An Ingham County educator who is known for being a champion for his students has been honored with an Excellence in Education award from the Michigan Lottery.

The award winner, Ryan Anderson, is a case manager at Holt High School. The school is part of Holt Public Schools.

The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.

Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, and WWTV-TV in Traverse City. The news segment featuring Anderson will air this evening.

“Ryan Anderson is a perfect example of the profound impact an educator can have,” said Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli. “He’s not just teaching; he’s building bridges of confidence and friendship, ensuring his students are ready to embark on happy and productive lives. Holt Public School’s is fortunate to have such a comionate champion for its students.”

Anderson said his experience as a student inspired him to pursue a career in education.

“I had a lot of amazing teachers growing up. They made going to school fun and kept me engaged. I wanted to be able to have a similar impact on students and help to motivate them to not only graduate from high school but gain confidence in themselves, create friendships with peers, and have the skills necessary to be happy and productive adults.”

Anderson was nominated for the award by the family of a former student.

“Ryan is a champion for kids with special needs. Ryan works with kids daily that are on the ASD spectrum and have other disabilities and gives them a chance to graduate. Ryan is available to parents afterhours, takes phone calls and goes the extra mile to make a difference. He is a true mentor and friend to kids who have few. He plays a vital role to families who dearly need help. Holt Public is lucky to have him. What an amazing role he gets to play to make a difference in these kids’ lives.”

Anderson earned a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree from Madonna University. He has been an educator for 19 years, the last 18 in his current position.

Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
• Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
• Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
• Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
• Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district.