By Kathy Barkley
The Haysville Times
Congratulations to Mindy Walz for being nominated and chosen as Teacher of the Year for the 2005-2006 school year. It’s a great honor to receive such a reward, especially your very first year of teaching first grade. Walz says, “I want to thank Nelson for letting me work here. I’m so grateful to be part of the Nelson family. Everyone is awesome….teachers, adminstrators, custodians.” She enjoys working with people she likes and doing something she loves. (Don’t you just love that kind of enthusiasm? It’s contagious.)
Let me introduce you to Mindy Walz. She comes to us from a small western Kansas town called Oakley, where she was born in 1973. Walz is the third of nine children. She attended high school in Colby.
Walz has two beautiful daughters, Morgan (11 years) and Madison (7 years), who may just follow in their mom’s footsteps and pursue a teaching career. Before choosing teaching as a profession, she worked in the dentistry field for 4 years.
Walz graduated from Wichita State University, Magna Cum Laude. Since she was the third of nine children in her family, the younger ones looked up to her. That is what first peaked her interest in becoming a teacher. Walz worked in daycare and in preschool before Morgan and Madison started school. When she saw that yearning to learn with her own two daughters, she decided to pursue a teaching degree. Walz is glad she went to college and chose teaching.
When asked what she liked about Haysville schools, Walz said, “I love the small town atmosphere.” The family atmosphere reminds her of where she grew up.
A typical day for Walz is school-oriented. She says, “I get up, and I’m there when the doors open, and I’m there until the doors close. No day is the same.” She has a great deal of dedication.
When asked what her hobbies were, she replied, “I like to spend time with my family.” Walz and her daughters go to the lake or do other outdoor things/activities.
As for her plans for the future, “I’d love to stay in the Haysville area and continue teaching first grade.” Walz lives in Derby right now, but would like to move to Haysville.
Walz is definitely an asset to Nelson School. Again, congratulations! It’s been a job well done.