Kearney School District had the opportunity this week to celebrate something very special: eight outstanding Kearney High School students who are taking the next step toward becoming educators.

During the Future Teachers’ Signing Day event on Monday, May 4, these students were recognized as part of KSD’s Grow Your Own program, an initiative sponsored by the KSD Education Foundation. Their goal is both inspiring and important: to prepare for careers in education and, someday, return to serve students right here in the Kearney community.

Congratulations to our future public educators:

• Emmy Dibben
• Macy Gacke
• Kate Landewee
• Sami Marlott
• Kambri Morris
• Gracie Parks
• Ella Reagan-Lusby
• VaNessa Smith

This is what investing in our community looks like. Through KSD’s Education Internship program, these students are already gaining real experience in our schools and learning firsthand what it means to support students, teachers and families. Several have signed up to substitute, and one has already been hired as a paraprofessional, making a difference for KSD students right now. Dogwood Elementary's 2026 Support Staff of the Year Award recipient, paraprofessional Jaden Hensley, is a 2024 KHS graduate who completed the Grow Your Own program when she was still in school.

The KSD Education Foundation also helped support this next generation of teachers by awarding three $1,000 scholarships to Gracie Parks, Samantha Marlott and Ella Reagan-Lusby.

We are deeply grateful to the KSD Education Foundation for its continued investment in our students, staff and schools. We also want to give special thanks to KHS Language Arts Teacher Mendy Salmonson for her leadership of the Grow Your Own program. Her work is helping build the future of education in Kearney.

Congratulations to these students and their families. The future of the entire Kearney community is bright because of you!