History teacher Susan King is December’s Golden Apple recipient. She was selected by chemistry teacher Christie Leanza, the previous month’s selection.

“The kids tell me that [King] is incredibly hard-working, and creates materials to help them learn the content,” Leanza said. “I thought that was pretty cool that she spent so much time outside of class making sure that these kids are able to understand what’s going on in class.”

When approaching AP U.S. History, a challenging course, King tries to make it enjoyable for as many people as possible. It is hard to learn well if stress mounts up, so King does her best to give the class a casual atmosphere.

“Without a doubt, the students are what make it interesting and fun everyday,” King said. “I do like what I teach. I do like the method and seeing people grow overtime. But honestly, coming into classes and having people joke around, that’s what makes this a better job than any other job on the planet.”

King has taught AP U.S. History at Starr’s Mill since 2015, and has taught various other social studies classes, including a year spent teaching at Union Grove.

As part of the Golden Apple award, King will receive $100 from Farmers Insurance to spend on curriculum or instruction, as well as free wares and services from Buck’s Pizza, Lisa’s Creperie, and Mane Hair.