NILES - The Mahoning Valley Educators of the Year Honors Dinner hosted teachers from 42 school districts around the area at the Eastwood Event Center on Tuesday night. 

Each school district nominated a teacher for Educator of the Year, which was given to Sebring McKinley High School teacher Nicole Mathias.

Mathias says she believes her role as an educator fulfills her life's purpose.

"Being a teacher probably changes my life perspective, because I get to look at their faces every day...and I think soon, they're gonna be the next generation," she said.

Mathias says she received her award in front of one of her former students, who was also a teacher nominated for the award.

"It's kinda cool I get to see the fruits of my labor, so to speak," she said.

The event was hosted by the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber which reported that around 400 educators, administrators, and community leaders attended the event.

Labrae Local Schools teacher Christine Meeks received the Golden Educator of the Year Award, which is given to a teacher with 20 or more years of experience.

Meeks says that in her 33 years of teaching, social media use is the biggest change she's seen in her classroom.

"It's just unsupervised social media, so if they're supervised, they're ok, but we just can't let them loose on the iPad," she said.

Meeks adds that she started a fitness club with her students to promote activity outside of the classroom.

"They need more than just going to school, they need other activities," she said.

Lordtown Local Schools teacher Maria Mangine received the Young Educator of the Year award for an educator with 10 years of experience or less.

Niles Primary School teacher Carol Pantelis received the Early Educator of the Year award as an educator who specializes in kindergarten through sixth grade.

"We're all here to make a difference in the world by teaching these kids that they can do what they want to do, and be the best person they can be," she said.

Hubbard High School teacher Kayla Welsh received the Secondary Educator of the Year award.

Welsh says she enjoys making a difference in her students' lives.

"When they go home at night, they look forward to coming in the next day," she said.