The Presidential Award honors my passion for education. More than teaching excellence, the Presidential Award recognizes my continued commitment in showing my students that they are capable of reaching their goals. This award has given me the opportunity to continue to learn and grow as an educator. It is an honor to be amid such high caliber educators, and I’m truly humbled to be a part of this prestigious group.

Elizabeth Self Ulysses, KS | 7-12, Mathematics, 2021

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Elizabeth “Beth” Self has been a Kansas educator for the past 15 years and spent the last four years teaching eighth grade mathematics at Kepley Middle School. She previously taught at Dodge City Middle School for 11 years. Elizabeth believes that all her mathematics lessons should be designed in a way that allows all students to feel successful and valued. She feels it is her job to provide this environment for the students. She encourages her students to consistently discover ways that mathematics makes sense to them. She does this through hands-on lessons, peer interaction, and incorporating technology into her lessons. When she is not teaching, Elizabeth likes to offer summer enrichment with fellow educators to her students. She has provided a variety of STEM enrichment, including themes based around Rube Goldberg, Mars discovery, and Vex Robotics. Elizabeth also coaches high school cheerleading during the school year. Elizabeth earned a B.S. in psychology from Grand Valley State University and a B.S. in education and an M.A. in educational administration from Fort Hays State University. She holds endorsements in elementary education, middle school mathematics, and English as a Second Language.

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