Two St. Cloud Educators Vie For Teacher Of The Year

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- Of the 11 finalists for this year's Minnesota Teacher of the Year, two are teaching in the St. Cloud Area School District.

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Devon Bowker is a biology teacher at Apollo High School. After initially getting a Wildlife Biology degree, he went back to school at St. Cloud State to get his teaching degree. He's been in the St. Cloud Area School District for seven years now, with the first three at the Roosevelt Education Center and the last four at Apollo.

He says he is honored to have been nominated by his department lead.

Who I really admire and look up to because she is a veteran teacher with amazing experience.  Every single kid has something amazing to say about her.  Coming from her, oh my gosh, it's just the best feeling.

He says there's a lot that he loves about teaching, but it starts with his amazing students.

I see a lot of rhetoric sometimes in the community about our students and what they might be capable of.  Working with them daily, and I think this goes really for all young people, they are intuitive, they are empathic, they have such an amazing sense of the world and of each other.  They are just so good.

Paige Janorschke, a 4th-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary, is also a finalist.

Read More: Learn About The Minnesota Teacher Of The Year Finalists From St. Cloud |

The Minnesota Teacher of the Year selection panel will meet on May 2nd to conduct individual interviews with each of the 11 finalists. This year's honoree will be announced at a banquet on May 3rd at the St. Paul RiverCentre.

The program organized by Education Minnesota started with a field of 128 candidates earlier in the school year.