We’re spotlighting two Kansas Citians who were recently honored as Blue KC Sporting Samaritans.
Cara Martin
Cara Martin, a gifted education teacher at Wolf Springs Elementary in the Blue Valley School District, was honored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) and Sporting KC as the first Blue KC Sporting Samaritan for the month of August on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park.
“Cara Martin is making an incredible difference through her work at Wolf Springs Elementary by helping kids to dream big dreams and learn how to achieve them,” said Christina Lively, Department Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Blue KC. “Her work is making learning fun for current students and will help create high-achieving citizens for the future.”
Serving in the Blue Valley District for the past 16 years, Martin has built a reputation for helping students embrace their natural curiosity, set goals and dream big dreams.
“Kids arrive with the wonder, and it’s my job to provide them with experiences to help them find context for their curiosity,” said Martin. “Kids have a natural knack for observing, questioning and connecting. It seems that somewhere along the way, many of us adults lose that. I want my students to understand the power of curiosity, the power of risk-taking, the power of failure, and the power of perseverance. All of these inevitably drive success.”
Tiffany Peeler
Walden Middle School teacher Tiffany Peeler was honored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) and Sporting KC as a Blue KC Sporting Samaritan on Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park.
“Tiffany Peeler is making a wonderful difference in the lives of her students and the community as a whole,” said Christina Lively, Department Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Blue KC. “Through her efforts to educate students on the importance of taking care of the environment, she is turning them into fantastic citizens.”
Since becoming a teacher 14 years ago, Peeler has made an impact on her students, first in the West Platte School District as a middle school teacher, then in the Park Hill School District. At each stop, she has helped her students gain academic skills while also helping them develop a love and concern for the environment.