Stephanie King teaches English at Granger High School, a school labeled challenging due to its high rate of poverty. She has served students, families, and community members that are immigrants, migrants, English learners, homeless, and future first generation college graduates. She currently coaches varsity and middle school girls' soccer and recently brought Knowledge Bowl to Granger. Stephanie was the first teacher in her building to bring college in the high school when she was approved by the University of Washington to teach English 131 and 111. Just these two courses have already led to nearly 100 students establishing college transcripts.
Stephanie works extensively outside of the halls of Granger to better the education of all students within the state of Washington. Her work with the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges has allowed her the opportunity to travel around the state to work with the Bridge to College program as a Course Leader. She has developed curriculum that was a direct result of her own students needing materials relevant to their experiences as migrant field workers in rural, eastern Washington. These materials were then made available to all instructors of the Bridge program throughout the state. This work ultimately resulted in a presentation at the National Council of Teachers of English National Convention in 2017 in Missouri.
Stephanie comes from a family of educators and looks to her parents for inspiration. She believes in the concept that every student is a lifelong learner and that education comes secondary to relationships. Every Monday she asks her students about their weekends to learn about their successes and struggles. This leads to trust and belonging in her classroom. She stays involved with the community by volunteering with different civic organizations, hosting legislators in her classroom, and working with parent groups to assist with fundraising.
“Stephanie’s work with students exemplifies the best that the teaching profession has to offer,” says Principal Michael Carlson. “This is evident in her efforts toward continual professional improvement, tirelessly striving for excellence for herself and her students. Our school and community are more unified by the efforts of Stephanie King. She is involved in local festivals, supporting a youth recreation program for the town, and partnering with the local historical society to include student created family histories for all to read. Stephanie developed and founded Granger High School’s first Knowledge Bowl team . . . The greater impact was the message to our students that they belong in this level of academic competition. With her actions, she shows that today’s youth are worth the risks and sacrifice from their mentors.”
