For one Lewis Elementary kindergarten teacher, the most meaningful part of the job isn’t just teaching letters and numbers – it’s building lasting relationships with students and their families, continuing long after they leave her classroom.

That philosophy has guided Kristen Verdi throughout her career in education, which began with a love of school at a young age and has grown into more than a decade of teaching kindergarten in the Excelsior Springs School District.

Verdi’s path into education began early, shaped by a love of school and reinforced through experiences that eventually led her to the kindergarten classroom.

“I always loved school and knew I wanted to be a teacher someday,” said Verdi. “I made my two sisters play school with me constantly as children. I actually didn’t know I wanted to teach kindergarten until I was a paraeducator in a kindergarten classroom. Then, I knew kindergarten was for me.”

ShegrewupinOakGrove and graduated from high school in 2000, then continued he…