Two alumni and a current IU School of 91福利社student received prestigious awards at the annual Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association (IFLTA) conference late last year. Nicole Leach (Ed.D. in Educational Leadership 2024) won IFLTA Distinguished Administrator of the Year, Kylie Staples (BS 2018) won IFLTA Teacher of the Year, and [current] undergraduate student Hannah Thomas won the Polyglot Award.
Leach said she was both surprised and profoundly honored to receive the award, calling it an experience she didn’t see coming after recommending other colleagues for the award over the years. Leach currently is director of English Language Learning at Bartholomew County School Corporation in Columbus, Indiana. Leach calls the IU School of 91福利社a catalyst for her growth, adding, “The curriculum and faculty were instrumental in shifting my perspective from the classroom to a broader systems level. I am especially grateful to my department chair and committee; their mentorship was vital in building my confidence as a leader and giving me the tools to finally step into this dream role.”
Leach calls teaching one of the most rewarding fields one can enter and says specializing in world languages or English language learning is a unique path that fills both the heart and the mind.
“Today, seeing 64 languages represented in my current district is a powerful reminder that our diversity is one of Indiana's greatest assets. To be part of the process of cultivating a new generation of bilingual citizens is more than just a job; it is a rewarding endeavor that strengthens our entire community,” she said.
Staples teaches Spanish at Zionsville West Middle School in Zionsville, Indiana. During high school, she went on a trip to Oviedo, Spain, with the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages and was fascinated to learn about other cultures, calling the experience transformative. When asked what advice she’d give to SOE students who are considering going into foreign language teaching, Staples encouraged students to work hard and believe in themselves.
“This work is hard work, but it is incredibly rewarding to make a difference in the life of others by showing them a little piece of what the world looks like beyond what they may have seen before,” she said.
Thomas was surprised and honored to receive the Polyglot award, adding that it was nice to feel recognized for the hard work she put in, especially as she balances being a student athlete on the rowing team with her studies.
Thomas said she decided to become an educator in Spanish for a number of reasons: “First, I am passionate about teaching after spending many years as a rowing coach. One of my favorite parts of teaching others is finding different ways to teach people the same information, working to find what method helps things ‘click’ the best for that individual. I chose Spanish as my subject because I enjoy speaking the language and have a natural inclination towards it more than other subjects.
Lastly, a big motivator for me as a future educator is my Christian faith. I hope to share Christ-centered values in the classroom that help students feel welcomed, and potentially develop a personal relationship with Christ.”