A great city is built by the hands and hearts of those who invest in its people. Nowhere is that more evident than in Birmingham’s classrooms, where teachers like these shape the next generation through both knowledge and an unshakable commitment to their students’ futures. They see potential before it’s realized and talent before it’s refined. Long after the final bell rings, their influence will echo—in the confidence of a child, the success of a graduate, and the strength of a community shaped by their dedication.
Katie Collins
1st Grade Teacher, Bluff Park Elementary
Katie Collins spends her days in a whirlwind of untied shoelaces, lost teeth, and rather loud “whisper voices”—and she wouldn’t have it any other way. The “littles” are her people.
“These kids are tiny but mighty,” she says. “I love how you can already get a glimpse of who they’re going to become.”
Collins has taught high school, middle school, and even adult literacy, but first grade is where she’s found her calling. “First grade is where the magic happens,” she says. “It’s where kids go from not knowing to knowing, from wondering if they can to believing they can.”
She teared up when one of her students, who had struggled with letter sounds in August, proudly read math directions aloud to the class. “We all cheered,” she says. “Seeing kids believe in themselves—that keeps me going.”
Collins believes in failure, not as defeat, but as a lesson. “Our best teacher in life is failure,” she tells her students. “But if you make a mistake, you better make it a good one—and you better learn from it.”
More than anything, she hopes her students hold onto their passion and curiosity throughout life. “When I run into a student 15 years from now, I hope to see them living out their passion,” she says. “I hope the seed I plant now takes off—even if they don’t remember where it came from.”
Steve Sills
Career and Character Coach, Homewood Middle School
Steve Sills is a force—a mentor, coach, and DJ whose influence extends far beyond the classroom. For 19 years, he has shaped the lives of Homewood students with relentless energy and a deep sense of purpose. “People will forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel,” he says, quoting Maya Angelou. That belief drives him.
What began in 2007 as a mentorship group for 40 boys has grown into the 380-member Trendsetters Club—a community of students dedicated to service, leadership, and support. They run supply drives, cheer on special needs athletes, and find ways to lift up their peers and the community.
Sills is always looking for new ways to give. A sneaker enthusiast, he and his wife started a shoe giveaway, buying a pair of stylish sneakers for a standout student each month. “When we opened it up for donations, the money started pouring in,” he says. With corporate sponsors like Hibbett and City Gear now on board, they’ve given away more than 300 pairs of top-brand sneakers—Jordans, Dunks, Air Maxes—recognizing students not just for academics, but for leadership, kindness, and perseverance.
In his Career and Character class, he teaches confidence, resilience, and the value of making good choices, as well as practical skills like how to tie a tie. Years after leaving his classroom, a former student reached out to tell him, “You were the father I never had.” Sills was humbled. “That kind of thing—that’s what keeps me going.”
And when he’s not in the classroom? He’s on a stage, DJing everything from Homewood parades to this year’s Super Bowl. “You’ve got one shot to leave an impact,” he says. Steve Sills makes every shot count.
Kira Aaron
Instructional Partner, Vestavia Hills High School
“Well, education is my family business,” says Kira Aaron, and she means it. Her father was a history teacher turned superintendent, her mother a math and French teacher turned librarian. Teaching was never just a career path—it was the conversation at the dinner table, the rhythm of daily life. Still, when she stepped into the classroom herself, she had to decide whether this was truly her calling.
Aaron loved teaching Literature to high schoolers—it was both fun and rewarding—but she sometimes felt overwhelmed by the many other responsibilities that came with the job. She found herself closing her door, isolating herself, and wondering if she had chosen teaching out of duty instead of passion. Then, one day, a colleague knocked and asked to eat lunch with her. One turned into two, then three, until her classroom became a gathering place. That small act of connection changed everything.
To help other teachers experience that same sense of support, Aaron launched a mentoring program, offering a space where those in their first three years could gather—over donuts, before school, away from the pressure of evaluations. “The most valuable part isn’t the instructional tips,” she says. “It’s the relationships.” After 15 years of teaching English Language Arts, Aaron stepped into the role of instructional partner, a position that allows her to provide ongoing support to teachers throughout the school.
At the core of it all, Aaron is driven by the belief that education’s broader purpose is to shape lives. “I hope my students remember that they were safe, encouraged, and that learning could be exciting,” she says. Her passion for both students and fellow teachers drives her to make a lasting impact as she proudly carries on her family legacy.
Sarah Moland
Fashion Program Director, Jackson-Olin High School
For more than two decades, Dr. Sarah Moland has been shaping young minds—not just through fabric and thread, but by weaving confidence, opportunity, and purpose into her students’ lives. As the leader of the Fashion Program at Jackson-Olin High School, she teaches Family and Consumer Sciences, Fashion, and Fashion Design, blending practical skills with the belief that passion should drive one’s career.
“I tell my students all the time—chase your passion, not just a paycheck,” Moland says. “If you love what you do, you’ll make it work.”
Her own love for sewing began at age eight, inspired by her mother, a talented seamstress. Teaching wasn’t in her original plan, but a conversation with her son’s teacher—and what she describes as a persistent calling—changed her path.
“I strive to teach my students the way I’d want someone to teach my own child,” Moland says. “I think about their future, even when they don’t. I want them to see the opportunities I never knew existed.”
She beams with pride when speaking of former students like Brittany Smith, now a prom dress designer, whose work has gone viral. “It’s incredible to see them take what they’ve learned and turn it into something real,” she says. “When I see them succeeding, I know I’ve done my job.”
Alex Fokkens
Music Department Chair, Alabama School of Fine Arts
For Alex Fokkens, music is more than sound—it’s a presence that shapes identity, fosters resilience, and gives young artists a voice in an increasingly complex world.
His journey to Birmingham was anything but conventional. Originally from South Africa, he built an impressive career as a conductor, leading professional orchestras across continents. But something kept pulling him toward education. “I found I felt very strongly about training our future—guiding young people on their journey to find their voice and begin to understand what it takes to create art.”
That calling led him to the Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA), a free public school for grades 7 through 12, where he now chairs the music department, helping students navigate the challenges of a career in the arts. “There’s an enormous need for young artists to have mentors who show them the path forward,” Fokkens explains. “It’s a tricky voyage, but the world desperately needs artists—to challenge, to inspire, to give hope.”
At ASFA, students devote hours each day to honing their craft, performing, and collaborating in an environment that mirrors the professional world. “These young people take risks every day,” he says. “They stand up, perform, and put their souls into their work. That kind of courage is inspiring beyond words.”
For Fokkens, the greatest joy is watching students step into their future—whether on stage, in a studio, or wherever their artistry takes them.
Kimi Portabella Blanton
Spanish Teacher, Crestline Elementary
When she arrived in the U.S. from Guatemala, Kimi Blanton was stunned that foreign language wasn’t part of early education at her children’s school. So she changed that. Volunteering, advocating, and helping shape a curriculum from the ground up, she ensured students had access to a broader world—one filled with language, culture, and opportunity.
Now, in her 27th year of teaching, her classroom is alive with energy. Students learn Spanish by living it. They compare cultures, share stories from their travels, and connect the world around them to her lessons. One student recently returned from Mexico and eagerly linked his experiences to a lesson on Ecuador. Another recalled a news report about a man crossing an active volcano in Nicaragua and excitedly fact-checked it with Blanton.
“I tell my students all the time—it doesn’t have to be Spanish, but learn a second language,” she says. “Languages open doors to greater opportunities.”
For Blanton, the greatest lesson goes beyond words. “I was hired to teach Spanish,” she says, “and I will, to the best of my ability. But my first goal is to build relationships with my students and their families.” She wants each one to leave her class knowing they were seen, valued, and deeply cared for.
Long after they forget conjugations and vocabulary, she hopes they’ll remember her belief in them—because that’s an investment that will last a lifetime.
Debra Rust
Gifted-Enrichment Specialist, Midfield City Schools
Debra Rust has been teaching for 50 years, but her passion for her students burns as brightly as it did on day one. She’s a lifeline, an advocate, and a champion for every student.
“These are the most talented, dedicated children that I have ever known,” Rust says.
Rust teaches gifted education in Midfield City Schools, a district where 90% of students qualify for free lunch. Her work goes far beyond the classroom, nurturing students’ talents in theater and the arts after school. She starts working with them in second grade, guiding them until they graduate.
“I have encouraged the students who are really interested in theater to stick with me, and we will partner with Red Mountain Theater to find them opportunities to perform. We will get scholarships for them, and they will go on to do amazing things. And they have. It’s really working, and it’s changing their lives.”
One of her students, Kenneth Weldon, recently returned from auditioning for schools nationwide. The University of Oklahoma and The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have already offered him numerous musical theater scholarships. Rust beams with pride as she lists former students now thriving in college and beyond—one performing at UAB, one at The University of Alabama, and another at Samford University on a full scholarship.
Rust runs the Midfield Performing Arts program like a professional company. “We've produced 33 musicals so far that the kids actually write and perform with my guidance. My choreographer Londyn Harris is in the 11th grade—she’s the most fabulous choreographer you’ve ever seen.”
It hasn’t always been easy. Rust has faced challenges, but she refuses to let them stop her. “I am so stubborn, and I’m determined that everything will turn out good. We just keep pushing until it does,” she says. She credits her students’ parents and her coordinator, Stephanie Matthews, for their unwavering support. “These families know I want the best for their children. Whenever there’s a roadblock, we just figure out a way around it.”
Her dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed. Last year, Midfield City Schools honored her with a plaque on their stage, a tribute to the impact she’s had on so many young performers. That same year, she received the Making a Difference Award from the Alabama State Arts Alliance, an emotional moment that underscored a lifetime of commitment.
For Rust, though, the best reward of all is watching her students shine.
“Whenever I go to Red Mountain Theater and see my little children and my older children up on that stage,” she says, her voice catching, “that’s when I know we’ve done it. We’ve created magic that can be shared with others!”
“It’s a tricky voyage, but the world desperately needs artists—to challenge, to inspire, to give hope.”
Alex Fokkens
“These families know I want the best for their children. Whenever there’s a roadblock, we just figure out a way around it.”
Debra Rust
“Our best teacher in life is failure. But if you make a mistake, you better make it a good one—and you better learn from it.”
Katie Collins
“I tell my students all the time—chase your passion, not just a paycheck”
Sarah Moland