Kristine Wooten is an extraordinary advocate for students who are too often overlooked, misunderstood, or written off. A special education case manager with more than 25 years in education, Kristine currently serves the Kearsarge Regional School District in Sutton, New Hampshire, where she has spent the past three years two of them at the high school level transforming the lives of high-risk youth through unwavering presence, advocacy, and compassion. Kristine has a rare ability to make every student feel seen, valued, and capable. For students whom others label as problem kids, she offers something profoundly different: unconditional belief. She is often the one trusted adult in their lives, the person students turn to when they feel disconnected from school, family, or community. Through her warmth, consistency, and fierce advocacy, Kristine helps students recognize their own worth and understand that they have something meaningful to contribute to the world. During her time at the high school, students who were at high risk of disengaging remained enrolled, earned credits, and ultimately graduated many directly crediting Kristine for their success. When others turned away, she leaned in. She cheered students on academically and emotionally, supported them through disciplinary challenges, and ensured they stayed connected to learning even during suspensions by meeting with them virtually so they would not fall behind. Her commitment to student success extends far beyond contractual hours; Kristine routinely arrives early, stays late, and works unpaid to ensure students have what they need to succeed. Kristine’s advocacy extends beyond academics. She consistently identifies unmet basic needs and takes action connecting students to the school social worker for food boxes, holiday gifts, hygiene supplies, or other essential supports that might otherwise go unnoticed. She creates a sense of safety and belonging through small but powerful gestures: offering snacks, tea, and a welcoming space where students know they are cared for. She also shows up in visible, meaningful ways attending students games and events when no other adult would be there reinforcing that they matter. In addition to her direct work with students, Kristine serves as a mentor and leader within the school community. She has taken on multiple unpaid roles as a high school class advisor and is widely regarded as the adult students trust most. Colleagues regularly seek her guidance when navigating complex student needs, and she provides informal mentorship to other educators, particularly around trauma-informed practices and student advocacy. In IEP meetings and school decision-making spaces, Kristine is a strong, steady voice ensuring students needs and strengths are fully recognized. Kristine lives in the community she serves, deepening her investment and accountability to the families and students of Kearsarge. Her work reflects the very best of community service: quiet leadership, relentless compassion, and an unshakable belief that every child deserves dignity, opportunity, and hope. Kristine Wooten is outstanding not only because of what she does, but because of who she is to the students and families who rely on her. Her impact is lasting, her service is selfless, and her presence has measurably changed outcomes for some of the district’s most vulnerable youth. She is profoundly deserving of recognition as one of Hannaford’s 20 Outstanding Women.

Her favorite quote: “Live, love, laugh, and be happy!”