Two of the three Kentucky educators recently recognized as teachers of the year by the Kentucky Department of Education earned their college degrees from Bellarmine University. Melanie Callahan, a fourth grade teacher at London Elementary in Laurel County, was recognized as Kentucky's elementary school teacher of the year.  She earned a master of arts in teaching from Bellarmine in 2000. Matthew Kaufmann, an English teacher at Louisville's Marion C. Moore School, is the high school teacher of the year. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from Bellarmine in 2002.  "I loved the family-atmosphere of Bellarmine's School of Education," said Callahan. "My cohort was filled with a diverse group of learners -- young and old, single and married, moms, dads, and even some artists, like me. The program was productive -- not filled with busy work or fluff -- and I appreciated that sense of value and purposefulness." Kaufmann told kentuckyteacher.org that he considers his award shared with his colleagues at his school. "I don’t view this as just my award; it’s their award," he said. "[Principal Rob Fulk] allows me to push the envelope. We need to be brave and we need to be bold, and our kids need to see that." At a ceremony in Frankfort, both teachers received an award of $3,000.