Biology teacher Kadie Ondrus has been named Chapel Hill High School’s 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year.
An educator for 12 years, Ondrus began teaching at Chapel Hill High School during the 2019-2020 school year. Teaching runs in her family, and Ondrus said she inherited her passion for teaching from her mother.
“My mom’s a teacher, and I have lots of family members who are teachers, so I always thought that teaching might be something I was interested in,” Ondrus said.
Ondurs attended Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she studied biology and secondary education, in addition to playing on the softball team. She also completed her student teaching while at Gannon.
“I really enjoyed working at the different schools and observing the different teachers, so, when I student taught, I really realized this was something I wanted to do,” Ondrus said.
Ondrus moved to Chapel Hill in hopes of a change of pace, as well as a new job opportunity, after teaching the previous seven years at Northside High School in Onslow County.
Ondrus says she was welcomed with open arms.
“Everyone at Chapel Hill High School was accommodating, and it felt like home when I entered the school building. After my interview, I knew that Chapel Hill High School was a place where I wanted to work, leave my imprint on and help the students become successful,” she said.
Ondrus’s first years at Chapel Hill High School, though, were interrupted by the pandemic.
“I was shocked a little bit here because I started during Covid, so it took a couple years just to meet everyone,” she said.
In just a few short years, though, Ondrus has made a very positive impression on her colleagues, leading to her Teacher of the Year recognition.
A submission to Administrative Assistant Lavernia Bass Devine’s Thriving Thursday with a Twist Recognitions praised Ondrus, reading: “Thank you for your leadership, organization, and always being willing to help! We’re so lucky to work with you!”
Simone Dunphy, a chemistry teacher at Chapel Hill High School, also commended Ondrus’s helpfulness.
“She’s always super helpful,” Dunphy said, “and I always feel supported when I go down and ask her questions or what she thinks about something. She always gives me good advice.”
Biology teacher Wiliam Richards praised Ondrus’s rapport with students, as well as her sense of humor.
“Ms. Ondrus fosters unique relationships that allows her to motivate her students in a way that I think only she can,” he said. “She makes sure that students are present in class and have the tools they need to be successful. Also, she’s pretty darn funny.
Ondrus speculated that “being a team player and collaborating with my other colleagues, being able to work with others and rely on others, and just being a teammate” may have led to her nomination as Teacher of the Year.
Sophomore Kelly Kollmer had Ondrus her freshman year for biology and believes Ondrus’s many strengths as an educator qualified her for the award.
“I think she won teacher of the year because she is very involved with her students and makes sure that everyone understands material in depth,” Kollmer said. “She’s the model example of a teacher, and isn’t afraid to show tough love to her students. She is thorough and an overall amazing teacher!”
