Ten Lakota Local Schools staff members earned the district's first Gem Award honors of the 2026-27 school year, the district announced Monday, Oct. 12.

The October honorees span eight school buildings and the district's Service Center, ranging from classroom teachers and a speech pathologist to a school resource officer and a bus driver. More than 100 nominations came in during the first six weeks of the school year.

The program has honored nearly 100 staff members over its first two years, according to the district. Superintendent Ashley Whitely said reviewing the cumulative total was no small task. "Reviewing more than 700 nominations was a massive undertaking for our committee," Whitely said.

Bus driver Ryan Andersson earned two awards: Clear Cut Expert and Gem of Growth. Andersson designs and prints his own bus safety pamphlets for families and personally drives back to students' homes after his shift to return forgotten lunchboxes, instruments and sports gear. He competes in statewide bus driver safety competitions and is pursuing a teaching degree with hopes of working in a Lakota classroom.

Speech language pathologist Savannah Hawley at Heritage Early Childhood School earned the Clear Cut Expert and Brilliant Innovator awards. Hawley sets up play activities where young children practice communicating in real-world scenarios and sends home updates so families stay connected to their child's progress. One parent wrote that her daughter said Hawley "never made me feel like not being understood was a problem. She made me feel special."

School resource officer Patrick Eilerman works across three campuses: Creekside Early Childhood School, Lakota West Freshman School and Lakota Central High School. He earned the Clear Cut Expert award. His nomination described him as leading safety training sessions for school resource officers throughout the region.

The remaining honorees include:

  • Jennifer Holder, third grade teacher at Woodland Elementary, Beacon of Positivity
  • Elisa Dailey, third grade teacher at Cherokee Elementary, Sapphire of Student Support
  • Marianne Sample, math teacher and National Junior Honor Society advisor at Plains Junior School, Polished Team Player. Sample has organized community volunteer events with neighborhood families for more than ten years, including an annual fall parade.
  • Katie Bauer, world studies teacher at Ridge Junior School, Sapphire of Student Support. Bauer turned her classroom into a hands-on museum of Ancient Greek and Roman history.
  • Paul Phillips, math teacher and tennis coach at Lakota West High School, Sapphire of Student Support. Phillips received four nomination letters. One former student was inspired by his mentorship to earn a math education degree and return to Lakota West as a teaching colleague.
  • Samira Saidi, instructional aide in the Multiple Disabilities department at Lakota East High School, Polished Team Player. Saidi uses her multilingual skills to encourage students to practice speaking different languages with one another.

Each honoree was surprised during their workday, surrounded by students, colleagues and the people who nominated them.

The Gem Award program recognizes staff in six categories: Sapphire of Student Support, Beacon of Positivity, Brilliant Innovator, Polished Team Player, Gem of Growth and Clear Cut Expert. Staff, parents, students and community members can submit nominations through the end of March. Nominations submitted by Oct. 31 will be considered for the November recipients, scheduled to be announced in mid-November.