Award-winning educator to give AU’s commencement address for December graduates

ASHLAND, Ohio – Kristen Maurer, Ohio’s 2022 Milken Educator Award recipient, will give the keynote address at Ashland University’s Winter 2022 Commencement, which will be held Saturday, Dec. 17, in the Niss Athletic Center. The ceremony, for both undergraduate and graduate students, will begin at 10 a.m. No tickets are required.

Commencement will be live streamed here starting at 9:45 a.m., so that families and friends unable to attend can still watch their loved ones celebrate this milestone.

Since completing a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education at Ashland in 2014, Maurer has served as a teacher at Midvale Elementary, part of Indian Valley Local Schools in Tuscarawas County. She won the prestigious Milken Educator Award, considered the “Oscars of Teaching,” this spring for “making a profound difference for students, colleagues and communities.” The Milken Family Foundation’s website also notes that “recipients are heralded in early to mid-career for what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish.”

Maurer was cited for excelling at making learning interactive and fun while prioritizing differentiated instruction to fit student needs. Her kindergarten classroom incorporates balancing science-backed literacy instruction with character-building to prepare students for success in school and life. For example, in addition to striving for goals in reading, math and writing, Maurer’s students develop social-emotional learning by earning leadership positions which results in higher self-esteem and gaining critical social skills like listening, empathy and understanding.

Outside of class, Maurer developed “Building Better Braves,” an afterschool program designed to help close achievement gaps, and she leads Midvale’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports team, represents the school for the Indian Valley Foundation and serves on the building leadership team.

More information on Winter 2022 Commencement, including the lineup and procession information and how to buy flowers and order photos, is available at ashland.edu/commencement.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.