Mary Kurt-Mason Named One of People Magazine’s Teachers of the Year

For the second year in a row, PEOPLE Magazine editors, along with an advisory board of education professionals, have read through a mountain of inspiring applications for the annual Teacher of the Year Award. And it was no easy feat – there are a lot of amazing

teachers out there! The six winning entries featured teachers who make learning an adventure. With creativity and heart, and some sacrifices of their own, they’re helping their students succeed. And as musician and education activist John Legend, a member of PEOPLE’s advisory board, said, “These incredible teachers are changing the lives of their students and paving the way for a new generation of American leaders.”

One of this year’s winners was Mary Kurt-Mason, a high school teacher at Pagosa Springs High School, located in Pagosa Springs, CO. Through the use of an innovative outdoor program that involves sea-kayaking, white-water rafting and skiing, Mary Kurt-Mason has spent the past 28 years enriching the lives of young people in her tiny Colorado town who are grappling with a variety of learning issues. Kurt-Mason connects with these often hard-to-reach teenagers and challenge what they – and their parents – believe is possible, instilling a priceless sense of confidence and independence in her students. “I believe in my student’s right to take risks like everyone else, she says.”