JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – Geary County Schools USD 475 is proud to announce that Spring Valley Elementary first grade teacher Denise Acosta and Junction City High School audio and video teacher Easton Lager have been named the district’s nominees for the Kansas Horizon Award Program.
Acosta was named the USD 475 Elementary Kansas Horizon Award nominee, while Lager claimed the Secondary Kansas Horizon Award nomination. By being named USD 475’s Kansas Horizon Award winners, Acosta and Lager both received a $1,000 check on Monday from Central National Bank of Junction City. The duo will also be recognized at an upcoming Board of Education meeting.
The Kansas Horizon Award Program, sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education, identifies, and recognizes representatives of excellent teaching in classrooms across the state. The mission of the program is to recognize exemplary first-year teachers who perform in a way that distinguishes them as outstanding.
Acosta, who is now in her second year of teaching at Spring Valley, was raised in a southern village called Umatac in Guam. She served as a Signal Systems Specialist in the Army from 2001 to 2016 before moving to the Junction City area in July of 2018.
She began working in USD 475 as a substitute teacher in January of 2022 while finishing up her degree at Kansas State University. Fast forward to 2024 and Acosta, who also student taught at Lincoln Elementary, can now be found encouraging her first-grade students to do their very best every single day.
“It means a lot to be named the district’s elementary recipient for the Kansas Horizon Award. It is a huge honor,” said Acosta. “Every day I walk into my classroom, I am so grateful and honored to be in a profession where I can make a difference in one of my students lives. My students know I am dedicated to them, and we praise each other for giving their best."
Lager, who is also in his second year in the district and is originally from Garden City, has helped transform Junction City High School into having one of the best audio and video departments in the entire state during his short time in the classroom.
When he’s not teaching his students about photography, cameras or all things media, Lager, who graduated from Kansas State University, oversees Blue Jay Online and Blue Jay Media, handling everything from running live events online to creating daily social media posts about students and staff. He is the main graphic designer and videographer at the high school, while also overseeing and creating all of the school’s video board content and informational videos. Lager, who produced over 40 live streams during the 2023-24 school year, can be found most days managing all inhouse audio and video student-run productions, helping run a multi-camera setup for everything from football games to one-act plays. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It is a huge honor and means the world to me that I was named the Kansas Horizon Award secondary nominee for USD 475. I think it shows a lot about my character and the ability I have in being able to relate to and have a positive relationship with our students,” said Lager. “Receiving this honor at this stage of my career lets me know that I am doing the right thing and helping our students grow every single day.”
Kansas Horizon Award Program winners will be recognized at a special luncheon during the 2025 Kansas Exemplary Educators Network (KEEN) Conference, which is scheduled for Feb. 20-21, 2025.