AU alumna named district teacher of the year, six others named finalists

Elizabeth Hahn, an English and Language Arts teacher at Thomson High School and an alumna of Augusta University’s College of Education and Human Development, was recently named the 2025-26 Teacher of the Year for the McDuffie County School System.

Hahn has served as an educator for 20 years, including the past nine at Thomson High.

“It is such an honor to be given that title, having heard all the other teachers speak here tonight,” she said during the Aug. 28 event. “This is an extraordinary group of educators, so I am deeply honored and deeply grateful to my colleagues for voting for me in the first place.”

In addition to her teaching role, Hahn serves on the graduation and Bulldog Way committees, is a homebound teacher, debate coach, department chair, as well as a mentor to new teachers.

“I realized that I really wanted to make a difference in the lives of students in the way that teachers were there for me,” Hahn said. “Every single year, no matter how many times I’ve read or taught a piece, there is a student that teaches me something new about that literature that I did not know. And I love that about teaching.”

After earning a Bachelor of Arts in English from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California, Hahn came to then-Augusta State University where she earned a Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in English and an Education Specialist in Teaching and Learning. She is currently taking additional graduate-level courses from Valdosta State University in preparation for applying to a PhD program.

“The College of Education and Human Development congratulates all of the finalists for Teacher of the Year. It is such an incredible honor to be recognized by your peers as an outstanding teacher who goes above and beyond to support students,” said Dean Judi Wilson, EdD. “A special shout out goes to Elizabeth. As the department head, she represents our values consistently and she is a true difference maker in her school.”

Hahn will represent McDuffie County in the Georgia Teacher of the Year program.

Richmond County

Six teachers, including two AU alumni, were also named finalists for the Richmond County School System’s Teacher of the Year, which was awarded to Chef Kanesha Roberts of George P. Butler High School, at a Sept. 18 banquet.

Roberts teaches culinary arts at Butler High, where she has worked for four years. Prior to teaching, Roberts served as a U.S. Army sergeant and culinary specialist.

The other 2026 RCSS Teacher of the Year finalists were Audrey Crosby, of Jenkins-White Elementary School; Latonya Jackson, of John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School; LaShanda Mills, of Richmond Hill Elementary School; Kristina Istre, of A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School; and Andrie McFadden of the Marion E. Barnes Career Center.

Crosby, an art teacher with 20 years of experience, earned a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from AU’s legacy institution Augusta State University. She began her career at T.W. Josey High School, where she worked for nine years. She returned to the district in 2023 at Jenkins-White and serves as chair of the art department and the Sunshine Committee and works as a teacher mentor.

Jackson, who has taught for 19 years including nine years in Richmond County, teaches AP mathematics and computer science. She serves as the school’s mathematics department chair and holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Augusta State University.

Columbia County

This year’s Columbia County School District Teacher of the Year was Parkway Elementary music teacher Tiffany Tanner. Three of the five finalists for were AU alumni.

Kirsten Matthis, of Evans High School, Nancy Morris, of Columbia Middle School, and Lauren O’Neil, of Cedar Ridge Elementary hold multiple degrees from AU and its legacy institutions.

Matthis teaches 12th grade British Literature, Advanced Placement Literature and Advanced Placement Research. She has 11 years of teaching experience and is a two-time graduate of Augusta University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English Education and a master’s degree in Education and Instruction with a Gifted and a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Endorsement.

Morris is an art educator with 27 years of teaching experience. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Grades and Art Education from then-Augusta College and a specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Augusta State University. 

O’Neil currently teaches third-grade Language Arts and has 16 years of teaching experience. She is a four-time graduate of Augusta University, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, a master’s in Instruction, a specialist degree in Curriculum and a certification in Educational Leadership. She also holds endorsements in Reading, STEM, Dyslexia, ESOL and Gifted Education.

Burke County

Valencia Patterson, a teacher at Blakeney Elementary School, was a finalist for the 2025-26 District Teacher of the Year for Burke County Public Schools.

Patterson earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and training from Augusta State University. She has been a teacher in Burke County for the past 24 years.

Elizabeth Hunter, a Waynesboro Primary School second-grade teacher, was announced as the District Teacher of the Year during halftime of the Burke County-Glenn Hills football game on Sept. 26.