No one shows true commitment until you have seen the commitment Kathy Budzien has for her dance team. She has coached the Arrowhead Varsity Dance team for twenty-five years. Each day she spends hours working on team formations, locker decorations, or shopping for a birthday cake, balloon and card for every girl on the team’s birthday. She has put her heart and soul into the team, and this may have been her last year to do it.
Having been on the varsity team since freshman year, I have truly gotten to know Kathy Budzien, (PB as all the girls call her) and I am glad I did. Being on her team has given me a second family. Although she is happily married to Greg Budzien (Bud for short), a teacher at Arrowhead, they have never had any children. But, the girls on her teams have become the daughters they never had. She has become like a mother figure to me.
She has touched lives while coaching and teaching. At Arrowhead High School, Kathy works as a math tutor in the Math Lab. This class is for students struggling in math. Each day she helps them understand the material and keep learning. Kathy gives help to any student at school. She teaches useful lessons about how to set goals, be committed, and where to get motivation. I have returned the favor by staying late to change parts that just didn’t fit in the routines and come in to help cut music.

I nominate Kathy Budzien for educator of the year because she has earned it. She has taught other students and me many life lessons; such as my favorite lesson, put your heart into it. She has a big heart, and if she won educator of the year, this would be a big bang to the end of her coaching/teaching career.