The Regional Professional Development Center at Northwest Missouri State University has announced two area teachers as its Regional Teachers of the Year.

This year's honorees are Mary Sanders, a fourth-grade teacher in the St. Joseph School District, and Rachel Stoll, who teaches pre-kindergarten students in the Jefferson C-123 School District in Conception Junction.

Sanders has served the St. Joseph School District since 2014 and has experience teaching grades two through six. Her classroom is known for its strong foundation in kindness, structure and student-centered engagement. She is the founder of Find Your Community Pride, a service and leadership club that takes students to volunteer at local organizations and introduces them to extracurricular activities. She also is a mentor to student teachers and early-career educators in addition to mentoring students in Northwest's Grow Your Own program.

Stoll, with a bachelor's degree in elementary education as well as a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Northwest, has been an educator for nine years. She is known for her commitment to early childhood education, creating a positive, nurturing and engaging classroom environment for young learners. She has established a reputation for fostering curiosity, creativity and confidence in her students, making her a respected leader among peers.

The Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year award is part of the Missouri Teacher of the Year program, sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The program recognizes the efforts of effective teachers in providing quality education to their students.

Sanders and Stoll are among 34 teachers selected to represent their regions in the 2025-2026 Missouri Teacher of the Year program.

A selection committee, comprising teachers, business leaders and education organization leaders, will choose the Missouri Teacher of the Year after interviews with each finalist this fall. The winner and the finalists will be honored in October in Jefferson City, Missouri. The Missouri Teacher of the Year serves as the state's nominee for the National Teacher of the Year competition.

The Northwest Regional Professional Development Center supports and provides professional development activities for K-12 educators in 59 school districts in the 15-county Northwest region.