{"id":67707,"date":"2025-07-20T19:11:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T23:11:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/?p=67707"},"modified":"2025-07-22T08:45:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T12:45:08","slug":"theatre-alumna-wins-national-teaching-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/2025\/07\/20\/theatre-alumna-wins-national-teaching-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Theatre Alumna Wins National Teaching Award"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You might think that meeting Lin Manuel Miranda was the high point of alumna KoKo Thornton\u2019s recent trip to New York City, where last month she received the Inspiring Teacher Award at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jimmyawards.com\/winners-and-nominees\/2025-jimmy-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2025 National High School Musical Theatre (\u201cJimmy\u201d) Awards<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Certainly, being introduced to the Broadway superstar on the red carpet was exciting and \u201ca little surreal,\u201d Thornton \u201997 said. So were meeting awards ceremony host Josh Groban and delivering her acceptance speech on the stage of Broadway\u2019s Minskoff Theatre, where <em>The Lion King<\/em> has been running since 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1333\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/LinManuelMiranda-1000x1333.jpg\" alt=\"Lin Manuel Miranda and KoKo Thornton.\" class=\"wp-image-67717 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1000px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1000\/1333;width:389px;height:auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/LinManuelMiranda-1000x1333.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/LinManuelMiranda-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/LinManuelMiranda-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/LinManuelMiranda-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/LinManuelMiranda-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/LinManuelMiranda-1400x1867.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/LinManuelMiranda-300x400.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Arrivals_Judges_Winners-144-1000x667.jpg\" alt=\"Josh Groban, center, with KoKo Thornton on the right and her co-winner on the left.\" class=\"wp-image-67719 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1000px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1000\/667;width:781px;height:auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Arrivals_Judges_Winners-144-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Arrivals_Judges_Winners-144-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Arrivals_Judges_Winners-144-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Arrivals_Judges_Winners-144-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Arrivals_Judges_Winners-144-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Arrivals_Judges_Winners-144-1400x934.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Arrivals_Judges_Winners-144-300x200.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Above left, Lin Manuel Miranda with KoKo Thornton. Above right, Thornton with host Josh Groban and her co-winner, Elena Ferrante-Martin<\/em><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut the best part of the weekend for me was that I was getting inundated by texts and messages from all these students who were telling me how proud they were of me, and that meant everything,\u201d Thornton said. \u201cIt was heartwarming, overwhelming. That\u2019s why I do what I do. If they feel like I deserve it, that\u2019s enough for me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Founded in 2009 and named for Broadway impresario James M. Nederlander, the Jimmy Awards recognize and nurture excellence in musical theatre performance among high school students. Nationally, some 2,300 high schools participate though regional affiliate programs (Charlotte-area students compete in the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.blumenthalarts.org\/blumey-awards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Blumeys<\/a>\u201d through the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center). Regional winners travel to New York City to participate in the national competition, which includes coaching sessions, training, and rehearsals led by Broadway professionals and a culminating production where winners are announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each year, participating students can nominate a teacher for the following year\u2019s Inspiring Teacher Award, which \u201chonors educators for providing valuable guidance and encouragement to their students and school communities.\u201d Members of The Broadway League, which runs the Jimmy Awards program, then select two educators for the award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thornton was nominated by her former student Conor Kruger, who participated in the 2024 Jimmy Awards. He was her fifth student to go to the national competition from Enloe Magnet High School in Raleigh, where Thornton taught theatre for 24 years. She retired from teaching last June and now serves as marketing and outreach coordinator for Wake County Public Schools system magnet schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt Enloe Magnet High School, I was blessed with supportive colleagues, administrators, and a community that values public schools and arts in education,\u201d Thornton said in her acceptance speech. \u201cBut the greatest gift was 24 years of amazing students who filled my life with inspiration and joy. I\u2019ve loved them, learned from them, and did my best to help them see their potential as humans, artists and creators.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"3000\" height=\"2001\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Act-II-61.jpg\" alt=\"KoKo Thornton receiving her Jimmy Award\" class=\"wp-image-67711 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Act-II-61.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Act-II-61-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Act-II-61-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Act-II-61-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Act-II-61-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Act-II-61-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Act-II-61-1400x934.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/2025-06-23-Jimmy-Awards_Act-II-61-300x200.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 3000px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 3000\/2001;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thornton grew up in Raleigh and received a North Carolina Teaching Fellows scholarship to attend UNC Charlotte. She earned a Bachelor of Creative Arts degree in 1997, concentrating in theatre education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was a great experience for me. I knew I wanted to be a theatre teacher and I felt like I got the education I needed to excel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thornton said she benefitted from the university\u2019s small and nurturing theatre program, where she was costume shop manager, and the vibrancy of Charlotte\u2019s cultural scene. When <em>The Phantom of the Opera<\/em> came to Charlotte for a three-month run at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, for example, she worked as a dresser for the show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Inspiring Teacher Award was not Thornton\u2019s first big honor. In 2024, she received <a href=\"https:\/\/longleafpinesociety.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Order of the Long Leaf Pine<\/a> award, the state\u2019s highest civilian honor awarded by the governor to \u201cpersons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But for Thornton, it\u2019s not the awards that inspire her; it\u2019s her students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Teachers are not teaching because they want any kind of accolades or awards or anything like that,\u201d Thornton told <a href=\"https:\/\/abc11.com\/post\/koko-thornton-former-north-carolina-teacher-enloe-high-school-wins-2025-inspiring-award-jimmy-awards\/16857163\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ABC 11 Eyewitness News<\/a> after returning from NYC. &#8220;My goal as an educator was to help my students see their own potential inside of them.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/0623_2025-Jimmy-Awards_RebeccaJMichelson-85.jpg\" alt=\"KoKo Thornton with her Jimmy Award.\" class=\"wp-image-67709 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/0623_2025-Jimmy-Awards_RebeccaJMichelson-85.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/0623_2025-Jimmy-Awards_RebeccaJMichelson-85-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/0623_2025-Jimmy-Awards_RebeccaJMichelson-85-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/0623_2025-Jimmy-Awards_RebeccaJMichelson-85-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/0623_2025-Jimmy-Awards_RebeccaJMichelson-85-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/0623_2025-Jimmy-Awards_RebeccaJMichelson-85-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/0623_2025-Jimmy-Awards_RebeccaJMichelson-85-1400x933.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2025\/07\/0623_2025-Jimmy-Awards_RebeccaJMichelson-85-300x200.jpg 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 2560px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 2560\/1706;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Awards ceremony photos by Rebecca J. Michelson.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KoKo Thornton \u201997 received a 2025 Inspiring Teacher Award from The Broadway League.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":455,"featured_media":67709,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"no-sidebars.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_clt_a11y_last_scan":"1779812623","_clt_a11y_has_violations":"0","_clt_a11y_violations":"[]","_clt_a11y_suppressions":"","_clt_a11y_needs_validation":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[59],"class_list":["post-67707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-theatre"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Theatre Alumna Wins National Teaching Award - College of Arts + Architecture<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Theatre Alumna Wins National Teaching Award - 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