[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 49 (Friday, March 13, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING KERISA BAEDKE AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 13, 2020

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in recognizing Kerisa Baedke, teacher and 
educator at Prairieview School in Waukee, as this week's Iowan of the 
Week.
  Kerisa is a foreign language teacher at Prairieview School in Waukee, 
Iowa. In her Spanish classes, she has built an immersive, vibrant 
environment in which her students feel comfortable and confident 
learning a new language. By combining a bright, colorful array of 
decorations with interactive lessons--taught almost entirely in 
Spanish--Kerisa brings a world of art, culture, and history to 
Prairieview School.
  Kerisa has a passion for teaching foreign languages and promoting 
different cultural experiences in her classes. Her whole family speaks 
three or four languages, she says, and it's where she first discovered 
love and passion for language. She also comes from a family of 
educators; her parents both dedicated themselves to teaching. Kerisa 
said she was born to be a teacher and couldn't imagine doing anything 
else.
  Prairieview School students look forward to Mrs. Baedke's class each 
year, including her well-known projects like creative cultural dances 
or the ``Dia de los Muertos'' shoebox. Kerisa has made a lasting 
impression on her students, cultivating a passion for language and for 
learning. In fact, it was one of her students that nominated her for 
the Iowa State Education Association's Excellence in Education Award--
and Kerisa won.
  The accolades don't stop there. I am proud to say that Kerisa was 
also awarded with the National Education Association's Horace Mann 
Award. This prestigious national honor is awarded to only five teachers 
each year for their outstanding contributions to their students and to 
the teaching profession. Kerisa is the first ever teacher from Iowa to 
receive the Horace Mann Award, and I know the entirely Prairieview 
School community is delighted by her achievement.
  As a mom, I know that education is the single most important 
investment we can make in our children. I am proud to know that our 
children have teachers like Kerisa helping them learn and grow. It is 
her commitment to creating an engaging, nurturing, and most importantly 
exciting environment for students to learn that makes her a pillar of 
our community. It is my honor to celebrate Kerisa Baedke and recognize 
her as the Iowan of the Week.

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