Tanner High School counselor Kristen Meeker was recently nominated for LifeChanger of the Year.

This nomination came as a surprise to her, saying she doesn’t consider the work she does to be worthy of an award.

“Humbling coupled with a bit of disbelief! I just don’t consider my work to be award worthy; it’s what I do, what I feel is right. I enjoy helping others and being there for my students, which is something any human should be willing to do,” Meeker said.

While Meeker is still a new face at Tanner, she’s already a valuable asset, according to Principal Deborah Kenyon.

“We have incredible teachers who are very dedicated to the success of our students. To have one of our team be highlighted is outstanding. Mrs. Meeker is new to Tanner High and has already shown us what an asset she is to our community,” Kenyon said.

For Meeker, this award means that she works with capable colleagues, saying life changing work is a group effort.

“Being nominated means I was lucky enough to be part of some very capable teams with some very smart and creative colleagues. The work I’m being recognized for — it’s not just mine. It takes a lot of caring people to make meaningful change,” Meeker said. “I feel fortunate to have been a part of that – a part of something bigger than myself. I didn’t realize that until I read the nomination and comments.”

“Mrs. Meeker seeks out ways to connect to out students and parents; she is present for them; and is always trying to help all be successful. She is open, committed, caring, and dedicated to the students and to the school as a whole,” Kenyon said.

Winning would validate Meeker’s efforts at Tanner.

“If by chance I won, it validates the work I’ve been part of. But just being nominated gives me that sense of validation, that sense of making a difference and being a part of the positive change in someone’s life,” Meeker said.

Meeker has many ideas for how the prize money could help Tanner if she won.

“My first choice would be to create a wellness and learning center for the students, but I would also love to turn the prize money into a Tanner scholarship fund. In essence, this prize is for helping Tanner students in any way possible,” she said.

“There are many different things we could use this money for, one of the top areas would be with our Hispanic population and bridging the language gap to connect with parents,” Kenyon said.

To follow Meeker’s nomination, visit https://app.lifechangeroftheyear.com/nomination_detail.cfm?NominationID=8837