Two longtime Britton-Hecla educators are closing the book on their teaching careers this summer after a combined 56 years in education.
Jen Boyko and Korrie Face each spent decades helping students learn, grow and gain confidence in the classroom. While their paths into education were different, both say the relationships they built with students were among the most rewarding parts of their careers.
Jen Boyko: Finding Joy in the Learning Process
Jen Boyko retires after 31 years in education, all spent at Britton-Hecla, where she taught elementary and middle school students and recently was named the district’s 2025-26 Teacher of the Year.
Originally from Stanton, North Dakota, Boyko began her career in the district in 1995 as a teacher’s aide before moving into the classroom. Over the years she taught a variety of subjects, including English language arts, science, social studies and math.
For Boyko, education was never just about finding the right answer.
“My greatest wish was for students to be comfortable with confusion,” she said. “I strived to create an environment in which questions are important and mistakes are not to be avoided, but valued as the most important part of learning.”
One of the biggest changes she witnessed during her career was the rapid growth of technology and educational resources available to teachers. While those tools have improved instruction, she said the challenge has become balancing all the possibilities with what is realistic in a classroom.
The most rewarding part of teaching, she said, was building relationships with students and witnessing those moments when learning finally clicks.
Boyko’s favorite memories often involved laughter.
“My favorite experiences are those when students and I have laughed together,” she said. “There have been many unexpected classroom moments that allowed for this.”
As retirement approached, Boyko said reaching the South Dakota Retirement System’s Rule of 85 helped make the decision easier. While she admits the profession can be demanding, she said the students themselves were never the reason for stepping away.
I f she could give students one piece of advice, it would be simple.
“Join the All-School Play!” she said.
In retirement, Boyko looks forward to slowing down, spending time with family and finally tackling projects that have sat on her to-do list for years.
Korrie Face: Focusing on Growth, Not Perfection
Korrie Face retires after 25 years in education, including the past seven years at Britton-Hecla’s Westwood Colony.
Before arriving at Britton-Hecla, Face taught at Warner School, CC Lee Elementary, Aberdeen Christian School and Norris Elementary in the White River School District.
Unlike many educators, Face did not always envision herself becoming a teacher.
“I became interested in teaching about 10 years out of high school,” she said.
Throughout her career, Face taught students to focus less on perfection and more on continual improvement.
“Look for improvement, not perfection,” she said.
She said one of the greatest challenges of teaching was finding different ways to help students understand difficult concepts, while one of the most rewarding aspects was the relationships she built with students over the years.
Like many longtime educators, Face witnessed major changes in technology and its growing role in education.
Some of her favorite memories came from moments when classroom lessons did not go quite as planned.
“I think I laugh the hardest at the times I thought I was successful at teaching a concept and then a response from a student let me know I failed spectacularly,” she said.
Face said health concerns helped accelerate her decision to retire. Looking ahead, she plans to reconnect with hobbies, spend more time with family and do some traveling.
Her advice to students is to make their education personal and meaningful whenever possible.
Although their classrooms will soon belong to new teachers, the influence Boyko and Face have had on their students will continue for years to come.
