Provided photo Victoria Hill poses with her fourth grade class at Superior Central School in Eben Junction. Hill is the recipient of an Excellence in Education Award from the Michigan Lottery.

LANSING — An Alger County educator, a CLK alumna known for advocating for her students, has been honored with an Excellence in Education award from the Michigan Lottery. The award winner, Victoria Hill, is a fourth-grade teacher at Superior Central Elementary, in the Superior Central School District.

The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public school educators across the state during the school year.

Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner station WLUC in Marquette.

In a press release, Hill said she was driven to a career in education because of her love of children. “I have always loved working with kids. I truly believe they are the best part of our world because of their goodness and pure hearts. I was drawn to education because it is about so much more than academics. It is about helping kids feel like they matter and that they are capable. I wanted a career where I could make a real difference in children’s lives.”

Hill, a 2011 graduate of Calumet High School told the Gazette she was grateful for the Michigan Lottery’s recognition.

“Being awarded this honor and to be recognized means a great deal to me. It’s a reminder that the work we do as teachers matters, and it motivates me to keep supporting my students and helping them grow.

According to the press release, Hill was nominated for the award by the parent of a student, who wrote, “Mrs. Hill was my son’s fourth-grade teacher last school year. My son has been in special ed and has struggled with reading and spelling since he started school. Mrs. Hill was able to introduce numerous accommodations including teaching him how to use talk to text, advocating for an alternate spelling list, and reading assignments, quizzes, and tests to him when needed. She also introduced him (and me) to the Red Rhino books, so he was able to read chapter books that were written at his delayed reading level. She was able to instill confidence in him and always focused on his strengths. She is excellent at time management, and I am in awe of all the extra, individualized attention she was able to give him. She really cares about each of her students and I’m forever grateful for all she did to help Joshua grow and excel last year.”

After graduating from CHS, Hill earned a bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University. She has been an educator for five years, the last four in her current position. Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement

• Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed

• Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally

• Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts

• Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district

According to the Lottery’s press release, “About 97 cents of every dollar spent on Lottery tickets is returned to the state in the form of contributions to the state School Aid Fund, prizes to players, and commissions to vendors and retailers. In the 2024 fiscal year, the Lottery provided more than $1.2 billion for Michigan’s public schools, its sixth contribution of more than $1 billion. Since it began in 1972, the Lottery has contributed nearly $30 billion to support public education in Michigan.”