KEARNS, Utah — It is often said that some people have a special gift allowing them to be great educators. Natalie Nelson is one of those people.
She teaches students with severe disabilities at Kearns High School. “I went into [teaching] wanting to be a part of making a positive difference in somebody’s life and helping people who are maybe a little overlooked,” Nelson said.
Natalie has made an impact on dozens of students in her classroom and through extracurricular activities like Unified Sports.
Watch: How Roy High School's unified sports help students' pride shine
“Maybe the best compliment you can ever give a teacher is, if you have a special needs student, you want her as the teacher,” said principal Danny Stirland.
For her efforts, Natalie was honored with the Granite School District’s Excel Award. After that presentation, the FOX 13 Dream Team, powered by Mountain America Credit Unio,n showed up to deliver a Dream Team surprise. Natalie received a Dream Team basket filled with items like gift cards to restaurants, blankets, and chocolates. For her classroom, she was given a bin full of much-needed school supplies. She also received a gift of $1000 cash.
“It means a lot,” she said. “It’s really overwhelming. I just love my job so much. To have a big group like that here for me, it was very unexpected.”
Natalie’s job is so important because she helps her students feel included in the school community while also preparing them for life after graduation. “She’s preparing them for the rest of their lives in ways you can’t even measure,” Stirland said.
“I think there are a lot of assumptions about what they can and can’t do,” Natalie added. “A lot of times, they are kind of the underdogs. I feel like they do have a lot of abilities and capabilities. People assume they aren’t able to do things on their own, but they actually can.”
Through speaking with Natalie, it is clear to see why she is loved by her school and how her passion to serve her students creates a genuine connection that is deserving of recognition from the community.
“I went into this field wanting to make a difference for other people, but really it’s made a difference for me,” she said. “I just care about this population so much. They are special and they make the world better.”
