NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Kristen Kelley of Islesboro Central School has been recognized by the Yale University Office of Undergraduate Admissions as a recipient of the 2019 Yale Educator Award.

The Yale Educator Recognition Program recognizes outstanding educators from around the world who support and inspire their students to perform at high levels and to achieve excellence.

Of this year’s 311 nominees, who represent 40 US states and 23 countries, 55 teachers and 18 counselors were selected to receive the award.

Matriculating students are invited to nominate high school educators, and a committee of Yale admissions officers reviews each nomination individually and designates recipients.

In September, the winners were sent engraved desk sets and congratulatory letters, and administrators of the high schools were notified of their achievement.

Yale is a top research university with a unique emphasis on undergraduate liberal arts education, a press release noted. All 6,000 undergraduate students enroll in Yale College, which offers more than 80 majors and hundreds of opportunities to conduct groundbreaking research.

Undergraduates at Yale come from all 50 states and more than 70 foreign countries.

More than 17% of Yale students will be the first in their families to complete a four-year degree, and 47% are US Citizens or Permanent Residents who identify as members of a minority group.

Yale offers admission to students without regard to their ability to pay, and meets 100% of every student’s financial need with an award that does not include loans, the release noted. Currently 64% of Yale undergraduates receive financial assistance, and Yale budgets more than $160 million annually for need-based financial aid, said the release. 

The 1,554 members of the Yale Class of 2023 who began their first semester in August 2019 graduated from more than 1,100 different high schools, 63% of which are public schools.

The Yale Admissions Office attributes the exceptional quality of the Yale student body to educators like these recipients of the 2019 Yale Educator Award, who shape their students long before they attend Yale. The Admissions Office is proud to thank these and all educators for their ongoing efforts in motivating and supporting their students.