1st Grade Teacher at Onamia Elementary Named 2022 MN Teacher of the Year

Sarah Lancaster

A first-grade teacher at Onamia Elementary School is the 2022 Minnesota Teacher of the Year.

Sarah Lancaster is the 58th recipient of the prestigious award, the first from the Onamia district and the first teacher of Asian Pacific Islander descent to be named Minnesota Teacher of the Year.

Lancaster’s first and only teaching job has been in her hometown, working with third- and first-grade students in Onamia Public Schools of the last nine years. She has coached more than 20 season of both athletics and arts programs in Onamia, directing three of the annual high school musicals and volunteering with local groups as well as through her church.

An independent selection committee representing Minnesota leaders in education, business, and government chooses the Teacher of the Year from individuals who are nominated and who then choose to become a candidate.