Mifflin County’s very own Ashlie Crosson was officially awarded Tuesday with the title of National Teacher of the Year.

I personally can not think of anyone more deserving of such an award. As a 2024 graduate of Mifflin County High School, I had the great honor of experiencing first hand the amazing teaching skills that have earned Crosson this recognition.

I have countless anecdotes I could share exemplifying the great impact learning from Crosson had on my life, but the greatest one is me writing this – as a reporter for the Lewistown Sentinel, much of my professional accomplishments can be directly correlated with my connection to the National Teacher of the Year.

I took Journalism in high school, my first year was also Crosson’s first year managing the class – we learned together, in a way.

I also had Crosson for my English class in 10th grade, and though I had always known I enjoyed my English classes, I had never had a teacher that encouraged me to embrace my talent — until Crosson.

Almost immediately Crosson recognized my love and talent for writing and took it upon herself to challenge me like no other teacher had. She recommended me for the AP Language and Composition class she taught and “promoted” me to editor of our school newspaper.

From that moment forward, I knew there was someone in my corner, rooting for my success, which is truly empowering for a young student.

She took the time to teach me all that I know about Journalism and took it one step further by recommending me for a summer internship at the Lewistown Sentinel after my graduation, which resulted in my current, full time job.

Crosson stands out as an educator because she realizes the importance of embracing individuality and authenticity.

Being a teacher and shaping young minds is no easy feat, but being a teacher who genuinely cares about who your students are as a person and how they are doing personally as well as academically, is even harder.

Crosson’s best quality is her heart; she realized that sometimes a student needs to feel heard, seen, understood, and cared for in order to succeed.

The moment you walk into Crosson’s classroom, you step into a safe space, where you are free and encouraged to be 100 percent yourself with no judgement.

In high school, embracing individuality is difficult, figuring out who you are is not easy, it takes a village, and Crosson makes her classroom that village.

As someone who never really enjoyed school, Crosson’s classroom became my home away from home, and my fellow journalism classmates became my family. We laughed, we cried, we fought, and we did it all in the safe space Crosson had provided for us as she nurtured our minds and hearts.

High school isn’t all about grades and “book smarts,” it is a time to find your identity and prepare for the real world..there is no better place to do that than somewhere you know you are cared for and protected.

I found out who I was in room A304 with my dear teacher, mentor and friend Ashlie Crosson right by my side, encouraging and supporting me every step of the way.

For Crosson, the work doesn’t end at 3:10 when the bell rings, dismissing children to go home; she cares 24/7, always thinking of how she can best serve her students.

The world could use more teachers like Crosson, those who understand the fragility of young minds and hearts and cares more about the students than just “getting the job done.”

She reminds me a lot of Miss Honey from Matilda, the teacher with a kind heart, the phrase “she was my ‘Miss Honey'” is often used to describe caring teachers, but Crosson is much more than a fictional character, she is real. She was my Miss Crosson, and she is so deserving of the National Teacher of the Year title.

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Liv Suydam is a reporter for the Lewistown Sentinel.