Rich Pond Librarian surprised with $1,000 grant from WKU Athletics Foundation, Extra Yard for Teachers

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - The Rich Pond Elementary librarian received a special surprise from Big Red and the WKU Athletic Foundation.

Kimberly Posey has worked in education for the past 25 years, spending 20 of them at Rich Pond Elementary.

“Ms. Posey’s always positive, uplifting those that are around her... a great teammate,” Rich Pond Elementary Principal, Derrick Marr said. “You can just count on her to be a steady hand and the daily chaos of running the school.”

On Tuesday, Big Red and members of the WKU Athletic Foundation visited her to present her with a $1,000 grant to buy anything she needs for the library.

“I was completely taken off guard,” Posey said. “I thought they were here to see the book fair interact with the students, or just look around our new library.”

She added that the grant will go a long way in helping buy books and other things the library needs.

“I see over 900 children a week,” Posey said. “We have a lot of needs for books and other technology resources for the students.”

The grant comes from the College Football Playoff Foundation’s platform Extra Yard for Teachers. They work to elevate the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers.

When asked about Posey and about what it was like seeing her receive the grant, Marr said she is a great educator who has dedicated many years of her life to the students she works with.

“She’s great with our students especially capturing that love of reading and encouraging kids to fall in love with reading,” Marr said.

When asked about the importance of teaching kids to read at a young age, Posey said it helps establish and build a foundation for other areas.

“Reading affects all content areas,” Posey said, “If we can get them reading early, and build strong readers, it has a positive impact on all those other content areas.”

She also added that she is very appreciative and thankful to be recognized. To learn more about the Extra Yard for Teachers, visit cfp-foundation.org.

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