Paynesville High is Home to the Teacher of the Month

Surprises! Being able to give something to someone that brings unexpected joy to their life, is a really cool thing to do to put it mildly.  

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For the 2nd month in a row, I got to be the representative of the radio stations to present the Teacher of the Month. On Wednesday I made my way to Paynesville High School to bring that surprise again.  

In working with Principal David Oehrlein, we coordinated my visit to the school. It’s always fun to do something like this because other people in the school know and help keep the secret.  

When I arrived at Paynesville, the staff met me in the office. The staff wanted to know the student who submitted the entry so he could be a part of the presentation as well. 

Making our way through the halls of the school, you could tell those involved were getting a little more excited the closer we got.  

They opened the door to a classroom and asked me to walk in first. There were students in the class with Ms. Natalie Utsch, who wasn’t quite sure who I was. Ms. Utsch is the FFA Advisor and teaches agriculture. The other staff members walked in letting her know that it was OK for me to be there, I introduced myself and told her why I was there. The joy on her face was immediate.  

I presented her with the prizes and explained what the letter that was written by her student Owen Abraham stated. The letter simply stated that Ms. Utsch helped her students in any way she could and would stay late or go above and beyond for her them. She calls her students "family" and that made a real difference. 

Ms. Utsch’s bio on the school's website says that she loves farming and maintains a hobby farm with her husband and kids. From the reaction she gets inside the walls of Paynesville High School she’s in the perfect job to help spread her love of farming and teaching.   

Many "THANKS" to our participating sponsors of the Teacher of the Month: All Star Trophy and Awards, St. Cloud Floral, Coyote Moon Grille, Great Harvest Bread Company and Little Caesars of St. Cloud.