LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Kathi Koepke was nominated by two students. The following profile contains text from both nominations.

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"The anxiety was eating away at me, my heart pumping faster and faster as I approached my first class of the day. All I remember was how afraid I was to begin another year at school, but that feeling soon faded as I approached my first class of the day, Spanish," said one student. "Each of us has experienced at least one time when we were challenged too much or pushed too far. Sometimes teachers don't always help improve the everyday stress; some tend to worsen it, and some will be supportive and empathetic."

"I remember walking into school for my first day of sophomore year at Arrowhead High School absolutely dreading the classes and just being at school. My first hour was Spanish 1 with Ms. Koepke. I was greeted with one of the kindest smiles and greetings I've ever received. I could tell just by meeting her that this class would be different for me," said the student.

"Meeting Ms. Koepke was one of the most memorable moments for me as a sophomore. She was ecstatic to meet my class even though it was 7 in the morning. Every day I would walk into her class, and Ms. Koepke would have this huge smile. She would greet every student every single morning," said the student.

"I struggled with school, specifically getting assignments done and grasping the concepts. As a sophomore, I didn't always do my best, but I tried my hardest to keep pushing myself to make it through the year," said the student. "I was at a point where it felt like no one could recognize how hard I was trying because I kept failing, but Ms. Koepke saw right through it. She said, 'I just wanted to say I'm proud of you for trying. I can see you are doing your best even if it doesn't seem like it to everyone else.'"

"Hearing her say that changed so much for me. I felt like someone saw me for me, not just some letter grade, which helped me feel better about my school work (at least for her class). It didn't just feel like I was being told to do something. It felt like I was being shown something new, something I could learn. Ms. Koepke proceeded to help me all year long with my Spanish so I could pass her class. She gave me opportunities to better myself and grow as a person. Never once did Ms. Koepke put me down for doing something wrong. She would always help me learn based on my mistakes," said the student.

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"I always looked forward to Spanish class because I knew I would get to see my favorite teacher, Ms. Koepke. I was blessed to have her for two years of Spanish, both my freshman and sophomore year," said the student. "She made the class enjoyable and fun by playing learning games to practice our vocabulary or topic that we were learning, from tic tac toe to Jeopardy to matamoscas, all of which are very entertaining Spanish games. The best part was that if you won, you got a chupa chup, the best Spanish candy around."

"Speaking of food, Ms. Koepke would occasionally bring in Spanish food for her classes to try. She wanted us to learn and truly experience the Spanish culture in her classroom. I remember one time, Ms. Koepke brought in Spanish fruit juice and these white snowball candies, which were delicious. This shows how compassionate and devoted she is to helping her students learn. She has taught me always to be hard working but also enjoy my time eating some Spanish food," said the student.

"Whenever someone came into her classroom, she would say 'Hola' or 'Buenos días' or some other greeting. She put into words the importance of greetings and simply saying hello to someone. She explained that some students had told her how much a simple hello meant to them; some said that Ms. Koepke's hello was the only one they got all day. This made me think; everyone should be kind and talk with one another because you never know what someone is going through," said the student.

"Then came school dress-up days…On one special costume dress-up day, Ms. Koepke wore a hilarious bird costume, but it made her students smile. She won the best costume in my book! She has a heart of gold," said the student.

"Whenever I needed extra help with Spanish, Ms. Koepke would help me during her free periods. When she had a free period where she could be grading quizzes or preparing a fun game for the next class period, she helped me better understand the topic we were learning instead. She is dedicated to helping her students fully grasp the content," said the student.

Ms. Koepke always ensured everyone was included and participating in class, which made her class enjoyable because everyone was laughing and having fun. This taught me that everyone has a voice and to listen to others and hear what they have to say," said the student. "Ms. Koepke never failed to put a smile on my face and always made me look forward to Spanish class."