For her entire life, Southside Primary School Teacher of the Year Kaitlyn Thomason, knew she wanted to be a teacher.
She would pretend to play school in her bedroom with her stuffed animals when she was a kid.
It has been a long journey to get where Northwood Elementary School teacher of the year, Joe Ballreich, is now.
He began teaching in 2018, but his first career was something much different.
It was a night to remember for students of all ages at Lakewood Christian School on Dec. 19.
Students ranging from Pre-K to high school participated in the school’s Christmas program at Praise Power and Compassion Ministries in Crestview, featuring classic songs such as “Joy to the World” as well as the production of their play, “We Three Spies.”
Teaching is in Elizabeth Irby’s blood.
Now in her 18th year of teaching, Irby has used the knowledge and warmth gained by her family of educators and medical professionals to be the teacher of the year at Bob Sikes Elementary School.
Desiree Angiletta, Shoal River Middle School’s teacher of the year, has always wanted to be an educator. However, life was not easy for Angiletta.
Tragedy struck in the fifth grade when she was injured in a car accident, leaving her to be home bound for three months. Angiletta broke her femur, a severe injury that caused her pain both physically and emotionally.
Jessica Amador took a different career path than most elementary school teachers, but the path has led to her peers nominating her as their teacher of the year at Riverside.
Amador began her career in business. She earned a degree in event management from the University of Central Florida and went on to work in the industry in Orlando for six years.
Inside the halls of Richbourg School, students of all ages are producing music.
Calvin Jasper, the Richbourg School teacher of the year, is instructing all of them.
Davidson Middle School teacher, Toni Toney, has always meant business.
She attended Mississippi State University and earned a degree in business management, before moving to Crestview with her husband in the late 1990s.
Antioch Elementary teacher, Faith Fogarty, has been teaching for 12 years.
She started in nearby Bay County before moving to Okaloosa County where she has been for the last seven years, teaching math and reading.
Crestview high school hosted their sister city, Noirmoutier, and their students for two weeks during the month of October.
The city of Crestview and Noirmoutier have had a relationship since 1995, with the cities exchanging cultural, social and educational ideals.
