COLLINSVILLE, Ill. – KPLR 11 has recognized a local teacher for the dedication she’s shown to her students both inside and outside the classroom.

Rakya Johnson nominated Ukyah Rawls, a fifth-grade teacher at Dorris Intermediate School of the Collinsville Community Unit School District 10, for KPLR’s Tools For Teachers award after she noticed Rawls’ positive impact on students’ lives.

“Ukyah goes above and beyond in every aspect of what it means to be a teacher,” Johnson wrote in her nomination. “She not only strives to provide the best education to her students, but she also provides them with skills and lessons to navigate their lives.”