This month’s Champion for Students award went to a valued member of the Pacific Crest Middle School community, Carey Kraybill. She is the Design and Modeling Teacher and coaches the Pacific Crest Robotics Team.

As part of her Design and Modeling classes, she teaches the Assistive Technology Makers program. Also known as AT Makers, this is where middle school students create design prototypes for students with disabilities. In this class, Carey’s students develop solutions to real world problems.

Carey’s nomination came from her collaborator in the AT Makers program, Wendy Burkhardt, Assistive Technology Specialist with High Desert ESD. Wendy said:

"Carey’s passion for the AT Makers project and incorporating it into her design class is phenomenal. She helps all her students learn the power of empathy and designing beyond yourself. She creates a safe and creative atmosphere for students to learn and create in her class, being able to present with detail why their design would work for the student with a disability. She deserves recognition for all the thought, detail, and passion she presents to her students. I have seen students who were initially uncomfortable with disabilities be the most engaged in this process. Thank you, Carey, for your dedication to this work!"

Pacific Crest Principal Sean Keating added, "Carey is a thoughtful, kind, and highly intelligent teacher. She smiles and laughs a ton with her students. She creates projects that present real-world design challenges, and all kinds of learners are highly engaged in her classroom. She's also resurrected our Robotics program and has taken her group of robotics-design wizards to competitions for the first time. Carey makes our school better and takes learning to that higher level. Next year, her classes are packed (sorry, Carey) because so many students want to learn from her."

Carey receives this honor in recognition of her dedication to empowering students through assistive technology design. Through her innovative design and robotics classes, she provides students with meaningful opportunities to cultivate empathy and create technologies that support peers with disabilities. She fosters a safe, inclusive environment where creativity and collaboration thrive.

At Bend-La Pine Schools, we deeply appreciate Carey Kraybill's commitment to student growth and are proud to count her as a Champion for Students.