High school sophomore Roman McCormick with his Geometry teacher, Eddie McCarthy. McCarthy teaches at Whitener High School in Toledo, Ohio. Photo credit: Washington Post

Every once in a while a story emerges about an admirable teacher who has made a heroic sacrifice for a student. Eddie McCarthy, a high school geometry teacher from Toledo, Ohio, is one of those incredibly noble teachers. After hearing about the severe medical condition of his student, Roman McCormick, the teacher volunteered to donate one of his own kidneys to the young man.

Roman, a sophomore at Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio, had been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney disease, the last stage before kidney failure. Unfortunately, no one in the fifteen-year-old’s family was deemed a viable candidate as a live donor for a kidney transplant. It appeared that Roman would be forced to go on dialysis in order to prolong his life until a suitable kidney from a deceased donor could be located, a wait that could stretch from three to five years. And there was no certainty that Roman would survive that long.

Roman’s Geometry teacher, Eddie McCarthy, was stunned to learn about his student’s dilemma. “He always turned his work in on time, and he was definitely one of my best students,” the educator explained. “But I didn’t realize he’d been going through something this serious.” That’s when Eddie stepped up to the plate and volunteered to donate one his own healthy kidneys.

The surgery was performed on July 19, 2023, at the University of Michigan University Hospital in Ann Arbor, near Detroit. Doctors have deemed the procedure a rousing success.

Eddie knows that Roman won’t be in any of his classes in the upcoming school year. But the teacher says he is looking forward to giving him a high-five in the hallway. “It will be pretty crazy when I watch him walk by,” says Eddie. “I’ll be able to say, ‘There goes my kidney.'”

Middle school math teacher Katelyn Winkel-Simmerman has been recognized as one of her state’s five Teachers of the Year for 2024. Photo credit: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Congratulations are due to Katelyn Winkel-Simmerman, a middle school educator from Cedar Grove, Wisconsin. She has been named one of five teachers in the state of Wisconsin who earned 2024 Teacher of the Year recognition.

Katelyn teaches mathematics to fifth graders at Cedar Grove-Belgium Middle School. She has taught at the school for the past six years. Students and staff say Katelyn. has a reputation for having a warm demeanor, empathetic nature, and upbeat attitude. “You feel valued when you are a student in Mrs. Simmerman’s classroom,” says the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction in a statement published on Facebook. “If you miss the bus and come in late for the third time that week, she greets you with a smile and tells you she’s glad you are here,” the statement continues. “If you are having a rough time at home, she provides a cozy space in her classroom to rest your thoughts because she knows you need a clear mind to learn at your best,” the statement concludes.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Katelyn serves as the adviser for her school’s Student Council. In this capacity, she works with students to plan events and provide meaningful opportunities beyond the classroom which have a positive effect on her school and community.

In addition to her Teacher of the Year recognition, Katelyn was one of two teachers out 100 applicants who garnered a Herb Kohl Fellowship Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Classroom.

Katelyn earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2015 and her Master’s in Teaching and Learning with an emphasis in Math Intervention in 2019, both from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh.