For Kayla Heimann, it began with a childhood rock collection, dinosaurs on her bedroom walls and a father who helped instill an interest for science into his daughter. According to Richland Source, the 33-year-old Eastern Elementary School teacher, and her passion has paid dividends for her Lexington students over the past 11 years -- and she is now a national finalist slot for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation's highest honors for mathematics and science teachers.
Heimann is one of only four Ohio teachers (one math, three science) in the running for the national competition. A national committee will choose up to 108 U.S. winners during the summer of 2021.