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Cleveland's Knoell walks the red carpet, gets her Milken Educator Award
Ashli Knoell, center, received her $25,000 prize from Lowell Milken (left), Milken Educator Awards founder and Milken Family Foundation chairman and co-founder, and Mike Milken, president and co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation, in June in Los Angeles.
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In December, 2,400 Cleveland High School students, faculty members and administrators; Rio Rancho School Employees Union President Billie Helean; representatives from the state legislature, county commission and city of Rio Rancho — Mayor Gregg Hull and City Manager Matt Geisel — packed into the school’s gymnasium to present STEAM and robotics teacher Ashli Knoell with a New Mexico Milken Educator Award.
Dubbed the "Oscar Award for teachers," the Milken Educator Award is one of the most prestigious awards an educator can receive and has honored outstanding educators across the country since 1987. Candidates for the award are sourced through a confidential selection process and reviewed by blue ribbon panels appointed by state departments of education.
Knoell teaches three levels of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) and robotics classes, integrating STEAM into various subject matters. Outside the classroom, she serves as a mentor to new teachers, is an instructional leader for the ninth grade and coordinator of the Near Peer Program, providing tutoring to CHS students through a grant-funded initiative.
A 2006 graduate of Cuba High School, she received a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from University of New Mexico in 2010 and a Master of Science for teaching from New Mexico Tech in 2017.
The idea for the Milken Educator Awards started in the early 1980s when Lowell Milken, the chairman and co-founder of the Milken Family Foundation, began exploring strategies for strengthening the education profession, and thus the initiative aims to reward great teachers, as well as “Celebrate, Elevate and Activate” innovators who are guiding America’s next generation of leaders.
“I’m very happy for Ashli, obviously” CHS principal Scott Affentranger said, “but I think it’s great to have a teacher highlighted from our staff. Cleveland does a lot of things well, and this is just another example. She’s energetic, she’s innovative, she never settles for second, she’s a hard-worker, she builds great relationships with her kids and she is by far one of the sharpest teachers I’ve seen when it comes to STEAM and robotics and those kinds of things, so she’s a deserving award winner.”
Following her surprise notifications in December, Knoell received her unrestricted $25,000 cash prizes from Milken Educator Awards Founder Lowell Milken and Milken Family Foundation Co-Founder and President Mike Milken at a national forum in Los Angeles in early June.
The 2023 class of Milken Educator Award recipients were greeted by public fanfare as they touched down in Southern California for the national forum held at UCLA June 5-7. The award-winning educators gathered for the first time to walk the red-carpet and participate in powerful professional development opportunities.
“I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the incredible experience I had at the 2024 Milken Educators Forum in Los Angeles. It was truly amazing to connect with like-minded educators who are passionate about igniting change in their communities,” Knoell said. “During the forum, I had the opportunity to make new friends and valuable connections. I feel beyond blessed to have been selected for this award and am incredibly grateful for this opportunity. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the amazing individuals who celebrate educators and make opportunities like the Milken Award possible.”
This year’s forum theme, “Unleashing Educator Leadership,” sparked a new networking opportunity as the 2023 recipients met with veteran Milken Educators and education leaders from across the country to begin their lifetime membership to the national Milken Educator network. Recipients learned about powerful mentoring opportunities through the Milken Family Foundation to expand their leadership and impact and to strengthen the Milken Educator Network within their home states.
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“We are gathered to celebrate the achievements of 2023’s Milken Educators — those who have harnessed the potential to effect significant change and inspire their students to positively impact the course of our nation and the world,” Lowell Milken said. “Through the Milken Educator Award, we celebrate their achievements, elevate their practice with powerful professional development opportunities, and activate their capacity to make an indelible mark on the profession at large. We hope they will inspire many other talented young people to follow their lead and become teachers, administrators and specialists committed to blazing a path for future generations.”
According to the Milken Foundation, Knoell is known for her enthusiasm, innovation and connection with her students. Since taking over the STEAM and robotics classes at CHS a few years ago, Knoell’s positive energy and ability to connect with learners of all backgrounds has built a solid foundation for learning in her classroom, and her students consistently achieve at high levels in the school and district. Knoell’s passion for science education, woven throughout everything she does at CHS and in the Rio Rancho community, is designed to instill a mutual love of learning in her students.
Knoell currently teaches three levels of STEAM and rfobotics classes, and her classroom is a hive of activity, creativity and collaboration. She seamlessly integrates STEAM into various subject areas, forging partnerships with community agencies and businesses, including Tamaya Ventures, Tesla and the New Mexico Regional Education Cooperatives Association. She also looks beyond her classroom walls to engage in extracurricular leadership opportunities, including sponsoring or co-sponsoring a range of STEAM and robotics clubs, highlighting her commitment to encouraging real-world applications of classroom learning for her students.
“I teach because they're my future. I teach because I want my son to grow up in a world that's amazing,” Knoell said. “Because each of these humans, they have a purpose and they matter and they can be successful and can change our world.”
Beyond the classroom, Knoell serves as a mentor to new teachers; an instructional leader for the ninth grade; and the coordinator of the Near Peer program, providing tutoring to high school students through a grant-funded initiative. Her involvement at the state level, particularly with the International Society of Technology in Education’s professional learning communities, reflects her dedication to continuous professional growth.
“One of my favorite teachers, Miss Knoell, won a national teachers award, and I feel very proud and ecstatic for her,” Marcella Eagletail said. “She's the reason that I want to be a teacher. She deserves this and the world.”
