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Young/Semadeni selected as 2025 Wyoming Teachers of the Year

Jerry Lainhart, Commander of the VFW Post 4797, recognizes McKay Young (Star Valley High School) and Joseph Semadeni (Osmond Elementary School) who were both selected as 2025 Wyoming Teachers of the Year in the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Recognition Program. COURTESY PHOTOS

 

• Making history with two teachers from the same district

Lincoln County School District No. 2 teachers McKay Young and Joseph Semadeni have been selected as the 2025 Wyoming State winners of the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher of the Year Recognition Program. Both men will go on to compete at the national level against nominees from other states and international locations represented by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Young, who teaches Social Studies, History and Psychology at Star Valley High School, is the Wyoming winner among teachers of grades nine through 12, and Semadeni, who teaches fifth grade at Osmond Elementary School, is the Wyoming winner among teachers of grades kindergarten through six.  Both winners will be formally honored at an awards program in Casper in June of 2025.

“This is the first time in the state of Wyoming that two of the three state winners have come from the same school district,” said Jerry Lainhart, who serves as Commander of the VFW Star Valley Post 4797, in a social media post earlier this month. Lainhart congratulated “these great teachers for their honor and wish them luck as they now compete at Nationals.”

Young and Semadeni are both humbled and grateful for this opportunity.

“I have a deep love and respect for the men and women in uniform who serve and have served our country,” said Semadeni. “I am very grateful for the freedoms we enjoy in the United States, and I know that these freedoms are made possible through the sacrifice of our military. As an educator, I strive to teach my students the Constitution – how it came to be, the rights and privileges it provides for each citizen, and how the U.S.A. strives to bring peace to the rest of the world. My hope is that through learning about history, engaging in meaningful dialogue, and role playing that perhaps future generations will preserve these God-given rights.”

Young’s gratitude matches Semadeni’s. “There isn’t a group that I would rather be honored by than by our veterans. I try to honor them every day in my classroom in the way I do my job. I believe teaching Social Studies uniquely provides opportunities to help young people be grateful and to inspire them with the stories of those who went before us. I don’t think there is another subject that lends itself so well to teaching character and thinking critically. I’m extremely grateful to our VFW post for nominating me this year, and for the enormous honor of being their pick for the Teacher of the Year in the State of Wyoming.”

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