2024 Honorees
Priscila Sartori 35-year-old Tooele resident, teacher, and mother of two, Priscila Sartori grew up just south of Brazil in a town called Curitiba. Living just 1 hour from the ocean, some of her favorite memories were made on the beach with her very large family. She met who would be her future husband when she was just 17 years old and has now lived in Tooele with him and their two sons, ages 13 and 10, for the past 6 years. Priscila has always loved babies and children and especially loves teaching young children about her culture. She also enjoys traveling, playing games, singing in her church, coloring, and simply spending time with her family. As a dual immersion Portuguese teacher at Rose Springs Elementary, she is beloved by her students and her community.
Diagnosed in June 2023 with papillary thyroid cancer, Priscila had her first surgery in July, as it had already begun to spread to her lymph nodes. Unfortunately, the surgery left one of her vocal cords paralyzed, which required further treatment to correct. She faced further roadblocks when she began radiation last October, only to find that her body was resistant to the treatment. Now, after additional surgery to remove more cancerous lymph nodes in January 2024, Priscila is undergoing new scans to see how the treatment has been working. Priscila says that cancer has taught her how to live just one day at a time. She has learned to accept help from others and to be patient with herself and the process. She hopes and trusts in better days and no longer stresses about the small stuff. Every time she visits the hospital, she prays for God to put angels in her path and repeats to herself one of her favorite scripture—Philippians 4:13—“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” [Photography credit Carlye Morgan Carlye Morgan Photography] |
Michelle LingenfelterOverlake resident, teacher, mother, and foster-parent, Michelle Leinfelter, grew up as a self-described “country kid”—riding horses, swimming in the creek, and catching tadpoles, all while doing her best to stay healthy in order to avoid her well-meaning grandmother’s concoctions of cod liver oil and herbs that “tasted like pond water but could cure anything!”
With a notable sense of humor, Michelle also describes the “gentle mischief and mayhem” that both she and her fellow “earthquake wearing shoes” best friend wrought throughout their small hometown in Idaho. Yet, it wasn’t all fun and games – she did her fair share of hard work, too. “I worked each fall doing some aspect of the potato harvest. It gave me an appreciation for hard work and a plate full of fries.” When asked by a high school teacher what she hoped to do when she graduated high school, she simply replied “Something easier than farming. Dishwashing, maybe.” Her teacher suggested college. She went on to obtain a master’s degree in teaching and still, to this day, thanks that man for inspiring her to aim high. Married to her spouse for more than 30 years now, the two have lived in Overlake with their family for almost 20 of those years. She recalls that while looking for houses, she saw a father on his front lawn playing baseball with his kids and from that moment on, she didn’t want to live anywhere else. Michelle has two daughters, a foster daughter, and a granddaughter. She has also cared for many foster teenagers over the years and cherishes their continued visits. While she quips that “free time and teachers usually do not go together”, she still enjoys all the simple things with her family and does her best to find time to write down stories that she told her children when they were young and to care for a wide assortment of pets and animals. Having lost her own mother to cancer at just 20 years old, and having now battled two different cancers, just one year apart, Michelle has adopted the mantra, “Focus on what is in front of you.” She loves the words of Christopher Robin, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart….I’ll always be with you.” She has felt the love of all those close to her and has learned to allow her family and friends to be a support to her. A particular act of kindness stands out to her – an evening when both a neighbor and a colleague both brough over a tater tot casserole, which reminded her of her childhood. She recalls, “I felt mighty, as if tater tot casseroles were a divine sign that I was going to be okay, because life was still full of potatoes.” [Photography credit Carlye Morgan Carlye Morgan Photography] Emmy Curtis39-year-old Tooele resident, writer, and mother of 3, Emi Curtis, recalls her childhood in a way that can only be described as idyllic, spent on a horse and cattle farm in Roosevelt, UT. In addition to riding bareback at just 3 years old, Emi warmly remembers happy memories growing up alongside not only her siblings, but also countless furry animals and pets. An avid reader turned author herself, she spent many an evening happily snuggled up in bed with a cuddly cat and her beloved books.
Fourteen years ago, Emi fell almost immediately in love with Tom, a young man who shared her deep passion for books. The two now share a library of over one thousand books in their comfortable home with a large backyard for their many animals in Tooele City, where they have lived for the past 12 years, along with their 3 sons, ages 9, 6, and 2. They spend their days working in their garden together and playing with their boys at Stansbury Lake, enjoying card games, and of course reading plenty of books. As a self-described “nerd”, in addition to having published multiple books, Emi also has a love for comics. She loves drawing characters, has even published one comic book, and has sewn and sold items at Anime and Sci-Fi conventions for many years. Emi was stunned, but not overly surprised, when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer in December 2023. Having lost both her aunt and her grandfather to cancer, and also having watched her own father battle cancer for the past 18 years, she pragmatically states that she is “no stranger to this kind of bad news.” After preparing for a mastectomy, Emi learned that the cancer had already spread to several lymph nodes and to her lungs. As a result, the game plan changed and Emi instead underwent a hysterectomy and oophorectomy, followed by a long round of medication to battle the cancer. She is anxiously awaiting scans in the next few months to see if the treatments are helping. While often feeling very sick and tired, Emi has been determined to continue making beautiful memories with her husband, children, and extended family. As awful as she feels sometimes, she believes the memories they make together are worth the efforts to continue to participate in their lives. Perhaps one of her favorite quotes best reflects her faith and determination to continue to thrive even in the face of her diagnosis: “Do not go gentle into that good night.” – Dylan Thomas [Photography credit Carlye Morgan Carlye Morgan Photography] |