Life turned out to be a gift

By Latoya WIlliams

Beth Kelch, a professor of mathematics, has been teaching at Delta College for over 20 years. She comes from, and is creating, a lineage of educators that started with her father. He would bring home his work books allowing Kelch and her sister to play school with.

The passion for teaching spilled beautifully over from her father, onto her and onto her own three children, one of whom has also become an educator. Without having to seek it out and by doing
what she loves, she was blessed. She never gave much thought to it.

“I am just committed to doing the best I can,” Kelch said “and this is why it’s very gratifying, but at the same time surprising.”

Kelch was a recipient of the Bergstein Award for Teaching Excellence in 2025. The award is the highest honor for any faculty member at Delta College, and is voted on by staff and students. When asked how it felt to receive the highest honor bestowed upon an educator at Delta, Kelch expressed her feelings.

“It’s humbling,” she stated. “because I know how many people are really excellent teachers.”

It’s easy to see why, after sitting with her during class sessions that one could make the connection of why she won. Watching her dance around the classroom as she looked into the eyes of her students, seeing the lights of understanding come on for the first time brings her so much joy.

If she weren’t here at Delta teaching, you would be able to find her on weekends teaching at Sunday school or at home loving on and teaching her grandchildren. Because education is not about the pay or the accolades it is about knowing something she did added value to another person’s life.

To Kelch, being a good teacher means that you are as teachable as your students. She continues to learn things that she never thought to try on her own from her students. Not just in math but perseverance and tenacity and more importantly how to overcome the challenges of life without losing hope.

The biggest piece of her legacy to date stems from the Faculty Center of Teaching Excellence at Delta. The FCTE provides high-quality professional development that leads to student success. At the FCTE she aims to help other instructors find their passion for their craft, because according to Professor Kelch “if you love what you do then you never have to work a day.”

One of her favorite quotes that she recited in class comes from Albert Einstein, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it earns it, he who does not pays it.” This simple truth applies not to math and balancing your credit but also can be applied to daily habits that can compound over time in all areas of life.

When asked what advice she would give her younger self if she could, she gave the same advice she would give to future students.

“Ask yourself are you where YOU want to be? Are you satisfied with where you are going? If you aren’t, you have time.”