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Elgin High School educator Melissa Evon named as Oklahoma's 2025 teacher of the year
An Elgin educator has been chosen as Oklahoma's 2025 teacher of the year.
Melissa Evon, who teaches family and consumer sciences at Elgin High School in Comanche County, was announced as the winner of the honor on the night of Friday, June 27, at the Oklahoma State Department of Education's annual InspireOK conference, held this year in Norman.
'Melissa represents the very best Oklahoma has to offer,' said state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters. 'She has the heart of a teacher and unmatched passion for her students and we are so proud to recognize her exemplary work.'
Evon has worked as an educator since 1992, according to the state agency. She is the first Elgin Public Schools teacher to receive the honor since Oklahoma named its first state teacher of the year in 1955.
When the list of 10 finalists for the award was announced in March, Evon – in a social media post from the agency – discussed her love of teaching.
'Teaching is a profession where the most extraordinary moments occur in the unexpected connections, the collaborative discoveries, and the triumphs of students realizing their own potential,' she said. 'Each day, as I step into my Family and Consumer Sciences classroom, I'm grateful for the opportunity to be a part of my students' learning journeys.
'I see my role as similar to that of a silversmith, patiently refining, uncovering potential, and revealing the brilliance within each student. I believe in the lasting impact of acts of kindness and in fostering an environment where these bright young minds can thrive and discover their unique strengths.'
Nate Meraz, the superintendent of Elgin Public Schools, said Evon has been named three times as that district's teacher of the year -- first as a high school history teacher, then as a middle school history teacher and now as a consumer science teacher.
"Everything Melissa touches turns gold," Meraz told The Oklahoman. "She is one of the best human beings you'll ever meet. Go to your Facebook page and enter her name in the search bar right now; you'll see how many people mentioned her and have stories about how she has impacted their lives. It is truly amazing!
"She seeks zero attention or praise and actually would shun the spotlight, but, our parents, school staff and our community all keep putting her in the spotlight with the amazing stories of how she impacts our students' lives on a daily basis."
Each of the 10 state finalists were named as the teacher of the year at their school site, then within their school district. It's unclear who made the decision to choose the 10 finalists. The state Department of Education said in March the finalists would be evaluated by a panel of Oklahomans, but never said who would serve on that panel.
According to the state Department of Education, Evon will spend the next year serving as the Oklahoma Ambassador of Teaching, sharing knowledge and resources with other educators around the state. She also will represent the state in the national teacher-of-the-year competition.
The other nine finalists were Shelly Austin of Cushing High School, G. Bruce Riggs of Claremore High School, Paula Caudill of Collinsville Upper Elementary School, Jennifer Meyer of Grove Elementary School, Melissa Lytle of Bixby North Intermediate School, Chrystal Reis of L.W. Westfall Elementary School in Choctaw, Shaunda Usry of Robert E. Lee Early Childhood Center in Durant, Lauren Draper of Tuttle Middle School and Stacey Barker of Merritt Elementary School.
The 2024 state teacher of the year was Rachel Keith from Ada High School.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Elgin High School educator named as 2025 Oklahoma teacher of the year
