Riverview Elementary School teacher wins Gaydos and Chad’s teacher tribute for April
May 6, 2022, 6:00 PM | Updated: 6:53 pm
(Photo provided by Tiffany Seay)
(Photo provided by Tiffany Seay)
PHOENIX — A West Valley teacher has been named KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Gaydos and Chad Show’s Pay Tribute to a Teacher winner for April, presented by Your Valley Toyota Dealers.
Tiffany Seay, a 5th grade teacher at Riverview Elementary School, has been teaching for nearly 15 years and her day never stops, even after the classroom door has been closed, one letter writer wrote.
“She makes a difference wherever she goes,” the person said, prompting them to nominate Seay for the $2,500 prize during this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week. “She doesn’t seek recognition but is very deserving of receiving it.”
Seay is an effective teacher who chooses to help those at Title 1 schools, as she is determined to make a difference for those who may be underprivileged or underperforming, the person said.
One bountiful program that Seay has overseen for nearly 10 years is called “Produce on Wheels.”
“Basically people pay $15, they get 70 pounds of produce,” on a Saturday once a month, Seay said.
“We have about 40 volunteers who come through and we end up serving about 2oo community members that morning and they get all kinds of produce.”
She said the program has seen an uptick in visitors, and most produce is sold out within the first hour.
Helping those in need remains top priority for Seay and her family.
Seay once met a student and his mother at a shopping center and she told the child, who was a kindergartner at the time, to pick out a shoe for himself. He chose a pair of orange shoes, ones that resembled hers. He’s a sophomore in high school now and they still stay in touch.
“Those are the moments that I live for,” Seay said. “Those are the moments when you stay in touch and can help people as needed.”
Since her family is budget-friendly, she’d like to use the money to take them on a trip they’d normally never be able to go on. Seay, her husband and two sons plan on going on a guide trip on the Snake River and whitewater rafting during the summer.
“That’s something we’ve wanted to do for years, we’ve just never been able to afford it,” Seay said.
