Teacher recognized for inspiring students

By Jeff Pope

Friday, June 5, 2009 | 6:28 p.m.

Teachers not only teach, they motivate and inspire their students.

That’s what three residents say inspired them to create an award to honor the most motivational teacher at Boulder City High School.

Heidi Lee, a theater and dance teacher, received the first Eagle Award on Friday. The award is named after the school mascot and based on the idea that the recipients help their students soar, said Glenn Nakadate, one of the three benefactors.

The award was bestowed during the school’s annual end-of-the-year award luncheon. Lee said she was surprised and honored that her students nominated her.

“I’m in a field where there’s a lot of individuality and there’s a lot of personal attention, so I really work with students on their particular interests or their abilities,” she said. “Theater gives kids the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and step outside of themselves. So I have a lot of opportunities to push them to help them realize they can aspire to more.”

A trophy with a statue of an eagle in flight on top and bearing the names of the winners will be kept at the school.

Lee received a smaller version of the trophy with a gold eagle coin attached. She has been teaching for two years, both in Boulder City, and graduated from UNLV. She’s organizing a spring musical for her students and hopes to finish her master’s degree next year.

Students submitted names of the teaches they felt most inspired them. A panel of administrators and teachers pared the list down to three and chose Lee as the winner. The other two finalists, science teacher Peter Fullington and English teacher Leslie Ringen, received plaques with silver eagle coins affixed.

Students wrote that Lee had high expectations for them and she gave them self confidence because she made them perform above their perceived abilities, Principal Ann Nelson said.

“We all know that about Heidi, so it was delightful to see the students also think that,” Nelson said.

Along with Nakadate, Capt. Dave Barker and Jon Barth created and funded the awards. Nakadate tried to create a similar award years ago when he lived in Los Angeles, but the school didn’t support him, he said.

He said he was raised to honor educators, especially those who inspire and motivate their students.

“Because teachers believe in them, they really do better,” he said.