Special education teacher Heather Clausen was surprised with an award from the KMOV 4 Surprise Squad during the pep rally Aug. 23.

The award, given out a few times a year, recognizes members of the St. Louis community who positively impact those around them.

“To be honest, it was overwhelming,” Mrs. Clausen said. “I think I was a little bit in shock, to say the least. When they say the Surprise Squad, there was no doubt, it was just an immense surprise.”

The Surprise Squad awarded her a bouquet and $1000 in gift cards to some of her favorite bakeries, shops and restaurants—where she often gets treats for her students.

When KMOV 4 asked EHS administration which teacher most deserved recognition for making a lasting impact on their students, one name came up: Mrs. Clausen.

In their nomination, the administration said that she inspires not only her students but also other teachers and departments.

“[She has] found a way, simply put, to teach everybody how to be a better person,” KMOV 4 host Matt Chambers said during the live broadcast.

According to some of her colleagues, her work with students has been key to helping them not just get a diploma but also improve as people.

“We’re told this over and over again by coworkers and other members of the district,” Chambers said. “This is the most positive human being you’ll ever meet.”

When she first joined the district, Mrs. Clausen worked at Success Academy. Now, she’s on the main campus following in her mom’s footsteps, who was a paraprofessional working with students with special needs in a Chicago suburb.

She first started volunteering to help people with special needs while on her high school basketball team.

“Our coach said, ‘Why don’t we go and spend some time working with individuals who have special needs and have it be an open clinic.’ I was like, ‘I would love that,’” she said. “So, we had the chance to get close to some adults that lived in the community. We all got to have fun together and enjoy the sport, but also enjoy human connection.”

The connections she has formed with her students may have started with her offering her classroom as a refuge where everyone felt welcome and appreciated, but they have grown into much more.

Many of her students remain in contact with her, and she has had the opportunity to watch some of them grow from high school to college to getting married and having kids.

“The privilege has been so immense to be able to have some people I’ve been able to still stay connected with,” Mrs. Clausen said. “I would have never thought when I first started this career that I’d have that long-lasting relationship with some people. It’s been an honor to have that.”

She hopes that when her students leave her classroom, they can use the personal skills they learned to connect with other people in the workplace and their families.

“I hope that they have a belief in themselves that they can go ahead and shine bright for who they are as people,” she said.