A sixth-grade teacher at the Sunset Ridge School in East Hartford has been named Connecticut’s 2015 Teacher of the Year.
Cara Quinn was honored at a school assembly on Wednesday.
“It was incredibly surprising,” Quinn said, “It’s still unbelievable, it seems very surreal.”
Quinn began her teaching career in a fourth grade classroom in Bolton, but has been in East Hartford for the past nine years.
“Mrs. Quinn is a very special teacher. She cares about each and every one of you. She wants you to all succeed. She wants you to learn from your mistakes and she wants you to grow to your potential,” said former school principal Emil Kopcha.
Quinn says she pushes her students to look beyond the books and to perform random acts of kindness to build their character while discovering their own unique talents.
“What I always try to impress upon my students is the importance of their education,” she said. “I want them to value their education and realize what a gift it is.”
Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman spoke at the assembly as well and said Quinn is a perfect example of “teachers that love what they do and truly care about the young people in their classroom.”
“This is what the kids want and need,” Quinn said. “And what’s going to make a difference in our world and is what education is all about.”
