Kerry Granlund knew there was an assembly at Tacoma’s Stafford Elementary School on Friday. The fourth-grade teacher just didn’t realize she would be the star of the show.
Until, that is, Granlund was beckoned from the audience and presented with a $5,000 tuition credit to City University as the grand prize winner in a teacher of the week program. That’s when the assembly turned into the equivalent of the old TV show, “This is Your Life.”
Her parents, who live in Hoodsport, were on hand. So was her sister, who lives in Carnation. Also in attendance were her husband, Jeff, who teaches at Stafford, and the student who nominated Granlund for the honor – 10-year-old Anthony Bragg.
There was even a celebrity guest: Seahawks cornerback
“I had no idea,” Granlund said. “This is a wonderful shock. Amazing. I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before.
“And then to have Kelly be a part of this, it’s just fantastic.”
Jennings was there in his capacity as a spokesperson for City U, a role he inherited when former fullback Mack Strong retired after the 2007 season. Jennings tailored his remarks to the audience – 400-plus elementary school students.
“One of the things I miss about elementary school is the nap time,” Jennings told the students, who erupted in laughter. “In my profession, I wish we had nap time.”
Afterward, Jennings offered, “I do talk about nap time all the time in the locker room. I tell the guys, ‘I wish I could just get a 30-minute nap here.’ But it never happens.”
Jennings also told the students about the first-grade teacher he had in Florida, Mrs. Gillyard.
“She was a teacher who had a very large impact on me,” Jennings said. “Even when I go back home now, I try to go back to my elementary school and visit her. Just because of who she was as a person, the things she taught me and the way she made you feel – I never felt like I was anything less than anyone else.”
His mother also deserves some credit because, as he put it, “She stressed school, a lot. So the most important thing to her became the most important thing to me.”
Jennings also related to the students how the things he learned in elementary school still help him in the NFL.
“Even now, the things that I do, I really have to apply things that I learned in school,” he said. “There is different terminology involved in what I do now and different schemes that the coaches use. If I didn’t learn what I learned in school, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do now.
“Now, it pays off for me that I can go back to my elementary school and say, ‘Thank you. ’ ”
Bragg, wearing an autographed Seahawks hat that Jennings gave him, feels the same way about Granlund.
“She’s the best,” he said.
Granlund then gave Bragg a hug and said, “Thank you, Anthony, so much. This is the best surprise I’ve ever had.”
Granlund plans to put her grand prize to good use.
“I’ll go to more teacher classes,” she said. “I want to take some art classes. I’m always going to learn more about teaching. I love my job.”
And her students obviously feel the same away about how she does that job.
Bragg was neither surprised nor shocked that his teacher was selected from the field of 12 weekly honorees to win the tuition credit.
“I knew she’d win,” he said. “She’s the best teacher. I love her.”
