Although the primary goal of education is to promote intellectual excellence, there exists a more nuanced and frequently forgotten focus of the teaching profession: the art of personal connections. 

For many teachers, establishing personal connections with students is often relegated to an afterthought behind things like grades, testing and lesson planning. However, for Kelly Rentz ’89, director of Choirs and Drama at Colony High School in Palmer, Alaska, these kinds of connections mean everything.  

“Building relationships is the foundation of teaching, and working as a team yields exceptional results,” Rentz said. 

It’s this focus on relationships that truly sets Rentz apart as an exceptional educator. The deep, meaningful connections she makes with peers and students alike ultimately culminated in her warm reception as Alaska’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. 

“I feel so honored,” Rentz said upon receiving the award. “It’s humbling and overwhelming and there are so many teachers in Alaska who are just as deserving.” 

Born to Teach 

While her teaching journey officially began after her college graduation, her dreams of becoming a teacher started back when she was a young student herself. 

Rentz grew up in a world of teaching. Her late mom, Patricia (Patty) Steele, taught first grade, and all the Rentz family friends worked in education. This exposure to the education environment clearly impressed greatly upon Rentz at a young age. 

“I loved ‘playing’ teacher in my mom’s class after school with my friends,” she said. “I always knew I would become a teacher, and always knew it would be music that I taught.” 

Rentz’s reference to music is significant because it shows that while she was interested in education in a broad sense, she was more specifically intrigued by the subfield of music education. 

“My earliest memories are of music,” Rentz said. “I don’t remember a time when music wasn’t front and center in my world.” She then added that teaching music “was a natural choice for me.” 

Rentz’s early vision of a music education career would stick with her throughout primary school and into college, where her teaching aspirations truly began in earnest. 

The Stetson Impact 

Although Rentz found support from music education mentors early in her life, from always-happy Mrs. Clemmons in elementary school to “Cool Joe” Hooten in middle school, it was at Stetson where she experienced the most amount of growth. 

“I absolutely loved going to Stetson,” Rentz said. “The small classes, caring professors, and one-on-one attention set me up for success in teaching.” 

She specifically shouted out her late great mentor Ann Small, PhD, who was a professor of Music Education at Stetson’s School of Music. Rentz mentioned Small’s mentorship was primarily responsible for her teaching success at the K-5 level.  

In addition, Rentz believes Stetson’s focus on the individual played a huge role in how she developed her own student-centered teaching style. 

“The relationships I built inspired my people-first approach to education that benefits my own students today,” Rentz said. “I am so very grateful for my education at Stetson University.”  

A Remarkable Journey 

After Rentz graduated from Stetson in 1989, she got a job teaching that same year at Eustis Heights Elementary School in Eustis. She then transferred to Discovery Elementary in Deltona in 1990, where she taught for four years.  

Rentz then met her husband, Kyle Rentz, in 1994. He was stationed in Alaska with the Air Force when they married, so she moved almost 4,000 miles across the country to be with him. Once settled in her new environment, her teaching career resumed. 

“Over the next four years, I taught middle school choir and drama, and elementary school general music k-12,” Rentz said. “Those experiences taught me so much and helped me appreciate the developmental needs of different ages.” 

A few years later, Rentz took a planned career break to raise her two girls, Jessica and Charly Rentz. Although her career was technically on pause, she still taught Pre-K during that time, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to her profession. 

This commitment continued as her children grew up, and Rentz realized that she wanted to be a full-time teacher again.  

“I found myself volunteering and substituting at school and realized that I really missed teaching,” Rentz said. “I started teaching full-time again in 2010 at Finger Lake Elementary School in Wasilla, Alaska,” where she stayed for eight years. 

The next stop for Rentz was Colony High School back in 2018, when she took over to become the Director of Choirs and Drama, a position she still holds to this day. At first she was unsure about the move; however, it ultimately paid off, not only for her students but for her career as well, as she won the prestigious Teacher of the Year award for the 2024-2025 school year. 

Living in the Moment 

While Rentz is undoubtedly grateful for all the recognition she has received, she may soon have an opportunity to earn even more. 

Since presenting Rentz with the state Teacher of the Year award, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has announced that she also will be its nominee for the National Teacher of the Year award. The winner of which will be selected from among the 50 states award winners. 

“The application process was quite rigorous: five 750-word essay questions, a recorded speech to educators with any message that I felt was important, and several more letters of recommendation from administrators at the local and state levels, including the Commissioner of Education,” she said. “It’s all very exciting and scary.”

Rentz isn’t concerned with accolades, however. Instead, she is focused on making the most of her opportunities here and now, such as growing and learning with her fellow state award winners. 

“I’m excited to meet the Teachers of the Year (TOYs) from other states,” Rentz said. “There is a wealth of knowledge among them, and I can’t wait to see how we will all benefit from sharing our different backgrounds, cultures and teaching experiences.” 

This constant pursuit of knowledge and desire to improve at her craft are just a couple of the many things that makes Rentz a top-tier teacher. 

Perhaps Rentz’s most impressive characteristic, though, is her humility. She is always someone who deflects attention away from her own accomplishments and instead spotlights those who have pushed her and inspired her to be her best every day: her students. 

“The energy, excitement, passion, kindness and appreciation my students bring every day make every early morning and late-night worth it,” Rentz said. “I love my job and my students, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.” 

– Alex Douma