A 22-year veteran of USD 232 has been nominated for a prestigious national award that aims to recognize educators who’ve had life-altering impacts on their students.

Deb Martin, who currently teaches kindergarten at Starside Elementary in De Soto, is a LifeChanger of the Year nominee. The annual award is sponsored by insurance company National Life Group and is meant for K-12 district staff and educators across the U.S.

“I have seen her smile,” Cheree Tyner wrote in her nomination of Martin. “She loves her job. She can handle any child, no matter what behavior issues they may have. She has made an impact on many students … She deserves this.”

Martin was surprised to be nominated

• She found out at the end of last year that she’d been nominated for a LifeChanger award.
• Martin said was honored to be nominated but also felt a little odd about it.
• “That’s not why we do this,” she said. “But it is very nice that someone thought of you and thinks highly of you like that.”

Martin was drawn to ‘helping others’ early on

• She’s been teaching for 30 years now, 22 of which have been spent at Starside Elementary, a school just off K-10 in western Johnson County.
• When she first came to Starside, she started teaching fifth grade, but now has taught students K-5 and has had a classroom in just about every wing of the building.
• “Even as a kid I liked helping other students,” Martin said. “Just seeing the growth and the light bulb moments.”

Despite challenges, kids keep her in the job

• It hasn’t always been an easy profession, Martin said.
• As other teachers walk away, she’s thought about leaving over the years as well.
• “Something draws me back each time, and usually it’s the kids,” Martin said. “There’s always a new challenge.”
• She said the staff she’s worked with and having the opportunity to train up the next generation of teachers by hosting student teachers have also kept her in the profession.

Another USD 232 educator was nominated as well

• Lainee Graham, a school counselor at Mize Elementary in Shawnee, was also nominated for the LifeChanger of the Year award by an anonymous colleague, a district press release said.
• She was put up for the award because she formed a student leadership team that puts on service projects and was integral in rolling out the social-emotional learning program at Mize, according to her nomination information.
• Graham also went “above and beyond” when two separate families at Mize experienced house fires.
• Graham told the Post she did not wish to be interviewed for this story.

More good USD 232 news: USD 232 in De Soto ranked #2 on ‘Best in Kansas’ list✏️