Shannon Coon – Kearns High School

Mrs. Shannon Coon is spectacular. No. She is beyond spectacular. Mrs. Coon was my high school teacher for AP Literature and AP Language, and I can honestly say that she imbued a passion for reading and deeper meaning into not only myself, but all of her students. Constantly she was reminding us to look outside of ourselves and our small world in order to connect with people from all over. She was always encouraging us to become a part of something that was bigger than ourselves through themes and ideas that could be found in the books we studied. To me she had been almost everywhere, had experienced things I had only dreamed about, and had such a diverse and broad view of the world that we live in that she thoroughly inspired me to travel and learn as much as I can while in this life. I can honestly say that through her many years of teaching, not once has she lost the passion and determination to teach rowdy high school kids. With her in the classroom, words on the page felt like they could come alive and envelop us as we immersed ourselves into difficult works such as Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Then again, Mrs. Coon doesn’t even require my bragging on her behalf; her dedicated work speaks for itself. Many students, when taking the AP tests at the end of the year, passed Coon’s Literature and Language with flying colors, often awarded a score of four or five. I nominate Mrs. Coon for the Teacher Feature because this is her last year of teaching before her well-earned retirement from the profession. I believe that although it could never be a repayment for what she has given her students, it is an honor that, if recognized for it, she would proudly represent.

-Morgan VanKatwyk