Title: Senior Teacher

Company: Delta Vista Middle School

Location: Walnut Grove, Calif.

Gloria Grace Hutsell’s greatest career achievement was being recognized by her bosses and superiors for her leadership abilities; she was given a position of leadership at the school that changed her life. The highlight of her career was being chosen as the leadership and yearbook adviser for her school, as it allows her to teach the students to be more community-minded. She is currently in her 36^th year of academic instruction, teaching seventh-grade language arts as a senior teacher at Delta Vista Middle School. Ms. Hutsell has earned Teacher of the Year multiple times, and is a two-time listee in Who’s Who Among American Teachers.

Ms. Hutsell conducts outreach programs for its students, and served as yearbook adviser for six years. In addition, she designs and submits a school float along with a dance squad in the city’s annual parade, where she has won the ‘most spirited’ award with her seventh- and eighth-grade students. She loves teaching about life, giving life lessons and helping the children make wise choices. She attributes her success to her father who believed in her at a very young age; he convinced the school board to hire her as a full time teacher with only two years of experience at the age of 19. Ms. Hutsell’s philosophy that education is a way of life, not a job is what separates her from her peers.