Central Grad Named Washington State Teacher of the Year

October 25, 2007

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- Central Washington University alumna Laura Jones was named Washington State Teacher of the Year 2008. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson made the announcement at a ceremony at the Museum of Flight in Seattle last week. Jones graduated from Central in 1991 with a degree in public relations, earned her career and technical education certification from CWU in 1999 and just finished Central's career education director program. She was one of nine regional finalists, three of whom are also Central grads, honored at the ceremony.

"This award is about not only great teaching, but about people who serve their community, teachers who work with their students first and foremost and light up the lives of those kids and get kids to see the connections between education and their lives," Bergeson said at the ceremony. "They also do something to make their community and the world a better place."

A business and marketing teacher at Pasco High School for the past 11 years, Jones worked in marketing and public relations in Seattle for more than a decade before deciding to change her career path and become a teacher. At Pasco High, she teaches marketing and specialty-foods marketing, runs the DECA chapter and helps students run the school store. She is also a literacy coach in her district, a member of the high school Leadership Team, serves as a teacher mentor and has managed the district's business simulation program, which targets hundreds of students and community volunteers.

"I'm truly honored. There are so many amazing teachers I work with every day and it's just an amazing honor," says Jones, who will now represent Washington in the national Teacher of the Year competition. Along with continuing her work in the classroom, Jones will spend this year traveling around the state serving as an ambassador to teachers. She says her goal for this year is to build a better connection between career and technical education and general education classes.

According to Jones, you have to set high standards in order to help students be successful. "It's really about the kids," she says. "I've gotten to find out about each one of them in my class. I've gotten to really hook in and find out what makes them tick and figure out how I can help them be better and be more successful in my class, in other classes, and to get where they want to be in life."

Congratulations Laura. Keep up the good work.

Teri Olin, CWU Public Relations and Marketing, olint@cwu.edu, 509-963-1416

Central Washington University is a master's degree-granting institution with approximately 10,000 students and 1,500 faculty and staff. More than 160 undergraduate and master's degrees are offered. Founded in 1891, the Ellensburg campus is located in the heart of Washington State, nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River. Since 1975, CWU has served the needs of place bound students at six university centers throughout the state. CWU is an AA/EEO Title IX Institution.