Alta High School theater director Linze Struiksma, who is entering her 15th year leading a program rooted in empathy and community service, was named the 2025-26 Theatre Teacher of the Year by the Utah Advisory Council of Theatre Teachers.

Struiksma was surprised with the honor at the council's summer conference in Cedar City, where tribute videos from students and fellow educators played before the announcement, according to the Sandy Journal. The award is based on nominations from theater teachers across Utah, followed by a vote of their peers.

"My secret agenda is not to just make better actors … I want them to be better humans — people who are going to go be kind and make a difference in the world," Struiksma said.

Among the reasons cited for the recognition: Struiksma's mentoring of new theater teachers in the Salt Lake Valley and her workshops for educators statewide. She said she makes a point of seeking out new teachers who may be struggling.

Struiksma, who recently completed a master's degree in directing, said the peer-voted nature of the award made it especially meaningful. She plans to display it in her office at Alta High, though she framed it as a shared accomplishment, calling it "a symbol of our community and collaboration."

The honor caps a stretch of growth for Alta's theater department, which enrolls students at the roughly 2,300-student Sandy school. Struiksma's philosophy centers on choosing plays and musicals that spark discussion about social awareness. Her spring production of "Antigone," running Feb. 17-20, 2027, will explore themes of leadership and standing up for one's beliefs.

In a season preview published Aug. 25, Struiksma described the department's broader mission: "It's what we're about — community. We serve our community, we perform for our community and we become a community."

Alta's 2026-27 theatre season opens with Night of Shakespeare on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. at the school, 11055 South 1000 East.