Mandy Manning is the 2018 National Teacher of the Year. She lives and teaches in Spokane, Washington. As an English language learning educator, Mandy is the first teacher for refugee and immigrant students at Joel E. Ferris High School in the Newcomer Center in Spokane. Her passion is making connections with her students and their families, and taking those connections out into her school and into the Spokane community. She strives to ensure her students feel welcome, wanted, and loved, and works to instill in them the belief that they are worthy of every success and happiness they dream of in life. Mandy urges all those she encounters to be fearless, to be kind, and to build relationships rather than fences. She is married to Ryan Brodwater and has three children. When she is not advocating on behalf of her students and profession, she is a horror writer and avid reader and also loves to spend time with her family in the great outdoors.