Kim Sutton was one of 23 recipients of the Eagle Award given by the Minot Area Chamber EDC based on community nominations for those who offered customer service above and beyond what was expected.

Sutton, an administrative assistant at Longfellow Elementary, was working in her office when a student was brought in from the playground with an injury. The student had a broken wrist, and Sutton, recognizing something was wrong, took steps to get him the care he needed.

There was no school nurse in the building at the time, and she was left to comfort the student until trained staff could arrive and get him treatment. Her nomination said she “went above and beyond to make him feel comfortable,” and said that comfort meant “the world to him and I,” referring to the student and his mother who wrote the nomination.

Upon hearing that she won the award, Sutton said “I was speechless, shocked and humbled.”

As a mother of four, Sutton said she hopes that someone would do the same for her children, and when asked what other teachers can do to help their students, she said “care for each one. We don’t know the situations that they’re going through, so just care for them like they are your own.”

Sutton’s nomination for the award states that she is a “huge asset to the Minot Public School System,” and expressed that she could never be thanked enough for her actions, compassion and kindness.

December Eagle award recipients announced

December’s recipients of the Minot Area Chamber EDC’s Eagle awards are as follows:

Breann Schmitz, Trinity Health Medical Arts; Robert Smith, John Hoeven Elementary School; Bambi Bruce Lantto, Enerbase Xpressmart; Brock Sebelias, Verendrye Electric Cooperative; Jason Goetz, Verendrye Electric Cooperative; Randy Robbins, Trusted Tire & Auto; Halle Hendrickson, Trinity Health Medical Arts; Payden Garaas, Community Action Partnership; Allyce Scheresky, SRT; Dr. Friday Osuala, Trinity Health Medical Arts; Bailey Ellis, First Western Bank & Trust; Kim Sutton, Longfellow Elementary School; Tammy Uleberg, FNP-C, Dakota Family Services; Dr. Jakob Zerr, Northland Health Centers; Val Zechman, Trinity Health Medical Arts; Megan Miller, Trinity Health Medical Arts; Dr. Margaret Nordell, Trinity Health; Brian Winkels, Ryan GMC; Kimberley Benson, First Western Bank & Trust; David Hoffarth, Hoffarth Sanitation; Stacy Joseph, Caribou Coffee; Katie Hawkins, FedEx; and Longhorn Steakhouse Crew, Longhorn Steakhouse.