Kathleen Larson, teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students at Evergreen High School has been announced as Teacher of the Year in Washington in the 12th annual Wal-Mart and Sam's Club State Teacher of the Year program. Larson was named during a surprise ceremony during the Homecoming assembly at Evergreen this morning and in her honor the school received a $10,000 grant from the Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Foundation.

"This award is to recognize those teachers who go the extra mile for their students and instill a love of learning long after graduation," said John Anderson, manager of one of the local Vancouver Wal-Mart Supercenters.

Larson began teaching at Evergreen High School in 2000 and since then has played a vital role in establishing an accepting environment for deaf and hard of hearing students who are being mainstreamed into the general student population. Larson goes beyond just instilling academic pride in her students. "The effort the student puts forth must be of personal value so the success will be all the more meaningful," she explained. "When that occurs, self esteem grows and leads to further success in the future. Ultimately, by the time students graduate, I need to help them realize they can succeed on their own."