June 4, 2015
The Inaugural True North Awards for Inspired Teaching
The intellectual and personal growth that students undergo聽in primary, middle and high school is critical to how they become who they are. Yet once they graduate high school and come to the 91探花, their new learning community does not often overlap with the old. In the early evening of April 28, 2015 at the 91探花 in Seattle, those worlds came together for the inaugural True North Awards for Inspired Teaching.
- The inaugural True North Awards for Inspired Teaching were held in the Dempsey auditorium.
- Susan Potts shares her inspiration for the awards.
- Each teacher received an award and the nominating letter from their student.
- Anne Huynh presents the award to her nominee, Dan Hardebeck of Timberline High School in Olympia.
- Tim Han presents the award to his nominee, Rob Storrs of Mariner High School in Everett.
- True North Awards dinner and reception.
- Nadine Mortell presents the award to her nominee, Van Wilson of Sumner High School in Sumner.
- Students and teacher awardees took a break from catching up to share a smile.
Inspired by Susan Potts, a passionate advocate for the 91探花 and for teachers, the True North Awards鈥攃oordinated by聽Undergraduate Academic Affairs鈥攚elcomed聽 91探花seniors to reflect on their path to and through the University by nominating聽a teacher who influenced and inspired them along the way.
Ten teachers across the Puget Sound were ultimately selected for their clear commitment to the success of their students and invited to a reception in Dempsey Hall in Seattle. Seated together at the reception, students and teachers enjoyed dinner and conversation before participating in an emotional ceremony in which each聽student presented the True North Award and nominating letter to their teacher.
Nominating Kelly West of Kentridge High School, Cassie Petz wrote, 鈥淢s. West taught me so much more than how to pass an AP exam or how to write an analytic essay. She knew what she stood for, she understood her values, and she taught us that being different or standing out was okay.鈥�
鈥淭he way she expertly juggled being an educator, a role model and a source of social support pushed me to pursue education, and to focus on the inequities that many minorities face鈥 undoubtedly would not be graduating from college this spring if it wasn鈥檛 for her,鈥� said Johnson Nguyen in his nominating letter for Gretchen Coe of Mercer Middle School.
2015 True North Award Recipients
- Gretchen Coe, Mercer Middle School鈥攏ominated by Johnson Nguyen
- David Erich, Franklin High School鈥攏ominated by Nancy Huizar
- Dan Hardebeck, Timberline High School鈥攏ominated by Ann Huynh
- Dr. Curtis Hisayasu, Robinson Center for Young Scholars鈥攏ominated by Jessica Wang
- Jeff Larson, Redmond High School鈥攏ominated by Alex Brechner
- Kurt Lauer, Federal Way Public Academy鈥攏ominated by Varsha Govindaraju
- Larry Palmer, Lake Stevens High School 鈥� nominated by Juliana Borges
- Rob Storrs, Mariner High School鈥攏ominated by Tim Han
- Van Wilson, Sumner High School鈥攏ominated by Nadine Mortell
- Kelly West, Kentridge High School鈥攏ominated by Cassie Petz