STRASBURG, CO – Merci Ames, a high school science teacher and longtime basketball coach at Strasburg High School, was named 2027 Colorado Teacher of the Year today. The announcement came during a surprise school assembly this morning at Strasburg High School.
Ames teaches science at Strasburg High School in Strasburg 31J and has been teaching for 35 years. She is a varsity and junior varsity basketball coach and sponsors the school’s HOSA-Future Health Professionals program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Wyoming and a master’s degree in sport administration from the University of Northern Colorado.
CEA is thrilled to celebrate Merci, and the lasting impact she has made on her students, colleagues, and community. Kevin Vick, high school social studies teacher and President of the Colorado Education Association, attended Thursday’s ceremony to congratulate Ames, who is a longtime member of the Strasburg Education Association.
“Merci’s more than 30 years of service as both a teacher and basketball coach says so much about her commitment to students and the broader community. That kind of dedication is remarkable. Even after nearly 3 decades in education, Merci continues looking for new ways to create opportunities for her students, including by developing an entire career technical education pathway for students interested in the medical field. Teaching in rural Colorado comes with unique challenges, and expanding access to medical education and career opportunities for students is an extraordinary contribution to the school, the Strasburg community, and Colorado as a whole. Your nearly 40,000 union siblings across the state thank you for everything you’ve done to advance public education.” — Kevin Vick, President of CEA
The Colorado Education Association (CEA) is a longtime sponsor of the Colorado Teacher of the Year Award, and will provide Ames with a stipend to travel in her new role and to engage in networking opportunities with past Colorado Teachers of the Year.
CEA would like to congratulate the other seven finalists for the 2027 Colorado Teacher of the Year award for their hard work and commitment to public education. The finalists include several CEA members: Shandra Botello (Merrill Middle School, member of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association); Viviana Martinez (Vista Peak Preparatory High School, member of the Aurora Education Association); Melissa Corwin (Summit High School, member of the Summit County Education Association); Jessie Russett (Trinidad Middle School, member of the Trinidad Education Association); Arjun Sahdev (Minnequa Elementary School, Pueblo School District 60); Jason Cochrane (Mountain Vista High School, Douglas County School District); and Alex Adkisson (Green Mountain High School, JeffCo Public Schools).
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