Education grad named Teacher of the Year thanks Polk State for “all they invested in me”

Heather Kunze says she wanted to be a teacher as long as she could remember, but it wasn’t until her thirties that she “finally decided to buckle down and do this for myself – for my family.”

Now only two years into her career, she has been named Teacher of the Year at Floral Avenue Elementary and says the greatest reward is witnessing the growth in her fourth-grade reading students.

“The best part is being able to celebrate with my students, and for them to see their classroom and successes celebrated,” said Kunze, who graduated from the Polk State Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education Program in 2022. “To be acknowledged for my efforts so early on in my career encourages me to work even harder and reminds me that I am on the right track.”

Kunze married and had children young, which resulted in her education being put on the “back burner.” When she learned about Polk State’s Education Program, the idea of going back to school started to seem more attainable. Polk State is the only public post-secondary institution in Polk County offering state-approved teacher education preparation programs.

“It’s local and affordable,” she said. “When I did my research, I realized that it would work for me and my family situation, so I jumped right in.”

Despite having a 1- and 3-year-old at home during the COVID-19 public health emergency, Kunze found the program “doable.”

“It was intimidating at first because I had been out of the college setting for a long time, but the coursework was manageable, and the professors were always willing to help,” she said. “The program was rigorous enough to prepare me for my job as an educator but accomplishable enough for me to manage being a stay-at-home mom with my coursework.”

“I felt that from the beginning, I had what I needed to be successful.”

Inspiring growth

Polk State’s Education Program has a large focus on field experiences and internships in Polk County Public Schools, providing students with ample time in local classrooms with mentor teachers to prepare them to lead their own future classrooms.

Kunze said this not only opened her eyes to the challenges of the job but also provided her with the tools and insight to overcome them.

“I was able to see firsthand how the teacher I was working alongside would remediate issues in her classroom. I picked up on those methods and could see what tools I would want to utilize in my own classroom.”

“I was able to see firsthand how the teacher I was working alongside would remediate issues in her classroom. I picked up on those methods and could see what tools I would want to utilize in my own classroom,” she explained. “It also gave me the opportunity to be around students. They don’t always come in ready to learn. I was able to see how teachers handle that – how they manage their students and their classrooms and utilize best practices.”

Polk State Education developed its built-in measurements for state-mandated standards in collaboration with Polk County Public Schools, Polk County’s largest employer. More than 167 graduates from the Polk State Education Program are currently teaching in nearly 60 Polk County Public Schools. Others are in private schools, other districts, or out of state.

Floral Avenue Elementary is a Title I school and the only public elementary school in Bartow.

“Kids come to us from all kinds of backgrounds,” she said. “They all have unique needs – no two students are the same.”

“The most rewarding part of my job is to see students who didn’t even speak English at the beginning of the school year start to utilize vocabulary words that, in some cases, other students aren’t even utilizing yet,” Kunze said. “It is inspiring to see that growth in them.”

Making a difference

She credits part of her success to the foundation she gained through the Polk State Education Program.

“Being named Teacher of the Year made me feel worthy and prideful about coming from Polk State College,” Kunze expressed. “Getting to honor the program in that way means a lot to me because I am indebted to them for all they have invested in me.”

She added that the Polk State Education Program is a tight-knit community of passionate educators – from the professors to the students to the mentor teachers through Polk County Public Schools. They remain connected to this day, and she says she can call on them for help if she ever needs it.

“Being named Teacher of the Year made me feel worthy and prideful about coming from Polk State College. Getting to honor the program in that way means a lot to me because I am indebted to them for all they have invested in me.”

For 2024, three graduates – Tracy Garcia, Heather Kunze, and Ray – were named Teacher of the Year at their schools. Current student Julia Barnett was also recognized as School-Related Employee of the Year.

“You don’t feel like another student on the roster – you feel like someone who is being fostered and nurtured into becoming a great educator,” she said. “Polk State creates teachers who are effective leaders in their classrooms.”

Kunze will transition to Willow Oak School in Mulberry for the 2024-2025 school year. With her Teacher of the Year title and Polk State education, she feels confident heading into her third year of teaching.

“Going to Polk State was the best decision I ever made because I felt right away that not only could I succeed, but I could also enjoy what I am learning,” Kunze said. “That’s why we want to be educators in the first place – we want people to enjoy learning.”

“Thanks to Polk State, I felt that I was set up for success from the very beginning. I wasn’t jumping off into the unknown after graduation. I had the tools to start making a difference right away,” she said. “Although graduation is always the ultimate goal, it’s the goodness in the middle that makes your degree meaningful. That’s why I am proud to be a Polk State Education graduate.”