SACO — Math teacher Jacki Cone has been named Thornton Academy’s Teacher of the Year.

Cone, a 2009 graduate of Thornton, returned to her alma mater and “quickly established herself as a collaborator who is eager to embrace all challenges, and someone who brings a consistent focus on student success — with an unrelenting commitment to improving the experience of all students,” said Ben Grasso, assistant head for Faculty and Academic Affairs. “And few, if any of us, can match her energy.”

Cone graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a double major in communication & media studies, then received her master’s in Secondary Mathematics Education from Chaminade University of Honolulu.

“As a fifth generation educator, teaching is really our ‘family business’ — it’s my passion and greatest joy,” Cone said. “Fostering connections with my students has always been one of my favorite aspects of my job and I feel so very privileged to teach such incredible students at Thornton Academy.”