OKEMOS - For a teacher, there's never a more rewarding feeling than seeing your students succeed. From reading, to writing, to creating fun songs so a student can grasp new material...instructors will go above and beyond to make learning entertaining for kids.

That's especially true for 3 teachers at Cornell Elementary School who's hard work has been recognized by the Okemos Education Foundation.

Kris Schoen has been instructing for 24 years and is currently teaching kindergarten at Cornell.

"The newness and the excitement and I think that's what keeps me going...the excitement that they have," mentioned Schoen.

Her colleague right across the hall, Amy Petersburg, teaches kindergarten as well.

"I just love being with the kids, I've always enjoyed children from a young age," Petersburg stated.

Their other colleague a couple doors down, 2nd grade teacher Ashley Andersen, enjoys teaching kids a tad older.

"With 2nd grade they're more mature, you can kinda joke around with them a little more and they're a little bit more self sufficient," Andersen mentioned.

Due to their hard work and dedication in the classroom, these instructors, along with 2 other recipients at Chippewa 7/8 School, have each been awarded a 2015 Commitment to Excellence Award provided by the Okemos Education Foundation (OEF).

"I was shocked, it was pretty moving and I was brought to tears," Schoen said.

Andersen feels the exact same way.

"I was very, very, very shocked having only been teaching 5 years total and 4 years in the district... it was a very much pleasant surprise to me..it was very grateful and I feel very honored."

Petersburg even mentioned that tears piled up in her eyes when she found out she received this award as well.

"It's quite an honor and it's just a very humbling experience."

These educators were chosen for their outstanding ability to inspire and motivate students, their creativity and innovation, and their ability to promote the welfare of students and provide leadership within the school community.

"Kids are eager to learn no matter what age but the growth they make in kindergarten is absolutely huge," mentioned Schoen.

Andersen said that "having them experience all those AHA moments with you..its priceless."

Letters with nominations were submitted by community members, parents and school staff to select the awarded recipients for this years OEF Awards Banquet held on November 19th.

"I found the envelope and I sat down to read it and spent probably about 20 minutes just reading the letters and just crying through the whole thing," Petersburg stated.

"It's just a nice honor...it's a very nice honor," Schoen mentioned.

And teaching isn't just what these instructors love to do, it's seeing the continuous growth and development from their students that brightens their day.

"It's amazing to see how far they come in a year," said Petersburg.

**Each of these recipients will receive a $1,000 grant from the OEF to be used for educational purposes.**