Franklin College Alumna Selected as Teacher of the Year by Simon Youth Foundation

Release date: December 14, 2012

Franklin College alumna Katie Burton of Greenwood has been named 2012 Teacher of the Year by the Simon Youth Foundation. Burton currently works as a student services coordinator at Clark Pleasant Academy.

"We are proud to add Katie Burton to our list of distinguished educators," J. Michael Durnil, president and CEO of the Simon Youth Foundation, said. "She ignites hope to drive student success and has helped to continue positioning the Simon Youth Foundation as a national leader in non-traditional education and student retention."

The Simon Youth Foundation helps at-risk youth develop academic and life skills. The Teacher of the Year award is offered to educators who demonstrate excellent ability in teaching and motivating students to learn.

"I believe that teaching and counseling requires a tremendous amount of passion and a desire to grow in all aspects of life: mentally, spiritually, emotionally and scholastically," Burton said. "I am here to set an example to students and instill understanding and love for life."

Burton graduated from Franklin College in 2008 and went on to earn her master's degree in school counseling from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Burton serves as vice president of Kids in Crisis Intervention Team and works in their Youth Worker Café, bringing in professionals to share ideas and solve problems. She is also a member of the American Counselors Association and the Indiana School Counselors Association. She does presentations for classes, workshops and conferences about dropout prevention.

For more information, contact the Franklin College Office of Marketing and Communications at (317) 738-8185.

Founded in 1834, Franklin College is a residential four-year undergraduate liberal arts institution with a scenic, wooded campus located 20 minutes south of downtown Indianapolis. The college prepares men and women for challenging careers and fulfilling lives through the liberal arts, offering its approximately 1,000 students 28 majors, 36 minors and eight pre-professional programs. In 1842, the college began admitting women, becoming the first coeducational institution in Indiana and the seventh in the nation. Franklin College maintains a voluntary association with the American Baptist Churches USA. For more information, visit www.franklincollege.edu.