Angelia Perkins might have succeeded in sneaking out quietly after her last day of 32 years teaching art and photography at Lawrence High School, but colleagues had other plans.
Perkins, who is retiring this year, was selected for the Lawrence school district’s Master Teacher Award for 2026. Colleagues surprised her with the award on Thursday, the last day of the school year.
Coworkers wrote in Perkins’ nomination that she goes above and beyond to help her students and her school, and that she’s always looking for ways to improve lessons and enhance student learning. They wrote that she enthusiastically encourages people to compete in art shows, and that many of Lawrence High’s arts traditions would not exist without her.
“‘Miss Perkins celebrates diversity and highly values the unique perspectives that her students bring with them,’” Kristen Ryan, assistant superintendent of human resources, read from Perkins’ nomination. “‘She encourages her students to draw their own inspiration from their personal experiences and interests, and in turn they create works of art that are not only beautiful, but extremely meaningful.’”
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Perkins said she was on her way out before the surprise, which came with a $2,500 check from Truity Credit Union.
“It just left me speechless, because really, I like these times of year to be about the kids and everybody else,” Perkins said. “… It’s a big honor. I really appreciate everything that the students and staff have done, and this 32 years has been a long time, but — it’s awesome.”
She said most teachers aren’t good at complimenting themselves, and they tend to put everybody else first.
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“So I think that honor is just something that I can take with me for the rest of my life — just knowing that it was an honor that other people put out there for me,” she said.
Todd Poteet, visual arts teacher, said he and Emily Markoulatos, ceramics and jewelry teacher, wanted to make sure Perkins got the recognition.
“We came together and wrote to our heart’s content about just how great of a person she is and how much she has made a difference here in Lawrence, both in the school and in the wider community, for her colleagues as well as her students,” Poteet said.
He said LHS has always had a strong tradition in the arts, and Perkins has continued to raise the bar for photography and other art forms.
“A lot of what I’m teaching is based on stuff that she did, and so as I continue to teach, I’ll probably pass that along to the person who replaces Angela,” Poteet said. “And so as we get new teachers in, we’ll just keep handing the baton and continuing the tradition that is pretty big here at Lawrence.”
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Jacob Rice (he/him), photo editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since March 2026. He can be reached at [email protected].
Read his complete bio here. Check out his photography for the Times here. Read his articles for the Times at this link.
— Reporter Mackenzie Clark contributed to this article.
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