The Leander Educational Excellence Foundation (LEEF) hosted its ninth annual Student Teacher Achievement Recognition (STAR) Banquet on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Since its inception in 2015, this banquet has become a significant event in celebrating academic excellence within Leander ISD, honoring 375 educators across the district throughout the years.

At this year’s event, LEEF honored 60 educators and their respective student honorees. The banquet hosts three seniors from each of LISD’s six high schools, as well as selected seniors from New Hope High School and SELF 18+ Transition Services, alongside eighth graders from each of the nine middle schools, and fifth-graders from all 29 elementary schools. Each of these students selected and honored an LISD teacher or staff member who have profoundly impacted their educational journey.

The evening featured inspiring stories from recent LISD Alumni Shannon Barton and Katie Whitmarsh, both 2023 STAR recipients, who shared how their educators’ influence has continued to shape their college experiences. Our MC and LEEF Board Member, Na’Cole Thompson, conveyed LEEF’s impact story and emphasized the vital role of public education and its dedicated teachers.

The culmination of the evening was the heartfelt presentations by the seniors, who shared anecdotes of mentorship and personal growth under their chosen teachers’ guidance. These stories shared by seniors are shining examples of the difference just 1 person can make in another person’s life. While we recognized 60 educators last night, LEEF is thankful for ALL Leander ISD teachers who are inspiring their students to do great things.

The teacher honorees received a framed certificate to commemorate the evening. Check out the LEEF Facebook page for photos from the event. 

Click Here to view the full list of honored teachers and students.