Carol Soma was stunned when she learned she had been named the Blue Earth Area Schools Teacher of the Year.

The award was presented after the Veterans Day Program at the high school, last Tuesday.

Soma is the Media Specialist for all the BEA schools. She was selected for the honor by the BEA Education Association, which includes all of the teaching staff.

“I was shocked,” Soma says. “I had not expected this at all. There are so many teachers in this system who deserve this award.”

BEA Education Association co-presidents Paula Tietje and Donna Drescher presented the award.

“Carol is someone who serves all of our students, from kindergarten through 12th grade,” Tietje says. Four teachers were nominated, and all of the staff voted to determine who would be selected.

Soma lives in Kiester with her husband Brad. They have two children, Christine and Michael, who are in college.

After teaching for several years in the Kiester/United South Central Schools, Soma came to Blue Earth in 1989.

“I was an English and Spanish teacher at first,” Soma says. “Before becoming the media specialist.”

She graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead with degrees in English and Spanish. She received her masters degree in media from Mankato State University.

As the BEA Teacher of the Year, Soma may go on to compete at the state level.

“That is up to the person each year,” Tietje says. “The process to apply to be considered for Minnesota Teacher of the Year is quite involved and time consuming, so not all of our local recipients want to do it.”

Soma will decide later whether to fill out all the paper work to go on to state competition. For now, she is just going to try to get over the shock of being honored by her peers.