The Board of Directors of Kansas Next Step Inc. have announced the Star Student and Teacher of the Month for October.

This month’s Student of the Month is John Drees, a junior at TMP-Marian. John has been active in Student Council, debate, forensics, band, choir, golf and Boy Scouts. He has been described by his teachers as intelligent, approachable, and compassionate. He is also credited as being “an impressive young man. Virtually unflappable, he strives to see everything in a positive light and doesn’t let challenges get him down.”

The October Star Teacher of the Month is Melissa Schoepf, high school math instructor and Chair of the Math Department at TMP-Marian. In addition to her responsibilities in the classroom and her work as a mentor to new department staff, Schoepf participates on the Academic Council, serves on the School Improvement Committee, and acts as head coach for the TMP-Marian softball team.

Drees and Schoepf will each receive a monetary prize along with a certificate of recognition.

Anyone interested in nominating an outstanding student or teacher may do so by utilizing the applications found on www.kansasnextstep.org. Separate student awards are available for students in grades K-8 and 9-12.

Kansas Next Step is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting and facilitating the exploration of unique and exciting educational opportunities for motivated learners.