“I love being a teacher!” This is one of many qualities that has made one of Nazareth’s own, Mrs. Hawkins, named Illinois National History Day Teacher of the Year on June 18, 2015. She was also nominated for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award for her work in activating an interest of history in her students.

The Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award chooses two history teachers from each state, one from a middle school and one from a high school. These teachers are quality educators with creative and inspiring ways of teaching, which is critical to student success. Mrs. Hawkins has definitely lived up to these expectations as her love of history and teaching shows throughout her classes.

Her belief as a history teacher is that without understanding where we have come from as a nation, we don’t really have a sense of where we will go in the future. She hopes that because of this basis, her students will be able to think critically about history and become great decision makers in the future.

As a former student of Nazareth, her inspiration and love for history and teaching came from many of her own teachers. One specific teacher that she says she owes much of her career choice to is Mr. Michalek, also known as Mr. Mike, who not only inspired Mrs. Hawkins but also was a mentor to her as a young teacher. Mr. Michalek also loved what he did and put much effort, creativity, and time into his lessons.

If anything, the one thing Mrs. Hawkins hopes to pass on to her students is her love of history. She hopes that they, like her, will see the importance of history and find it useful in their own futures.

Nazareth thanks Mrs. Hawkins for all she has done in her 20 years and what she continues to do, in and out of the history department, and congratulates her for this well-deserved honor and award.