Plus Wonder, in partnership with Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG), is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Plus Wonder Impact Awards—a national recognition honoring educators who are cultivating connection, empathy, and leadership through innovative classroom practice.
Selected from a competitive pool of applicants across the country, these educators are implementing Plus Wonder’s Six Degrees of Connection™ to strengthen student belonging, collaboration, and purpose. Collectively, this year’s awardees impacted nearly 1,000 students across 11 states, demonstrating how intentional connection can transform school culture and student outcomes.
Each recipient will receive a $500 micro-grant to deepen and expand their connection-centered work. More importantly, their stories highlight what’s possible when schools invest in human-centered learning. Join these inspirational educators and bring the partnering wisdom into your classroom. Download our toolkits and consider becoming certified as a Connection Architect!
The JAG Impact Awardees
Christine Spiese — H.L. Bourgeois High School (Louisiana) Christine integrates trauma-informed Connection Circles into her JAG classroom, fostering empathy, confidence, and belonging—resulting in powerful moments of peer support and joy, including first-generation graduates stepping into leadership with pride.
Janet Parker-Spain — Joplin Schools (Missouri) Janet helped students redefine what it means to be All-In, guiding them to connect commitment, leadership, and relationships—so effectively that students now ask visiting professionals how connection shows up in the workplace.
Jennifer Bogar Richardson — Plainfield High School (New Jersey) By embedding the Six Degrees of Connection™ into weekly leadership blocks, Jennifer transformed classroom culture—empowering students to lead with empathy, listen deeply, and carry collaboration skills into community projects.
Kay Rolls — Shawnee Mission West High School (Kansas) Kay’s students connect purpose to service through weekly circles and reflection, learning to celebrate friction rather than avoid it—and turning moments of conflict into opportunities for growth and community impact.
Krystal Booher — Shadow Mountain High School (Arizona) Krystal led a school-wide service initiative inspired by the Something Bigger principle, mobilizing hundreds of students to write letters for cancer patients and proving how connection can ripple far beyond the classroom.
LaTonya Jackson — Columbia High School (South Carolina) LaTonya uses Celebrate Friction to strengthen teamwork within her JAG Career Association, helping students navigate conflict with professionalism and expanding peer mentorship through her “Connection in Action” initiative.
Nicole Fette — Roosevelt High School (South Dakota) Nicole blended creativity, storytelling, and purpose-driven reflection—using masks, poetry, and design projects—to help students explore identity, overcome barriers, and imagine bold futures grounded in optimism.
Sara Gates — Manchester Memorial High School (New Hampshire) Sara created a trauma-informed safe space where students practice real-world connection, resulting in powerful Magnetic Moments—like a student overcoming fear with the support of an unexpected mentor during a career field trip.
Shonda Yates — Franklin Central High School (Indiana) Through hands-on activities and trust-building exercises, Shonda helped students see how diverse strengths come together—unlocking confidence, collaboration, and connection across cultural and learning differences.
Stephanie Goodman — Hot Springs World Class High School (Arkansas) Stephanie’s students explored unconditional support through the All-In framework, translating reflection into action by showing up for one another and engaging deeply in service to their community.
