Western, Alm worked as a full-time student teacher at Olander School for Project-Based Learning in the Poudre School District. Prior to that, she was an in-building substitute in the Gunnison Schools.

“I can hardly put into words how wonderful it feels to be recognized as one of Colorado’s top future educators,” Alm said.

Serving Students with Severe Needs

Stephan was a zoologist before making the switch to special education, so “being chosen for the Honor Roll sort of solidified that this is the right career path for me,” she said. As an educator serving in a severe needs classroom, she makes all of her own classroom materials and oversees a job skills coffee shop for her students. And her commitment to her students goes beyond the classroom to arranging limos that take them to the school’s prom and taking them on community outings.

“One of the reasons I had a successful year was all the support Western gave me. This program prepared me for everything I was going to experience in my first year of teaching,” Stephan said. “My professors, mentor, and regional coordinator were the best resources and gave honest feedback to push me to be the best educator I could be.”

At the event, CDHE Executive Director, Dr. Angie Paccione, told the audience, “Investing in young people and their education will benefit everyone in the long run. Educators are vital to society, a pillar of thriving communities and we must create a pipeline that allows the educator profession to flourish.”

For more information about the teacher licensure program at Western, visit western.edu

About Western Colorado University

Established in 1901, Western is a four-year public institution in Gunnison, Colo. that offers undergraduate and graduate programs in over 100 areas of study. Our campus on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains is home to more than 2,000 resident students, while approximately 1,600 additional students take courses at the University remotely.