SJSD Foundation honors teachers and staff making a difference in students’ lives 

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- The St. Joseph School District Foundation celebrated local educators during its 20th Annual Tribute of Teachers, honoring the people who make a difference both inside and outside the classroom. 

2027 Innovator of the Year recipient Danyelle Gonzales, a math teacher at Central High School, said the recognition came as a surprise. 

“I have never won anything quite like that, so just to be acknowledged from the peers that I work with was very special,” Gonzales said.  

Last fall, Gonzales wrote a grant to purchase classroom rovers — interactive devices that help students engage with math in a hands-on way.  

She first saw the technology being used at a conference and immediately started thinking about how it could work in her own classroom. 

“I have spent all year working with these, trying to teach myself, and the kids have been working with them and teaching me too, so it’s been quite a journey,” Gonzales said.  

She plans to spend more time this summer learning how to better incorporate the devices into future lessons and show students new ways math can be applied in real life. 

2027 Teacher of the Year recipient Tori Turner, who teaches seventh and eighth grade math at Spring Garden Middle School, said the award reminded her how much people appreciate the work educators do.

She described her experience as great but also a little bit overwhelming.  

“When I had won the whole thing, they had all the students out in the hallway, and I had to do a parade around the school. My mom and my aunt were also waiting for me at the end of the parade,” she said.  

Turner said the recognition reassured her how she’s on the right path as an educator, especially in a profession where teachers are constantly adapting to new ideas and teaching methods.  

“This just kind of reaffirms to me that I am moving in the right direction and my hard work pays off,” Turner added.  

Turner said teaching can be challenging, especially in the beginning, but she believes the work is ultimately rewarding and worth the effort. 

Meanwhile, 2027 Support Person of the Year recipient Beth Hernandez-Rice, an attendance interventionist, said the honor meant a lot because it showed she had been there for students when they needed support most.  

“I was really surprised. It was back in December, and I really didn’t expect it to be me. Not that I am not good or deserving, but there’s so many more deserving people out there, I thought,” she said.  

She said one of the biggest takeaways from the experience was realizing how supported and appreciated she feels within the school community. 

Hernandez-Rice has worked at Benton High School for four years after previously working at an elementary school.  

“This was a new position for me, and I used to be at an Elementary school, so it was a jump there too, but I love and I am surprised that I love it, but I was nervous at first,” Hernandez-Rice said.  

Community leaders and supporters of the St. Joseph School District gathered on April 14 to celebrate all of the honorees and recognize the impact they continue to make on students and the community.