The spotlight shone brightly on renowned Jamaican educator Keishia Thorpe when she was inducted into the United States 2024 National Teachers Hall of Fame Class for the indelible mark she left on countless lives.

Thorpe, who is known for her unwavering commitment to educational equity and opportunity, was honoured when her election was announced at a surprise event at Charles Herbert Flowers High School last week Tuesday.

“I feel extremely honoured and blessed to be inducted in the National Teachers Hall of Fame,” a release quotes her as saying. “When you live and walk in your true purpose and passion, not expecting anything in return, is when God truly blesses you.”

The occasion was a bittersweet moment for the Jamaican who shared that she was inducted on her mother’s “heaven day”.

“I am just happy that I got a chance to live out the life she worked so hard for me to have and the dreams she envisioned for me. I know I am making her proud today,” she said.

Thorpe, a former English success coach and now assistant principal at Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland, is also the 2021 Global Teacher Prize Winner. She attended Howard University where she graduated top of her class before obtaining a master’s in leadership from Strayer University in 2008 and her principal licence in administration from Trinity University in 2021.

With a career spanning two decades, she devoted her time to empowering students facing adversity, championing students in Title 1 schools, particularly recent immigrants navigating new language and educational challenges.

Reflecting on her approach to education, Thorpe emphasised the importance of personal connection and commitment to student success.

“We don’t get to change our students, but we can change how they leave us and the impact we have on their lives while they are with us. Their stories are my story and what inspires me to continue to do the work to ensure they have a better chance at life,” she said.

“Education is not just hard work, it’s heartwork!” Thorpe said, adding that her induction into the National Teachers Hall of Fame aligns with her broader mission to advocate educational equity and opportunity.

Founded in 1989, the National Teachers Hall of Fame, located in Emporia, Kansas, draws the public’s attention to the USA’s most outstanding preK-12 educators with at least 20 years of teaching experience by inducting them as members of the National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Thorpe joins a distinguished cohort of educators in the 2024 Hall of Fame class, including retired chemistry teacher Joe Truesdell, music teacher Keith Ballard, English teacher Shelly Moore Krajacic, and educator Terry Kaldhusal.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame activities are scheduled to commence in Washington, DC, in early May, culminating in core events in Emporia in mid-June.