Tama educator is a runner-up for the 2014 Excellence in Education Award

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L to R: Tammy Wawro, ISEA President and Terri Guenther-Mayer

DES MOINES, IA (12/03/2014)(readMedia)-- Terri Guenther-Mayer, an FFA Advisor and Agriculture teacher at South Tama High School in Tama, is a 2014 Excellence in Education Award runner-up. The award is sponsored by the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA). Guenther-Mayer was chosen among a top field of over 60 educators-all nominated by colleagues, students, parents, and community members-because of the difference they make every day in the lives of Iowa's students.

"This award is truly about recognizing the educators who work hard on a daily basis and rarely get the recognition they so richly deserve," said Tammy Wawro, President of the ISEA. The nominations we receive are a testament to the dedication and compassion Iowa educators have for their students and the communities in which they live. Clearly, our educators go above and beyond to help shape the lives of the students they teach."

Guenther-Mayer leads by example and inspires her students through her actions and deeds so they become leaders in their own right. She defied the roles and became a female Agriculture teacher and has made many positive improvements to the agriculture program in South Tama. Improvements include building a new greenhouse, farming 53 acres around the school, increasing the amount of money in the FFA account, teaching a dual credit course, new landscaping around the school, restoring a tractor, creating a new tool room, and bringing middle school students into the agriculture program. It is this drive and determination that earned Guenther-Mayer an Excellence in Education runner-up award.

"It's clear that Terri's creativity, passion, and work all combine to make a tremendous impact in her classroom and beyond, and we applaud her achievement," said Wawro. The Excellence in Education Award celebrates educators like Terri who are invested in the lives of their students and go beyond what is expected to make an exceptional experience for them."

Now in its 15th year, the Excellence in Education Award honors educators around the state who make a difference in the classroom. Nominations are solicited beginning in September through October.

Guenther-Mayer received a $100 gift from the ISEA during an awards ceremony and banquet on Thursday, November 20, at the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines, courtesy of the ISEA.

The winner of the 2014 Excellence in Education Award is Karlys Gries, an elementary teacher at Whittier Elementary in Sioux City. Gries received $1,000 courtesy of the ISEA. Other runners-up also honored include Jennifer Emblen, a fifth grade teacher at Beaver Creek Elementary in Johnston; Kurt Gaylor, an elementary teacher at Monona Elementary in Monona; and John Hunsaker, an English teacher at Mediapolis High School in Mediapolis. All runners-up received $100 courtesy of the ISEA.

The ISEA is a professional organization made up of more than 34,000 educators who are dedicated to supporting and protecting a quality education for all Iowa students.

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