Betsy (Ahart) Knodel, B.A. ’85 was awarded the South Dakota Council of Teachers of English Teacher of the Year Award in 2025. She is in her 29th year of teaching at Menno Public School and has been an educator for 39 years. She plans to retire in May 2026. She and her husband, Keith, have one child, Shane, who has autism and lives in a group home. She feels truly blessed for everything God has given them.