ST CLAIR SHORES, Mich. – 
A dedicated Michigan teacher was one of ten selected to attend an education summit in New York.
Nicole Fredrickson has been teaching special education to young students for 15 years.
Miss Niki, as her students call her, teaches autistic children ages three through six in the Macomb Intermediate School District.
Fredrickson was invited to attend the summit to share her ideas and methods with other educators.
In her classroom the kids learn the basics however, each student in on a different level of learning.
"Teaching every individual ability is definitely the biggest challenge. I think that's one of the reasons why I am here," said Fredrickson.
When a student doesn't respond to her methods, Fredrickson works even harder to reach them.
"I'm into challenging and getting them to put effort out to their fullest. The more they pull back the more I keep pushing," she said.
A colleague nominated Fredrickson for, NBC's Education Nation after witnessing her persistence with her autistic students.
Fredrickson won.
Stephanie Mangold's youngest son Joey thrived in the classroom.
"She took him in, like he was her son. She made him feel comfortable, she made me feel comfortable," said Mangold.
"Just being positive I realized that I create the atmosphere and if I come in happy and I respect my students then I get a lot of respect back," said Fredrickson.
Miss Niki leaves for the summit Saturday morning.