SEBRING ‒ Nicole Mathias says she always wanted to be a teacher, and played school as a kid.
After nearly 30 years in the classroom, she says her dream has been fulfilled in Sebring.
And now her work has been rewarded.
Mathias, 50, of Salem Township, was named Educator of the Year by Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber. The award honors the best educators in Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull counties.
She teaches 10th to 12th grade students in English and language arts at Sebring McKinley Jr./Sr. High School and college credit plus courses through Stark State College. She also works for the National Writing Project at Kent State University, a professional development program for educators.
She has been at McKinley High for 28 years. Her other activities for the school district include prom adviser, several service projects and she created several community partnerships. Her students help the school’s food pantry.
Mathias, a native of Holland, Ohio, has degrees from Bowling State Green University and Youngstown State University. Her husband, Sam, teaches at United Local Schools and is a former Sebring McKinley HIgh basketball coach. They have a daughter named Skylar.
“I love this school,” Mathias said.
The Repository interviewed Mathias on March 20 in her bright and eclectic classroom. The decor includes colorful posters, horse competition ribbons and inspiring words. She was leading discussions with a group of her creative writing students.
Why did you become a teacher?
Though she can’t pinpoint exactly when the idea first took hold, Mathias says she always dreamed of becoming a teacher.
“When I posted about the award (on social media), my old neighbor wrote at the bottom of one of my posts and said, ‘Hey, we played school all the time and you were always the teacher.’ It was just how it was. But it’s evolved,” Mathias said.
“I always knew I wanted to a be teacher, so the why part is hard. But. I mean, truthfully, now that I’m in it, I want to do it for the kids. I love the kids. They’re truly the reason why I do what I do every day.”
What is it like to teach in Sebring Local Schools?
For a village of about 4,300 residents, Sebring Local is small, with only two buildings − McKinley High and B.L. Miller Elementary. Mathias said roughly 550 students are educated annually in the district.
Mathias admits that she didn’t know where Sebring was in 1998 when she applied for a teaching position after graduating and went to interview. She said she and her father made a practice drive to Sebring, so she wouldn’t get lost on her way to the interview.
Now, 28 years later, “It’s the biggest blessing ever. I can honestly say, I don’t know if there’s anything better. I call it a diamond in the rough. Like people have no idea it’s here and when you walk in, the kids are phenomenal. The staff is phenomenal,” Mathias said.
She continued: “I can honestly say I don’t know that I would be the teacher I am had I not found it here. It’s just incredible. It’s kind of like the kids need me but I need them. It’s same with the families because they become part of you, too.”
How would you describe your teaching philosophy?
Mathias described her teaching philosophy as flexible, adapting information to her audience and the grade levels.
“I don’t necessarily think that one way is the right way,” she said. “The most important thing, though, is I feel to be an effective teacher, you have to a be a learner. You also have to know your audience. I think sometimes we forget about the audience.”
For example, Mathias said she “can’t teach” sophomores and seniors the same way.
“So between 10th and 11th grade, I have to make a distinction, and between 11th and 12th grade. So I think that helps me as a teacher because I can’t do the same thing. It would be crazy to do the same thing,” she said.
What are the challenges of teaching ELA, and how do you measure a student’s comprehension?
After nearly 30 years, Mathias said the challenge of teaching ELA to high school students is “keeping it real for them,” and not sticking to the classics.
“Like I didn’t pick language arts because I loved Shakespeare. I picked language arts because I love to be able to change. I love to read and write. I don’t feel we all have to read and write the same things,” she said.
Mathia added: “So I can say a challenge with language arts is making sure that I give them like a taste of things but not make that our only way. Because their time is their time. So I have to figure out the things we have to do in language arts and what I can use in the now that will teach them that.”
She said she measures the students’ success with their growth in the subject matter. “They’re not all going to be readers … but we try to see the progression in them.”
What did the ‘Educator of the Year’ award mean to you?
Mathias was awarded March 3 with top honors at the Eastwood Event Center, in front of 400 attendees and other nominees.
Superintendent Toni Viscounte and McKinley High School Principal Brian Clark were there.
“Nicole certainly deserves this recognition for her commitment and passion for teaching,” Viscounte said. She presented Mathias with the award. “She finds the greatest reward in seeing students learn, grow, develop confidence, and find a true love of learning.”
Mathias is the second consecutive Trojan teacher be awarded a top honor at the chamber’s “Educator of the Year” awards ceremony. LeAnn Laure took home the ‘Golden Educator of the Year” in 2025.
Fighting back tears, Mathias said she has been overwhelmed by the recognition and has heard from former students, all of whom have congratulated her. She said is grateful for the honors.
“I get so teary-eyed because I genuinely love this school. I love my kids so much that I feel like it was almost for them,” she said.
Mathias continued: “I think when you bring up that night, the way they announced it. My daughter was sitting beside me. She knows the time I put in here. The tears in my husband’s eyes. … That’s why the emotions.”
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: ‘I love this school.’ Sebring teacher Nicole Mathias awarded top honors
Reporting by Benjamin Duer, Canton Repository / The Repository
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