Rick Lilly, a teacher at Clearfield High School "stands out as one of the most influential" writes Kylie Boyack, a student of Mr. Lilly's. "My fellow classmates and other teachers would agree. He cares deeply for all his students and wants them to be successful. During this school year, I went through one of the most trying times in my life. I was struggling in school and with life but Mr. Lilly always made sure that I was okay and was willing to help me with anything. He taught me to accept difficulties and make the best of them."

Boyack goes on to say that "beyond school, he is another inspiration in and of itself. He has had almost as many medical issues and surgeries as he the number of years old he is, including but not limited to two kidney transplants and two strokes. Medical issues aren’t easy to overcome but Mr. Lilly acts as if they aren’t even there and he is extremely positive about life. If you watched Mr. Lilly for a day you would never realize what he has been through because he doesn’t let them define him and it is easy to see that he loves his job, his students, and the other staff."

Mr. Lilly receives a special recognition award from Zions Bank, an overnight stay at the Anniversary Inn, dinner for two at the Roof Restaurant downtown, and two season passes to the Hale Center Theater. At the end of the year, one lucky teacher will win the lease of a new car provided by Burt Bros. Tire and Service.

KSL NewsRadio and Zions Bank are proud to honor Utah's best teachers with the KSL Teacher Feature Awards! Since 1994, Teacher Feature has highlighted outstanding teachers throughout the State of Utah. Winning teachers are announced every Tuesday morning, September through June, on Utah's Morning News with Brian & Amanda.