Four College of Education alumni are among the 12 finalists for the 2015 Illinois Teacher of the Year award.

Susan Diggle ’75 earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from Illinois State. She teaches fifth grade at Germantown Hills Intermediate School in Germantown Hills School District 69.

Marylynn Meredith ’94, M.S.E. ’00, earned both her bachelor’s degree in art teacher education and her master’s degree in special education from Illinois State. She teaches art at Prairieland Elementary School in McLean County Unit 5.

Heather Kraus ’91 earned her bachelor’s degree in middle level education from Illinois State. She teaches fifth grade at Southbury Elementary School in Oswego Community Unit School District 308.

Lauren Hoeft ’07 earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Illinois State. She is a technology coach for Prairie Elementary School in Kildeer Countryside School District 96. Hoeft will also keynote the College of Education’s 2014 Teaching in the 21st Century Conference (T21CON) on November 6.

In 2014, four Illinois State alumni were state teacher of the year winners: Hawaii (Matthew Lawrence ’00), North Carolina (James Ford ’03), Iowa (Jane Schmidt ’76), and Idaho (Jamie Esler ’07).