Tricia Richardson of St. Mary’s School in Alexandria has been named recipient of the annual Gold Star Teacher Award.
The award, presented in partnership with The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, celebrates the hard work and dedication of local educators. Richardson was presented the award Wednesday during a surprise assembly at the school attended by all students and staff.
Richardson was chosen from a pool of 1,068 nominations submitted from nearly 600 public and private schools. This year’s Gold Star Teacher competition was the largest in the award’s six-year history with a record number of people casting their vote to choose the winner. Richardson received 19,834 votes from the 83,000 votes cast.
Gold Star and representatives from The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati came together to surprise Richardson with the award in the presence of the entire school, her peers, and the parent who nominated her.
Shown by the outpouring of votes from her community, Richardson is a beloved member of her school community and exemplifies the spirit behind the Gold Star Teacher award. Described by one parent as “the teacher you dream of your child having,” Richardson is known for the level to which she goes above and beyond for her students. This includes a parent with a son who has attended speech therapy for years and who gained confidence by working with Richardson.
As the 2025 Gold Star Teacher Award winner, Richardson was awarded a prize pack worthy of the Gold Star Teacher of the Year title and more than $7,000 in prizes and experiences. This package included a $2,000 personal grant for her classroom and a $1,000 donation to St. Mary’s made on her behalf from Gold Star. Richardson also received a gift basket with TCT/Gold Star swag, school supplies, $500 in gift cards, and her choice of a Children’s Theatre MainStage Production for 30 students and two chaperones or one of the theatre’s tour productions to perform for the school.
“At Gold Star, community is at the heart of everything we do, including giving back. Partnerships like this one with The Children’s Theatre allow us to celebrate excellent Teachers throughout the community with the Gold Star Teacher Program,” said Roger David, president and CEO of Gold Star. “Teachers inspire our future workforce, innovators and leaders. We are privileged to honor great people like Mrs. Richardson who, through their efforts, develop students who will lead our future.”
“We continue to enjoy working with our friends at Gold Star to honor our region’s educators. This year’s record number of votes proves we are not alone in that sentiment,” Kim Kern, president and CEO of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati. “We congratulate Mrs. Richardson as well as all of this year’s finalists and commend their ongoing dedication to our area’s youth.”
The Gold Star Teacher program is part of Gold Star’s ongoing efforts to support local educators and students. To learn more about the Gold Star Teacher Award, visit www.goldstarchili.com/goldstarteacher.
To learn more about Gold Star’s community efforts, visit www.goldstarchili.com/community.
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