This month, we recognize the ongoing impact of the devastating wildfires in Southern California. In the aftermath of a tragedy, teachers often assume a role to offer students emotional support, stability, and hope. This month’s Honoree has been an anchor for his students, supporting them through one of life’s most difficult moments.

Dave Suarez, a social sciences teacher and golf coach at Palisades Charter High School in Pacific Palisades, CA, is the recipient of our June 2025 Honored National Teaching Award. He was nominated for this award by his student, Jacob Leatherman. To help share the impact of Suarez’s teaching, we are joined today by Jacob and Jacob’s mom, Jeannette.

You'll hear about:

- Dave Suarez's journey to becoming a teacher

- Dave's dedication to using engaging activities to help students understand topics and apply them to real-life situations

- Dave's incredible impact on his students after the Palisades Fire

- Dave's passion for coaching golf and helping students create opportunities for themselves academically, athletically, and personally

You'll also hear from Rachel Martin, who shares about a teacher who left an incredible impact on their journey. Rachel Martin is the co-creator and host of Wild Card, an NPR interview game show about life's biggest questions. She invites notable guests to play a card game that lets them open up about the memories, insights, and beliefs that have shaped their lives. Martin spent six years as a host of Morning Edition, and was the founding host of NPR's award-winning morning news podcast Up First.

Links Mentioned:

- Read more about Dave Suarez's story: https://www.honored.org/honoree/dave-suarez

- Nominate a teacher: https://www.honored.org/nominate/

- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honored/

- Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/honored/

- Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Honored.org/

- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honored.org

Episode Music Credits:

- Music by DanaMusic: https://pixabay.com/users/danamusic-31920663/

- Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week in May, we are excited to have our first-ever double Honorees! This month, we are sharing the story of two incredible educators who have changed the lives of their students. Hailey Ellzey, a business teacher at Greenbrier High School in Greenbrier, AR, is one of the recipients of our May 2025 Honored National Teaching Award. She was nominated for this award by her student, Jenna Whitely. Joining Hailey in this episode are Jenna and Jenna’s mom, Melanie.

You'll hear about:

- Hailey Ellzey's journey to becoming a teacher

- The impact Hailey has had on Jenna

- Hailey's extraordinary work in helping students learn how to adapt to a fast-changing world

- Hailey's passion for supporting students with community involvement and professional development

You'll also hear from Vincent Cobb, who shares about a teacher who left an incredible impact on their journey. Cobb is the CEO of Summer House Institute (‘Summer House’), a national organization committed to inspiring, developing and growing the next generation of Black male educators in U.S. public schools.

Links Mentioned:

- Read more about Hailey Ellzey's story: https://www.honored.org/honoree/hailey-ellzey

- Listen to the story of our other May 2025 Honoree: https://honored.podbean.com/e/may-honoree-misty-burgess-greenbrier-high-school-greenbrier-ar/

- Nominate a teacher: https://www.honored.org/nominate/

- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honored/

- Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/honored/

- Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Honored.org/

- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honored.org

- Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@honoredteachers

Episode Music Credits:

- Music by DanaMusic: https://pixabay.com/users/danamusic-31920663/

- Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

To celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week in May, we are excited to have our first-ever double Honorees! This month, we are sharing the story of two incredible educators who have changed the lives of their students. Misty Burgess, a business teacher at Greenbrier High School in Greenbrier, AR, is one of the recipients of our May 2025 Honored National Teaching Award. She was nominated for this award by her student, Zandrea Story. Joining Misty in this episode are Zandrea and Zandrea's mom, Heather.

You'll hear about:

- Misty Burgess's journey to becoming a teacher

- The impact Misty has had on Zandrea

- Misty's extraordinary work in cultivating an environment where students can be the best versions of themselves

- Misty's passion for supporting students in preparing for the future

You'll also hear from Vincent Cobb, who shares about a teacher who left an incredible impact on their journey. Cobb is the CEO of Summer House Institute (‘Summer House’), a national organization committed to inspiring, developing and growing the next generation of Black male educators in U.S. public schools.

Links Mentioned:

- Read more about Misty Burgess's story: https://www.honored.org/honoree/misty-burgess

- Listen to the story of our other May 2025 Honoree: https://honored.podbean.com/e/may-honoree-hailey-ellzey-greenbrier-high-school-greenbrier-ar/

- Nominate a teacher: https://www.honored.org/nominate/

- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honored/

- Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/honored/

- Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Honored.org/

- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honored.org

- Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@honoredteachers

Episode Music Credits:

- Music by DanaMusic: https://pixabay.com/users/danamusic-31920663/

- Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

To celebrate Autism Acceptance Month, we are honored to share the story of an incredible educator who has made an impact on the life of a student with autism. Kiersten Wood, a 1st-3rd grade special day class teacher at Henry Miller Elementary School in Los Banos, CA, is the recipient of our March 2025 Honored National Teaching Award. She was nominated for this award by the parents of her student, Payton. Joining Kiersten in this episode are Payton’s mom and dad, Anthony and Samantha.

You'll hear about:

- Kiersten Wood's journey to becoming a teacher

- The impact Kiersten has had on Payton and his family

- Kiersten's dedication to creating an empathetic and encouraging environment for her students

- Kiersten's passion for supporting families with children with disabilities

You'll also hear from Matthew Kenslow, who is the author of "Juggling the Issues: Living with Asperger's Syndrome". He shares about a teacher who left an incredible impact on their journey in our segment "Teachers Who Inspired". You can learn more about Matthew Kenslow in the episode credits below.

Links Mentioned:

- Read more about Kiersten Wood's story: https://www.honored.org/honoree/kiersten-wood

- Nominate a teacher: https://www.honored.org/nominate/

- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honored/

- Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/honored/

- Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Honored.org/

- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honored.org

Episode Music Credits:

- Music by DanaMusic: https://pixabay.com/users/danamusic-31920663/

- Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

- Teachers Who Inspired segment audio of Matthew Kenslow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9FUkVOj0TI

Marcy Anderson, a 2nd-grade teacher at Manchester Park Elementary School in Lenexa, KS, is the recipient of our March 2025 Honored National Teaching Award. She was nominated for this award by her student, Ben, and Ben's mom, Jessica. Joining Marcy in this episode are her student, Ben, and Ben's mom, Jessica.

You'll hear about:

- Marcy Anderson's journey to becoming a teacher

- The impact Marcy has had on Ben and his family

- Marcy's dedication to creating a supportive and safe environment for her students

- The extraordinary work Marcy is doing to make a life-changing impact on her students

You'll also hear from Steve Drummond, who shares about a teacher who left an incredible impact on their journey. Steve Drummond is an author, educator, and, for more than 20 years, a journalist at NPR in Washington.

Links Mentioned:

- Read more about Marcy Anderson's story: https://www.honored.org/honoree/marcy-anderson

- Nominate a teacher: https://www.honored.org/nominate/

- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honored/

- Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/honored/

- Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Honored.org/

- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honored.org

- Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@honoredteachers

Episode Music Credits:

- Music by DanaMusic: https://pixabay.com/users/danamusic-31920663/

- Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

Kurk Watson, a K-8 drama teacher at Albert M. Greenfield School in Philadelphia, PA, is the recipient of our February 2025 Honored National Teaching Award. He was nominated for this award by Summer House Institute: https://www.summerhouseco.org/. Joining Kurk in this episode are his student, Nate, and Nate's parent, Erica.

You'll hear about:

- Kurk Watson's journey to becoming a teacher

- The impact Kurk Watson has had on Nate and Erica

- Kurk's dedication to providing experiences and supporting students in cultivating passions

- The extraordinary work Kurk is doing to make a life-changing impact on his students

You'll also hear from Global Managing Partner of Paul Hastings, Sherrese Smith, who shares about a teacher who left an incredible impact on their journey.

Links Mentioned:

- Read more about Kurk Watson's story: https://www.honored.org/honoree/kurk-watson/

- Nominate a teacher: https://www.honored.org/nominate/

- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honored/

- Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/honored/

- Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Honored.org/

- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honored.org

Episode Music Credits:

- Music by DanaMusic: https://pixabay.com/users/danamusic-31920663/

- Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

Aleah Washington, a middle school resource specialist at Murray Middle School in Ridgecrest, CA, is the recipient of our January 2025 Honored National Teaching Award. She was nominated for this award by Jocelin Quinton, who shares the incredible impact Aleah Washington has had on Jocelin's son, Ty.

You'll hear about:

- Ms. Washington's journey to becoming a teacher

- The impact Ms. Washington's class has had on Ty and Mrs. Quinton

- Ms. Washington's dedication to building confidence and supporting her students

- The extraordinary work Ms. Washington is doing to make a life-changing impact on her students

You'll also hear from Oscar-winning actor and professor, Matthew McConaughey, who shares about a teacher who left an incredible impact on their journey. This audio is credited to Nicholas Ferroni, who is an Educator, Advocate, and Activist. You can learn more about Nicholas Ferroni in the episode credits below.

Links Mentioned:

- Read more about Aleah's story: https://www.honored.org/honoree/aleah-washington/

- Nominate a teacher: https://www.honored.org/nominate/

- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honored/

- Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/honored/

- Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Honored.org/

- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honored.org

- Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@honoredteachers

Episode Music Credits:

- Music by DanaMusic: https://pixabay.com/users/danamusic-31920663/

- Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

- Teachers Who Inspired segment audio of Matthew McConaughey: https://www.instagram.com/p/C1nSjjquaxv/?hl=en

Joseph Keeney, a middle and high school orchestra teacher at Lee's Summit North High School in Lee's Summit, MO, is the recipient of our December 2024 Honored National Teaching Award. He was nominated for this award by his student Evita Churchill. In this episode, we are also joined by Evita and her mom Jennifer Churchill.

You'll hear about:

- Mr. Keeney's journey to becoming a teacher

- The impact Mr. Keeney's class had on Evita

- Jennifer's heartfelt story of the impact she saw on Evita

- Mr. Keeney's commitment to creating an inclusive space where all students can have fun and feel valued

You'll also hear from our special guest, Wendy Kopp, CEO and Co-founder of Teach For All, as she shares the story of a teacher who had a lasting impact on her life.

Links Mentioned:

- Read more about Joseph's story: https://www.honored.org/honoree/joseph-keeney/

- Nominate a teacher: https://www.honored.org/nominate/

- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honored/

- Follow us on Twitter: https://x.com/honored/

- Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Honored.org/

- Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honored.org

- Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@honoredteachers

Episode Music Credits:

- Music by DanaMusic: https://pixabay.com/users/danamusic-31920663/

- Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/