photo by: Contributed

Barb Tholen

A Lawrence High School educator was designated a Kansas Master Teacher — one of only seven in the state to receive the honor for 2022.

Journalism and graphic design teacher Barb Tholen, who has taught at LHS since 2010, got the call Tuesday from the dean of Emporia State University’s Teachers College via Superintendent Anthony Lewis’ cellphone, according to a news release from the Lawrence school district.

Tholen, who has previously been honored as the district’s Lawrence Master Teacher, has been praised by students and parents alike as “a life-changing teacher.”

Gary Schmidt, an alumnus of the LHS class of 2019 and a former editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, The Budget, attributed his success to Tholen in a letter of recommendation for the award.

“I have and continue to smash whatever life seems to throw at me and I attribute so much of this to the lessons I have learned from Barb. Without her, there are no pacemakers, there are no state titles, and for me, there is no Stanford,” Schmidt wrote. “She has taught me all of the tools to write the story of my life, and thanks to Barb, it truly is the story of my dreams.”

Dani Lotton-Barker, an LHS parent and Southwest Middle School teacher, cited Tholen’s know-how and enthusiasm in her letter of recommendation.

“Barb’s professional expertise as both a journalist in the field and an educator, her cheerful and unyielding support for her students, her authentic enjoyment of teens and their sometimes exhausting quirks, and her constant encouragement to strive for excellence are the qualities that most jump out to me when I try to sum her up,” Lotton-Barker wrote.

Tholen earned her bachelor’s degree at Kansas State University, her master’s at Baker University, and the Journalism Education Association’s Journalism Educator Certification in 2014, and Master Journalism Educator Certification in 2020. Her students and programs also have received numerous state and national honors.

Tholen is the Lawrence district’s 10th Kansas Master Teacher in the last three decades.

Emporia State established the Kansas Master Teacher awards in 1954. The awards are presented annually to “exemplary professional educators.” The recipients, who each receive a $1,000 check from Bank of America Charitable Foundation, were selected by a 10-member committee.

The 2022 Master Teachers will be honored on Master Teacher Day April 6 at Emporia State University.

The other six Kansas Master Teachers for 2022 are:

• Andy Battenfield, physical education teacher at Village Elementary School in Emporia;

• Melanie Hammond, chemistry/physical science teacher at South High School in Salina;

• Karen Stohlmann Henderson, mathematics and engineering teacher at Northwest High School in Blue Valley;

• Sarah M. Hoff, social studies teacher at Dodge City High School;

• Gina Johnson, fourth and fifth grade teacher at O’Loughlin Elementary School in Hays;

• Bryan Scruggs, instructional coach at Seitz Elementary School in Geary County.