On Monday, the Nebraska Department of Education honored the Mullen High School science teacher as the 2026 Nebraska Teacher of the Year. Hardin’s husband was also in attendance as Nebraska Education Commissioner Brian Maher gifted Hardin a marble apple, a tradition symbolic of the annual honor. A panel of Nebraska educators annually screens and selects a teacher each year to represent Nebraska on the national stage. She is also leading the development of a geothermal greenhouse for Mullen High to engage with real-world issues. “We’re pretty proud of the fact that they get excited to come do more schoolwork after school,” Hardin said.