As a young girl growing up on a farm near Richmond, Janet Kos Ferry ‘67 dreamed of becoming a teacher when she grew up. This dream shaped her path as she went on to spend many years working with and supporting the school systems, helping to then shape the lives of students. Ferry is this year’s service alumni award winner.

Ferry’s dream of teaching was fostered in many ways by her family. Palestine, a one-room country school, was located on her family farm. When her father needed to tear it down, he generously relocated the large chalkboard and student desks to a basement room of their home. This gave Ferry the opportunity to “play” teacher with her friends and younger brother as her students. To further grow her interest in teaching, she became involved with Future Teachers of America (FTA) in high school. With this organization, she had the opportunity to visit colleges and other schools. According to Ferry, this cemented her decision to continue into teaching.

She later received her undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa and her master’s degree from Northern Illinois University. She spent four years teaching in Geneseo, Illinois, and thirty years teaching in Belvidere, Illinois. After retiring in 2008, she and her husband, Jim, moved to Kalona, where she then subbed for a year in the Mid-Prairie Community School District. Soon after, in 2009, she became involved at the Kalona Historical Society. Ferry spent her time as a guide, helping with inventory, working on exhibits, publishing the newsletter and serving on the KHS Board of Directors. It was here that she found a niche for her interests and experience with education programming.

Ferry and former Mid-Prairie teacher, Marilyn Yoder, have jointly researched the history of the Mid-Prairie area, interviewed residents, begun developing teaching units and are working with area teachers to develop meaningful experiences for students visiting the museum. They have worked with many Mid-Prairie teachers, from kindergarten to fourth grade, to Mid-Prairie’s District Curriculum/Professional Learning Leader, Kristan Hunter. There are plenty of educational opportunities under development at the Kalona Historical Society.

One of these exciting new exhibits involves constructing a streetscape of historic downtown Kalona. Currently, the Streetscape committee, formed in 2016, has finalized plans for a state-of-the-art exhibit to complete the newly constructed Wahl Museum. Presently, visitors start with the Kalona area’s Native American history, enjoy a timeline sharing the history of the early Pioneer communities, and learn about the railroad which joined neighboring towns and distant cities. The Kalona High School exhibit is also completed. The committee is in the process of fundraising for the Streetscape, which will occupy the majority of the space. A replica of the business community in downtown Kalona in the 1930s-1940s will be constructed. When reflecting on this experience, Ferry shares, “Chairing this committee of volunteers has certainly been a rewarding experience.”

Her work with students in the educational world has been very rewarding. Her greatest reward has been the recognition she has received from students. She has learned in her experience that, “one can have an impact on a child’s life with a simple statement of encouragement.” Seniors at Belvidere High School were asked to nominate teachers who influenced their lives. Ferry shares that it was very humbling when three students chose to recognize her. One student, Amy, told of the time in 7th grade when she wanted to be in the advanced Language Arts class Ferry was teaching, but felt she wasn’t smart enough. Ferry had told her being “smart” was not just your IQ, but what you did with your intelligence. That comment gave Amy the confidence to apply and be accepted into the class. Scott, a fourth-grade gifted student, had a challenging time with writing. He shared that Ferry told him to “think outside the box.” Scott found his voice and is now a journalist. Mike, a struggling student, shared that Ferry never gave up on him, and he wanted to show his appreciation. She is living proof that comments from adults can make a difference in a child’s life.

Ferry has touched the lives of countless students with her work both as an educator and a priceless resource to our education system. The positive influence of her parents and her own past educators have led her to be who she is today. Her work ethic and motivation to strive for greatness make it no surprise that her favorite quote by Winston Churchill says, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”