LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Karen Eller was nominated by her colleague, Nia Brown.

Mrs. Eller has been teaching for eleven years. She has a relentless passion for serving and advocating for students and the families of Wilmington, DE. Mrs. Eller wears many hats at her school. Her biggest joy is advocacy and closing the gap of inequality that she witnesses daily within Wilmington.

Mrs. Eller searches for resources for the student body and makes a point to emphasize the importance of representation and multicultural experiences for her students. Her desire is for her scholars to not only have equal access to a quality education, but to attend school in a building that is high-quality. Mrs. Eller is active in the community and has taken a political stand against the inequities in Wilmington.

Mrs. Eller is a member of the Redding Consortium for educational equity. She has recommended policies and practices to the Governor and Delaware General Assembly that will achieve educational equity and improve educational outcomes for all students, not only in Wilmington, but throughout northern New Castle County, Delaware. She actively recruits educators, parents and potential partners in order to bring lasting reformation to her district.

Mrs. Eller is making generational, lasting change for low-income students, English learners, and other students and families that are identified as being at-risk. Her passion is identifying the barriers to educational equity within Wilmington and improving educational outcomes. Currently, Mrs. Eller is helping to build and design her students and families' "dream school."

"Karen’s actions, compassion, and conviction allow her to help her students find and elevate their voice," said Brown. "When they can’t, she stands in the gap for them."