Ashley Knoll, a 2010 graduate of the University of New Mexico College of Education and Human Sciences, was one of 75 teachers from across the country recently selected to receive the 2023 Milken Educator Award.
Mr. Knoll earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education from UNM and is currently a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) and robotics teacher at Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
Ashli Knoell has been awarded the 2023 Milken Educator Award.Photo courtesy of Milken Family Foundation
Often hailed as the “Oscars of Education,” the Milken Award recognizes all of her “outstanding contributions to the classroom, Cleveland High School, and the Rio Rancho community,” said Milken Educator from Indiana in 1994. said Jane Foley, winner of the award.
This grand national event recognizes early-to-mid-career recipients for their outstanding teaching talent, long-term potential as professional and policy leaders, and for motivating students, colleagues, and the lives of their communities. It is recognized that the company has an influential role.
The award comes with an unrestricted cash prize of $25,000 that Knoell can use for any purpose. Some instructors use this funding for their children's further education, further education, field trips and scholarships. Along with the cash prize, the winners will join the national Milken Educator Network. The Milken Educator Network is a growing group of her 3,000 education professionals across a variety of roles and disciplines working to shape the future of education. The award was created by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken in his 1987 year.
In 2024, $144 million will be invested across the national network of Milken Educator Awards. The scheme aims to help award winners “celebrate, elevate and revitalize” the K-12 profession and encourage young and talented people to pursue teaching as a career. No nominations or applications!
When he was first beckoned from the Cleveland bleachers to accept the award in front of the gymnasium to the cheers and applause of students and colleagues, Noll was livid. It took her a moment to realize that her name had been called.
“At first I thought they might have made a mistake,” Knoll admitted, until one of her best friends and co-workers paid attention long enough to usher her out of the bleachers.
In announcing the award, Knoll confessed that he was looking out for up-and-coming educators who he felt were as deserving of the award as he was. She never expected to be nominated. This party was born out of the fact that Knoll recognizes that teaching, or being an effective teacher, is not the job of one person.
Earning her education degree from UNM gave her the foundation she needed for her career. During her time at UNM, she immersed herself in a variety of opportunities to discover what it meant to be a teacher.
“In my first classroom observation, I taught a lesson. When I walked in, the teacher handed me a piece of chalk. She was an old-school student and still had a green blackboard. She said to me, “Tell me.'' I did just that,” she recalled. “At that moment, I felt that I had found my niche. I am aware that not every college of education has this opportunity.”
Additionally, Knoell had the unique opportunity to experience the essence of education as a student at UNM.
“I learned that it takes a village of invested, caring people to build a culture of learning and foster student growth and success. I feel lucky to be able to do it.”
Noel was so shocked by the surreality of the moment that she remembers trembling uncontrollably. In her gymnasium speech, she reminded her students of their value in the classroom and the world.
“I teach because I want my son to grow up in a wonderful world. I teach for the future,” she explained. “Each of these human beings has a purpose, is important, and can succeed and change the world, whether they think they are or not. Students are my 'why.' ”
None of Ms. Noll's students understand the impact she has on them and their futures. That's Knoll's goal.
“The most important thing I do to support all students starts with respect and creating a safe space where learning takes place. When students don't feel like they are being engaged, their sense of inquiry and creativity diminishes and ceases to exist. Everyone is welcome in my classroom,” she said.
She makes sure her students understand this from the moment they first walk through the classroom door.
Her compassion and hope for her students is contagious. One of her many upperclassmen, Marcella Eagletail, attended Knoll's award ceremony. She has a long history of following in the footsteps of gnolls, which is why Eagletail strives to be her teacher.
“I think you should realize how difficult it is to be a teacher,” Eagletail admitted. “And she's been doing this for a long time. She deserves this. […] She already knows how I feel. she is my everything! She has helped me so much…she deserves this world and the world. ”
When asked what she plans to do with her prize money, Noll said she plans to save some of the money and put the rest back into the classroom. The opportunities are endless and Cleveland High School will certainly benefit from Mr. Knoll's dedication to education.
