He smiled broadly as he received a standing ovation at Canyons School District’s 16th annual APEX awards ceremony.

“Everyone loves him and he loves everyone,” said Eastmont Middle School Principal Stacy Kurtzhals. “He knows everyone by name and says every day, ‘Hi, my good friend.’”

Canyons’ Volunteer of the Year Trevan Cole was one of 11 honorees recognized Oct. 14 at Butler Middle School.

Other award recipients included Teacher of the Year Lucia de la Cruz Rodriguez of Midvale Elementary; School Administrator of the Year Shelly Karren of Indian Hills Middle; District Administrators of the Year Kirsten Stewart, communications associate director, and Shana Lowe, accounting assistant director; Elected Official of the Year Troy Walker, mayor of Draper; Education Support Professionals of the Year Kathy Hilton of Corner Canyon High and Charlotte Graham of East Midvale Elementary; Student Support Services Professional of the Year Denise Haycock, Canyons Education Foundation Canyons Education Foundation development officer; and Community Partner of the Year Dan Jorgensen, a Jordan High alumnus.

The evening’s top honor, the Legacy Award, went to former Canyons Board of Education President Nancy Tingey, who served on the board for a decade and guided the District through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Nancy’s levelheadedness and insights are unmatched,” said current Canyons Board of Education President Amber Shill. “Through the ups and downs of the past 10 years, Nancy has remained a steady, positive influence on the district. The District owes her much, and her impact will be felt for generations by both employees, families and students.”

Performances by the Alta High Ballroom Dance Team, the cast of Corner Canyon’s upcoming “Mary Poppins” and Hillcrest theater student Avery Rinke, a national Shakespeare competition winner, rounded out the celebration.

But it was Cole’s genuine enthusiasm that lit up the night — just as it does in Eastmont’s cafeteria.

“We all should be like Trevan; he’s truly dedicated,” said Eastmont Nutrition Services Manager Suly Morris. “He comes every day he’s scheduled and offers to come in on his days off or come in early to do more. He's always asking, ‘What can I do to help?’ He does everything he needs to do and more — and is proud of what he does.”

Morris, who came from Brazil and learned the ropes at Eastmont 12 years ago, still remembers his kindness.

“He showed me a lot of things about the kitchen; he was always by my side helping me, telling me how the kitchen works, teaching me words, he accepted me,” she said. “He loves to serve the kids and he’s always friendly with them. Really, he's the most beautiful person; He's happy to be here and he never complains. He’s like the sun every morning, bringing happiness to everyone.”

Known as Eastmont’s sandwich maker, Cole’s specialty is turkey.

“Turkey is my favorite because I like the taste of it,” he said. “I like how it's cold and I like how it looks too; I think the kids like it too. They always are asking for it and never complain about it.”

Cole first joined Eastmont’s cafeteria in 2007, when the school was part of Jordan School District. When his wages affected his federal disability benefits, he chose to continue as a volunteer in 2013.

“When Miss Stacy came to the cafeteria and said, ‘We have a big surprise. Trevan; You’re getting the APEX award for volunteering,’ I was excited, but I didn’t know how big of an award it was. I got the Patriot Award when I was a student here in 1992,” he said. “I like working here because I like serving people and making friendships. We have a great team, and I get to work with my boss, Suly — and Miss Stacy. I like working hard and trying my best in life so I can achieve whatever I can in life. I learned that from Ms. (Marlene) Skinner, my home economics, homeroom and special ed teacher here, and my family.”

Cole said the recognition is for everyone who supports students.

“I love my job, but with any job you do, principal, boss, teacher, helper, whatever you do, we all work hard for same reason; we all achieve the same goal — working and trying our best for the students and our community,” he said.

Superintendent Rick Robins was grateful for the dedication of those recognized.

“This is always a very emotional night for us in Canyons School District, and one that is such a great tradition to honor the people who embody everything about Canyons School District, especially all they do for our students,” he said. “It's important to recognize their value and what they've contributed.”

East Midvale Elementary’s Charlotte Graham received congratulations from Canyons Business Administrator and Chief Financial Officer Leon Wilcox for being awarded the Education Support Professional of the Year at the APEX awards. (Julie Slama/City Journals)