Beloved special education teacher honored with Silver Apple Award

PEORIA, AZ (AZFamily) — Monica Wilson thought she wanted to be a nurse until one little girl with Down syndrome changed her life and career aspirations!

“I picked up a job as a respite provider for a little girl with Down syndrome, and she changed my life. I worked with her for four years. I changed my career to teaching,” Mrs. Wilson said.

She has been teaching at Sahuaro Ranch Elementary in the Peoria Unified School District ever since. Mrs. Wilson teaches kindergarten, first and second grade students who have intellectual disabilities.

“I always tell parents, I’m like, we’re gonna rock your world a little bit because we got academics, you know, we do reading, we do writing, we do math, we do science, we do social studies,” she said.

Her warmth, energy, passion and enthusiasm is on full display everyday in her classroom, where she makes her students feel loved, safe and protected.

“Sending your child off who is nonverbal — he has Down syndrome — it was a little scary, and she has made this transition into education for him just so wonderful,” mom Holli Croskey said.

Croskey nominated Mrs. Wilson for the Silver Apple Award after watching her son make great progress in her class over the last three years. In her letter, she said Mrs. Wilson is “compassionate, kind, patient and always happy.”

Arizona’s Family, along with our sponsor Arizona Bank and Trust, surprised Mrs. Wilson with the Silver Apple Award for her dedication, commitment and connection to her students. Arizona Bank and Trust was on hand to present Mrs. Wilson with a $1,000 check.

When Arizona’s Family paid Mrs. Wilson a visit, she was shocked but so appreciative of the honor.

“It’s a hard job. I’m not gonna lie, you know, it definitely weighs on your patience sometimes, but at the end of the day, I know that I am the best person for this job because I feel like I see the growth and progress that they make,” she said. “And it’s slow and steady, but they get there.”

Congrats to Mrs. Wilson on becoming our newest Silver Apple Award winner!

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