Congratulations to

National Teaching Award Nominee
Donna Hall
Gretchen Whitney High School, Cerritos, California
Student Nomination Story
Last year, I had the pleasure of learning from one of the most experienced and unique teachers on campus, Mrs. Hall. The main reason why I joined that class was to improve my writing skills since I considered that one of my weaknesses. Over the year, we wrote multiple essays and read great literary works, such as The Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye. For every literary piece, Mrs. Hall would analyze the passages and the whole class would just stare in awe at how experienced and wise she was. After writing 30 essays and 15 precis, I improved enough to pass the AP test with a score I was satisfied with. And at the end of the year, I thought I would only improve my writing, but I also learned more about a teacher who was completely different than what I expected. Though I thought that Mrs. Hall would be an intimidating, overly energetic teacher, I realized that she is actually a very down-to-earth teacher who is actually an introvert. When I had her as my English teacher, I was surprised at how blunt she was, but soon realized that her refreshing bluntness was part of her personality and her personality was what made her such a unique and charming person. Honestly, every time I go talk to her, I still get intimidated by her charisma and powerful aura, but once I actually start talking to her, I can’t help but laugh at her witty remarks and think to myself, “That’s so like her.” Even though I am not in her class anymore, I have plenty of people telling me all about her entertaining stories and interesting things that happened in her class. Sometimes, that story is what makes me smile randomly throughout the day. To be honest, I still can’t describe Mrs. Hall perfectly. She’s funny, interesting, and blunt, but there’s still something about her that I can’t use words to explain. Whatever the reason is, I know I will go back to Mrs. Hall to ask her for more advice and in the future, I wish I could be more like her. Introverted, but confident.
Holly Cho
To see more exceptional teacher nominees, visit The Honor Roll.
