5/24/2021
Education and Outreach
Growing up in a small town outside Buffalo, N.Y., Kristan Nigro always imagined she would become a successful business executive.
“I watched my Uncle Ray do well in business, and so I was attracted to that for a long time,” says Nigro, who moved to Las Vegas to pursue her ambitions after obtaining a business degree in 2009.
Nigro landed her first job as a food and beverage manager at ARIA Resort & Casino and then later worked in banking, during which time she won multiple awards for outstanding sales.
She attributes her early success to her competitive spirit, but says the business world eventually lost its appeal.
“I’m a giver, and the business world just didn’t allow me to give back in the way that I wanted to,” she explains.
So Nigro went back to school and got a degree in early childhood education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
“It was like a switch flipped,” she says. “I realized that working with kids in education was more aligned with my values and something that I really wanted to do.”
Today, Nigro serves as a kindergarten teacher at Steve Schorr Elementary School. Finally fulfilling her vision of giving back, Nigro’s inspiring teaching efforts earned her a place among the 20 top teachers of The Smith Center’s sixth-annual Heart of Education Awards, recognizing outstanding Clark County School District (CCSD) educators.
Nigro received a $5,000 cash award, thanks to support from The Rogers Foundation. Her school also received a $1,000 donation.
“The award is not only an honor, but a validation of the career choice that I made years ago,” she says.
Fulfilling Student Needs Beyond the Classroom
Nigro’s first teaching position in one of Las Vegas’ highest poverty zip codes provided early inspiration for her to help students in ways that go beyond traditional teaching.
“It was eye opening to see that even some of the most basic needs of students weren’t being met,” she recalls.
In 2019, Nigro started a giving closet at her school to provide items like toiletries, undergarments, laundry supplies and nonperishables for students and their families.
During the pandemic, the closet became critical.
“COVID-19 wreaked havoc on our community,” she says. “I saw that many of my students’ families were struggling to make ends meet.”
To provide assistance through the giving closet, Nigro asked families what they needed. She put care packages together, attached notes with words of encouragement and delivered the requested items to families’ front doors.
“Distance learning was hard enough,” Nigro says. “My mission was to ensure that students and their families had their basic needs met in a discreet way, so that the kids could focus on their online education.”
In addition to running the giving closet, Nigro provided her students with at-home curriculum drop offs. These included monthly learning boxes with items such as math and reading guides, books and supplies, and even fun treat bags to celebrate holidays.
“With the boxes, I tried to ensure that my students had everything they needed in order to be engaged, happy and successful during distance learning,” she says.
Expanding a Gardening Program to Teach Life Skills
When she wasn’t teaching or managing the giving closet, Nigro worked behind the scenes during the pandemic to expand her school’s garden program.
This included raising more than $25,000 through grants from a variety of organizations.
The school originally envisioned its Steve Schorr Garden as a putting green. After Nigro stepped in and proposed a garden several years ago, however, it now has six raised garden beds, an herb spiral, eight fruit trees, and a nationally registered monarch weigh station pollinator garden.
While her students were off campus during the pandemic, Nigro regularly went to the school to tend to the garden, including doing all the watering and harvesting herself.
She also donated some of her own money to the program to demonstrate her commitment.
“I couldn’t let this program die,” she says. “The school where I grew up had a garden program, and I knew how such a program can offer so many unique learning opportunities. Plus, the kids love it!”
Nurturing Student Relationships
Nigro’s toughest challenge during the pandemic was establishing and maintaining relationships with her young students, despite the distance.
“Creating meaningful tools, not just paper tools, was essential for my students’ well-being during distance learning,” she says, adding that educators have long been known for their adaptability. “Educators have always been good at thinking outside the box when it comes to educating and helping their students, but this past year we just had to take it to the next level.”
To further solidify her relationships with her students, Nigro has signed up to teach a CCSD-sponsored summer school for several weeks in June.
“I am truly doing what I was meant to do,” Nigro says. “Teach, inspire, help and love!”