Boys and Girls Club President Al Womack presents the award to Karen Crites. Photo courtesy of Boys & Girls Club of Alton, IL, on Facebook.

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ALTON - Karen Crites, a teacher at St. Mary’s Catholic School, was recently named the Most Inspirational Teacher in the Riverbend.

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The Boys and Girls Club of Alton hosted their annual Boots ‘n Bandanas fundraiser in November and declared Crites the winner of this prestigious award. Crites teaches social studies at the middle school level at St. Mary’s.

Crites said she was “very surprised” when she learned her colleagues had nominated her and “shocked” to discover she had won. This year marks her 35th year as a teacher at St. Mary’s.

“I’m very pleased, very humbled,” she added. “I love St. Mary’s. It’s a family. I attend sporting events for the kids. I’ve been to their weddings and baptisms. It truly is a family, and I love being there.”

 

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