Overview

• The Colorado Department of Education announced the honor during a surprise gym ceremony at Greeley Central High School.
• Paulson is the first Colorado Teacher of the Year from Greeley-Evans School District 6.
• He leads the school’s AVID program and founded a Career Mentor Project pairing sophomores with local professionals.
• He also launched “Castle Clean Up,” evolving a campus tidy-up into a wider student service effort.
• The selection drew a record 419 applicants from 109 districts, and his prize includes $5,000 from the Boettcher Foundation, $5,000 from CDE, an Adams State scholarship, NASA Space Camp, and a term beginning January 2026 with representation in the national competition.