POSTED: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 --- 8:10 a.m.

HOLMEN, Wis. (AP) -- Students and staff at Holmen Middle School are shaken by the loss of an educator who was living her dream to teach.

Friends say 25-year-old Ashton Debra May was a dedicated educator and athlete. May was killed over the weekend when her car struck a semi near Adams, Minn.

Holmen Middle School Principal Ryan Vogler says May was one of the first people in the door in the morning and one of the last to leave. Vogler says May had an outspoken loyalty to her students.

May won 10 NCAA Division III All-America awards as a track and field athlete at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. After graduating, she served as an assistant coach for the university.

The La Crosse Tribune says support staff is at the school to help students cope.

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Information from: La Crosse Tribune, http://www.lacrossetribune.com

Copyright 2012: Associated Press