Jonathan Kesler spent a decade fixing boilers and patching roofs across Canyons School District buildings. When classes resume Monday, August 17, he'll be inside one of those buildings teaching ceramics, sculpture, and fiber arts to Brighton High School students.
Kesler is the first recipient of the district's Aspiring Canyons Educator Scholarship to complete the journey from staff employee to student-teacher, according to a Canyons District announcement published Tuesday, July 28.
The ACE Scholarship, funded entirely by fellow Canyons employees through voluntary payroll deductions, awards up to $5,000 per year in tuition assistance to district staff and graduating seniors pursuing teaching licenses. Kesler received the inaugural award in 2024. He has been taking classes half-time while continuing to work full-time as a facilities maintenance technician.
"I've always been interested in learning, and art is my particular emphasis," Kesler said. "I also have family in education, so it was just one of those fits that seemed to work out and click."
The district accommodated his class schedule throughout the process, Kesler said.
Scholarship doubles since launch
Since awarding its first grants in 2024, the program has doubled in size. The Canyons Education Foundation, which administers the fund, has now paid more than $40,300 in tuition to recipients including six district employees and two graduating seniors. The inaugural 2024 class also included a paraeducator at Bella Vista Elementary and a graduating Brighton High senior alongside Kesler.
Brooke Carn, the Foundation's development officer, said the milestone shows the program is meeting its goal of growing teachers from within the district's own workforce. The scholarship is open to employees in any department and to Canyons seniors enrolling in a university educator-preparation program.
The ACE program fits into a broader Canyons strategy to address teacher shortages, particularly in hard-to-fill subjects such as special education, dual-language immersion, math, science, and career and technical education.
What's next
Canyons District grades 1–12 return Monday, August 17, with kindergarten starting Wednesday, August 19. Employees can designate their ACE contribution amount each fall, and one-time donations are accepted online through the Canyons Education Foundation.
