GRAND LEDGE, Mich. — A Grand Ledge math teacher has a chance to win $1 million for local schools if she can throw a football into a target 15 yards away at this weekend's Michigan vs. Michigan State game.
- Katie Westen will attempt the throw during the second quarter of Saturday's rivalry game.
- If successful, she'll win $1 million in classroom resources for local schools.
- Students have been helping Westen practice her throwing technique.
WATCH: Grand Ledge teacher prepares for $1 million football challenge at Michigan-MSU game
Westen was selected for the Eckrich $1 million challenge for teachers, giving her the opportunity to make a difference for students across the area.
"When I found out I was selected for this, I literally had never thrown a football properly," Westen said.
The Grand Ledge math teacher will be making her attempt in front of tens of thousands of fans during Saturday's rivalry game between Michigan and Michigan State.
"Still a little intimidated and nervous," Westen said.
After sharing the news with her class, Westen's students quickly stepped up to help prepare her for the big moment.
"I shared the news with my students, my students immediately got to work as my coaches, and we've been training," Westen said.
Students like Jackson Farnsworth are part of the team teaching the teacher.
"It's been really nice, it's nice to see a lot of people want to see her succeed," Farnsworth said.
Despite being a Michigan fan, Farnsworth is helping the MSU fan succeed.
"I choose to overlook her mistakes and decisions, we're cool though," Farnsworth said.
The friendly rivalry takes a backseat to the potential benefits for their school.
"It's not really about the football, it's about the $1 million, in my opinion, right now, I try to overlook that it's at MSU's stadium," Farnsworth said.
Farnsworth hopes the training pays off with tangible benefits for students.
"To me, hopefully it means field trips, I like those, it helps me enjoy school a lot, hopefully we get nicer Chromebooks," Farnsworth said.
For Westen, the experience has already been rewarding, bringing the Grand Ledge community together.
"For me, it's been not just about the throw, but it's also been about all of the relationships that I've built with my students who have stepped up to volunteer and help coach me and work with me," Westen said.
Westen will attempt the throw at the first media timeout in the second quarter of Saturday's game.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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