NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — Britini D'Angelo, a special education teacher in Niagara Falls, was named by Kleenex as the National Hero of the Classroom. The award comes with cash prizes for both her and Kalfas Elementary.
For the past three years, Miss D'Angelo has brought smiles to students’ faces inside her Henry J. Kalfas Elementary School classroom.
“I love my job more than I can express in words. This is what I am meant to do for the rest of my life,” D'Angelo said.
Long before she ever decided on her professional career, her road to teaching started before her second birthday.
“When I was 22 months old, I was diagnosed with autism. I was nonverbal, no eye contact, repetitive stims and no social cues,” D'Angelo said. “I had a one-to-one aide until the end of first grade, so I had a village fighting for my IEP every single day.”
That village both taught her to be the person she is today and inspired her to pour into others in similar situations to what she had experienced growing up.
“I want the absolute best for them every single day, and as their advocate, we are going to make sure that happens,” D'Angelo said.
“She understands the kids a lot,” Najah Peterson, one of D'Angelo’s assistant teachers, said. “She always puts kids first, school first, and she’s so sweet. She’s willing to help everybody.”
WATCH: ‘I love my job’: Niagara Falls teacher named National Hero of the Classroom by Kleenex
D’Angelo’s story has caught the attention of hundreds of thousands of followers online, 215,000 on Instagram and 679,000 on TikTok. Now, even the brand Kleenex is jumping on board, naming her their 2026 National Hero of the Classroom.
The contest awarded D'Angelo $10,000 and a $5,000 donation to the school.
“My cash prize for me, I’m putting in the bank, and I am saving,” D'Angelo said. “Most importantly, our school does win $5,000, which our school can absolutely use. I cannot wait to see what we spend the money on.”
Beyond the money, the award comes with a year's supply of Kleenex tissues for the entire building.
“I got like 15 boxes yesterday, and that is the first wave. I think we get them every month or two weeks or something. It’s crazy,” D'Angelo said.
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