The University of Kentucky College of Education held its 21st annual Teachers Who Made A Difference ceremony Saturday. The event pays tribute to teachers for making a profound impact on students' lives.
Teachers Who Made a Difference does not select winners from a pool of nominees. Rather, the UK College of Education created the program to provide individuals a means to express thanks to educators who have impacted their lives.
What makes this honor so special is that teachers were nominated by their peers, students, and parents. Leigh Ellen Bristow was one of more than 200 teachers who was honored at the ceremony on Saturday. Bristow, a 10-year veteran mathematics teacher at TCCHS, was nominated for the honor by TCCHS Class of 2016 graduate and University of Kentucky Student Sydney Harper.
“Mrs. Bristow made me love math enough to want to teach it,” stated Harper. “I had her for Pre-Calculus I in high school and to this day I still keep in contact with her. She inspired me to pursue secondary math education and continues to support me in my endeavors. She was always the first person I texted when I did well on a math exam or when I received exciting emails from professors regarding my work in class. I hope I can be the light in my future students’ lives just as she was and is for me.”
Mrs. Bristow stated she was humbled by the recognition and honor. Over the years, the Teachers Who Made a Difference program has honored more than 2,000 teachers.