It's not everyday you get to meet the governor.
Two lucky teachers from the Missouri School for the Deaf traveled to the Governor's Mansion on Tuesday for an event honoring special educators from around the state. Meghan Duggins, who teaches preschool at MSD, and Bethany Peterson, MSD's high school history teacher, made their way to Jefferson City as honorees.
"The governor wanted to honor teachers in the field of special education," Peterson said. "There were 10-12 teachers there from around the state."
Gov. Eric Greitens played the role of host well, Peterson said. "He was very personable," she said. "He went around and met everyone with his wife. He was very kind."
Duggins said the governor also took the time to say thank you to each of them individually.
"I think the governor is a humanitarian," Peterson said. "I think he gives second chances and has a big heart."
While neither Duggins nor Peterson sat at the governor's table during dinner, they were seated with his mother.
"We discussed with her where we worked," Duggins said. "That and our backgrounds in special education."
Peterson added the governor's mother also was one of the honorees. "His mom was a special educator for 30 years," she said. "She socialized with us as well and actually sat at our table during dinner."
Duggins said dessert was her favorite part of the meal.
"I just loved the ginger honey sauce," she said.
Another part of the event was a tour around the mansion, Peterson said.
"The mansion was very nice," she said. "We got to look around. There were portraits of the first ladies. Everything was from a time period, like a museum. It was like going back in time."
Duggins said she got an inside scoop about the mansion decor.
"I was talking with (a man) there," she said. "He said they brought everything there to make it look like that."
Peterson said one of her favorite parts of the evening was teaching Greitens some sign language.
"I taught him four signs," she said. "The signs for governor, boss, thank you and your welcome. He really liked learning, and it lightened the mood."
Duggins said her favorite moment from the event was a conversation she had with another educator.
"I had a chat with a lady from the state school for the severely disabled," she said. "We had a talk about rewriting curriculum, something we are both doing right now."