Every year, we in the Paul G. Allen School invite our new majors to identify their most inspirational high school or community college teacher – the teacher (each of us had one!) who changed their perception of what they should aspire to. We host these teachers, their partners, and the students who nominated them for dinner in the Allen Center (plus a bit of propaganda designed to encourage the teachers to send us more great students!).
Congratulations and thanks to the Paul G. Allen School’s 2017-18 Inspirational Teachers – nominated by our students for the difference you’ve made in their lives. The wordcloud from the nomination statements submitted by our students says it all: inspirational, approachable, passionate, supportive, encouraging, helpful, empowering …
And special congratulations to Sam Procopio, the inaugural recipient of the Paul G. Allen School’s Award for Broadening Participation in Computing. Sam – regularly recognized as an Inspirational Teacher – sent 34 young women to our program during his 9 years of teaching computer science (and coaching soccer) at Holy Names Academy. This year he began a new phase of his career as Principal at Bishop Blanchet High School, from which he graduated in the previous century.
From early learning through graduate school, all educators are in the same business. Parents entrust us with their most precious asset – their children. We do our best to help these young people achieve their potential. When they excel – which is almost always, given the amazing raw material with which we are entrusted – we take pleasure in the fact that we’ve played at least some small role in that success.
Sam Procopio flanked by Holy Names alums Erin Ripple, Claire Beard, Laura DeBoldt, and Mallory Johnson