Maine Teacher of the Year Kelsey Stoyanova loves to read and she wants her eighth-grade students to love it too.

“One of my favorite things to do is to match students with books,” she said Wednesday during a ceremony to honor her in the Reeds Brook Middle School gym in Hampden. “Because the thing is, sharing stories fosters empathy. Sharing stories opens doors. Sharing stories changes perspectives.”

Former students, the school principal, last year’s Teacher of the Year and others praised Stoyanova for her dedication to students and for creating a welcoming atmosphere for all children. When visiting the school recently, Cindy Soule, last year’s Teacher of the Year, said she could tell Stoyanova was not only a teacher, but a mentor, coach, leader and “ferocious learner.”

“Kelsey, you uplift your community by empowering students, colleagues and family to take action,” she said. “You create a culture of critical thinking, collaborative problem solving, respectful communication and creativity.”

Representatives of U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King delivered remarks in her honor. The school band played “Eye of the Tiger” as she strode into the gym under an archway made of blue and white balloons. Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin said students and colleagues used words such as “loving, galvanizing, kind and an activist” to describe her.

“We thank you for having high expectations for yourself and for your students,” she said.

Stoyanova, an eighth-grade language arts teacher at the school, has a bachelor of science degree in secondary education and a master’s degree in education from the University of Maine. She’s also working toward another degree from UMaine – education specialist in education leadership, according to Educate Maine.

Two former students nominated Stoyanova for the award, with one of them saying the teacher pushes “us to be our very best.”

“She is a really understanding teacher who plans lessons with her students in mind, making the lessons suited to fit the class and environment,” wrote Tessa Castrucci.

Another former student, Stella Fox, called her “an amazing teacher.”

“Not only is she a teacher, but she is an incredible mom, friend to her students, a person to talk to, and overall, someone you can trust,” Fox wrote. “I think it goes for all of her students that Mrs. Stoyanova has had when I say that Mrs. Stoyanova is the right teacher for this award.”

In May, Stoyanova was named one of three finalists for the 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year award, having been previously named the 2021 Penobscot County Teacher of the Year. She will now go on to represent Maine in the National Teacher of the Year program, according to the Department of Education.