Honor Credit Union has named 40 Michigan educators as winners of its 2026 Annual Teacher Awards, handing each one a $500 digital gift card for their classrooms.
That adds up to $20,000 in total, spread across the 27 branch communities Honor serves. The program is now in its 17th year, which makes it a fixture rather than a one-off gesture. The credit union’s roots help explain the staying power: it began more than nine decades ago as Berrien Teachers Credit Union, and it has kept a soft spot for the profession ever since.
For the winners, the money goes straight to where it’s needed. Jo Schau, a 6th grade science teacher at Lakeshore Middle School, said the award will help her create “above-and-beyond opportunities” for her students to succeed academically and feel welcome. “I am honored to have been selected,” she said, adding her thanks to Honor for embracing the community and backing both student and teacher achievement. Teachers spending their own cash on supplies is hardly news, so a gift card aimed at the classroom tends to get put to work quickly.
Honor also used the announcement to congratulate every recipient and thank them for their passion, innovation, and commitment to helping students thrive. The credit union says it plans to keep supporting local teachers as a way of enriching classrooms and strengthening communities statewide.
This year’s winners, listed by district or school, are:
- Saint Joseph Public Schools: Connie Bacolor and Keith McLaughlin
- Benton Harbor Area Schools: Arline Wilson
- Watervliet Public Schools: Stephanie Hauch and Tonya Melton
- Lakeshore Public Schools: David Castonguay and Jo Schau
- Heritage Southwest ISD: Stephen Botti
- Niles Community Schools: Melissa Prestine
- Homeschool Cooperative, Niles: Jennifer Berberick
- Berrien Springs Public Schools: Carmen Sherman
- Buchanan Community Schools: Dawn Van Dyke
- Hartford Public Schools: Marisol Rivas
- Thornapple Kellogg Schools: Shannon See
- Godfrey-Lee Public Schools: Katie Clark
- Kenowa Hills Public Schools: Joanna Haines
- Jenison Public Schools: Stephanie Gemmen
- Mattawan Consolidated Schools: Jennifer Bussies and Amy Esterline
- South Haven Public Schools: Sarah Bopp
- Kalamazoo RESA: Katelyn Eifrid
- Comstock Public Schools: Kayleigh Schneider and Elizabeth Kimmer
- Portage Public Schools: Rebecca Corbin
- Hastings Area Schools: Morgan Chavez-VanBemden
- Hopkins Public Schools: Vicki Pulaski
- Decatur Public Schools: Madison McKee
- Harper Creek Community Schools: Miranda Heffron and Jamie Whitmore
- Battle Creek Public Schools: Salena Middaugh
- Climax-Scotts Community Schools: Dustin Himebauch
- Jonesville Community Schools: Michelle VandyBogurt
- Pansophia Academy: Cierra Becker
- Negaunee Public Schools: Carlee Yon
- NICE Community Schools: Juliana Patselas
- Gwinn Area Community Schools: Daniela Eagle
- NICE Community Schools/Aspen Ridge Elementary: Janet Kuopus
If you live in one of Honor’s communities, there’s a decent chance a teacher you know made this list, or that your own kids’ classroom will benefit from a colleague’s win. It’s also a reminder that local institutions are paying attention to the people running your schools, and that a quick word of thanks to a favorite teacher, or a nomination in a future round, can go a long way.