Samantha TwoCrow, Suttons Bay Public School Indigenous Education Director, is the winner of the 2024 Educator of the Year award from the Michigan Lottery’s Excellence in Education program. In addition to her award, TwoCrow was presented with a $10,000 cash prize this month during a school ceremony.
“It’s definitely so gratifying to know that one, you get awarded for something like this, but two, to have that chance to have some sort of stipend that feels like you are being paid back in a way that’s always nice for anyone to have or do. It was awesome,” TwoCrow said. “I thrive in making sure I’m there at Suttons Bay to ensure indigenous students receive the additional help that they need to be successful because of the statistics in education for Native Americans… Education is the only way to break cycles in so many ways and forms — my biggest passion being at a high school is helping them (students) find their way.”
TwoCrow started as the indigenous education director in 2019, with the program’s mission being to support the unique cultural and academic needs of Native American and Alaskan students from pre-k through graduation. She also aims to encourage indigenous students to pursue higher education, among many other goals, who might otherwise be part of those statistics.
“Native Americans are the least statistically to graduate from high school, we have the highest dropout rates than any race in the country in high school, and we’re the least to attend higher education surpassing high school,” she said. “One of our grant objectives is college education and college preparation… We want to thrive in getting them (students) certificates and going into a trade school and going into education, so that way we can break those statistics. Being somebody who was a statistic myself who struggled in high school and almost dropped out — one who had the help from the indigenous education programs from Northport and Suttons Bay and my tribe in helping me graduate — those (programs) mean a lot to me.”
According to the Michigan Lottery, the Excellence in Education Awards were first established in 2014 to recognize outstanding public school educators across the state during the school year. Winners of the weekly award, of which TwoCrow was a winner earlier this year, receive a plaque and a $2,000 cash prize.
The Michigan Lottery selects and highlights one of those weekly winners as the “Educator of the Year” every year as well, considering 34 educators from across the state. Each winner is featured in a news segment on the lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZTV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, and WWTV-TV in Traverse City.
