By Carol Azizian

Special to The Review

Kris Fuhr, a retired social studies teacher at St. Joseph School, was honored with two awards Friday after mass at St. Joseph Church.

She received an “Excellence in Teaching” award from the Archdiocese of Detroit for the 2018-19 school year.

The school also named the Outdoor Education Center, which she created, after her.

“Mrs. Fuhr was instrumental in the creation of the outdoor education center as our longtime student council sponsor,” said Principal Joe Zmikly. “She was an exceptional leader of middle school students and had a passion for Catholic education and for her subject area, which was social studies. She held students to a high standard in academics, personal conduct, and their Catholic faith.”.

Fuhr taught at St. Joseph School for 18 years. She taught social studies and English for the first several years of her career at the school, and later, she taught mostly social studies.

She holds a master of arts degree in social sciences from the University of Michigan-Flint. Prior to her teaching career, she worked for the University of Illinois.

She has taught geography, world studies, world history, economics, American government and U.S. history at both the middle and high school levels.

Fuhr was the advisor for St. Joseph School’s student council for many years, and formed a social studies club called Passport to the Past. She also led student group trips to Italy and Greece.

Online: stjosephlakeorion.org.