LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Christie Klun was nominated by an anonymous student.

"'What makes the best teacher' is a question that I have always asked myself since the beginning of middle school. Is it someone who knows how to write a bunch of nonsense on a whiteboard? Or is it someone who hands out useless pieces of paper to every student? I am ashamed to have had to wait until my senior year of high school to find the most impactful teacher, Mrs. Klun," said the student.

"Mrs. Klun teaches multiple classes but is currently my Accounting teacher at Arrowhead High School. To me, she is more than just a teacher. She is a friend. A supporter. A guide. An attentive person who cares enough to ask me, 'How are you doing,' every class. Even something as simple as that separates her from every other teacher I have ever had," said the student. 

"When I first met Mrs. Klun, it was easy to tell she cared more about the students than herself. When she found out my grandmother had passed away, she was the only person to ask if I was okay and how the funeral went. I never expected this—a teacher who cares. A teacher who not only cares about her students and their day-to-day lives but also cares enough to make sure her students are mentally checked in," said the student.

"'What's wrong,' is the first thing she says when she can tell I have had a long day. When I walked into class, I didn't even have to say anything before she was concerned about what might be going on in my life. On many occasions, if she knows any student had a long day, she lets us have a "brain break," where she sacrifices her class time to give our brains some rest. I only know a few teachers willing to do that for their students," said the student.

"She shows that she cares about students throughout every class, whether it is asking questions about future plans, giving suggestions and guidance, asking about the game last night, or your plans for the weekend. She is the easiest teacher to talk to, and she and all of her students share many laughs throughout the semester. Often it feels as if I am talking to a friend rather than a teacher, and that is something that I have never experienced before. Throughout all of the ups and downs that the long semester brings, Mrs. Klun has never failed to always bring a smile to my face," said the student.