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SOUTH SALT LAKE — Every year, the Granite Education Foundation honors nine teachers and one administrator in what is called the Excel Awards.
The Excel Awards recognizes district teachers and administrators for the dedication they put in every day to help their students and schools. The nomination process for the Excel Awards begins in October.
One of the teachers being recognized this year is Prema Chruthoti, a third-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary.
"They're recognizing our hard work," Chruthoti said.
Excel Awards are a 'big deal'
From the nomination process to the application and scoring, to be named a recipient is a big deal, especially, when it is not a school's first go-round.
"In a district where we have over 80 schools and over 6,000 teachers, that's a pretty big deal to go back to the same school two years in a row," said Jadee Talbot, Granite Education Foundation executive director.
Lincoln Elementary School Principal Milton Collins sees the dedication and love for education among her students daily.
"She is that person, who, you know, like God puts certain people on this earth to do certain things. He put her on this earth to teach," Collins said.
Collins feels fortunate to have Chruthoti at her school, at least for now.
Next year, Chruthoti will be moving on to a new chapter where she will impact even more lives.
"Moving to next school year, I'll be an intern assistant principal," Chruthoti said.
In the meantime, Chruthoti has lessons to teach that will impact many young lives.
"It's just not academics, right? It's the student as a whole that we are going to focus on. When they leave my classroom, they know they'll be good leaders for the future. And then, above all, spreading kindness like confetti. That is what I teach them all the time," Chruthoti said.
Chruthoti said she will find out in April where she will be serving next year as an intern assistant principal.
