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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There were some local names among those making the top five finalists for the West Virginia Department of Education’s 2025 West Virginia Teacher of the Year and Personnel of the Year. 
According to a press release from the West Virginia Department of Education, one Eastern Panhandle Educator was among the top five finalists.
The five finalists for the Teacher of the Year include Krista Blankenship, Pleasant Valley Elementary School in Marion County; Emily Dunkle, Greenbrier East High School in Greenbrier County; Bryon Hott, Mill Creek Intermediate School in Berkeley County; Seth Skiles ,Rock Branch Elementary School in Putnam County; and Kim Yahya, Athens Elementary School in Mercer County.
Hott, a multi-time Shepherd University graduate, is a fourth grade teacher at Mill Creek Elementary School in Bunker Hill. Hott comes in with 11 years of experience and has served on a multitude of committees and task forces, as well as earned the West Virginia Council of Mathematics Math Teacher of the Year in 2020.
These teachers were chosen from the state’s county Teacher of the Year winners.
Along with the Teacher of the Year finalists, the West Virginia Department of Education also announced five finalists for the 2025 West Virginia Service Personnel of the Year award. Two Eastern Panhandle school system personnel were among the top five.
The state’s Personnel of the Year finalists include Cynthia Carper from Jefferson County, Julia Dopson from Berkeley County, Nicole McCulley from Marshall County, Kasey McCulty from Wirt County and Kelly Pritt from Braxton County.
Carper, a 34-year school bus operator, also serves on Jefferson County’s Recruitment and Retention Committee and distributes book bags and school supplies to children in need.
Dopson, a 19-year kindergarten aide at Burke Street Elementary School in Berkeley County, has received lots of recognition in her career, including many awards, including the Berkeley County Schools Distinguished Service Award.
The Department of Education will name the winners during a ceremony later this year.
