http://ozarkspub.vo.llnwd.net/o37/KSMU/audio/mp3/local-teacher-receives-prestigious-award-ivy-league-school_68214.mp3
Steve Yonke, a science teacher at Glendale High School in Springfield, was recently awarded the 2013 Yale Educator Award by the Yale Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Yonke was nominated by one of his former students, as KSMU’s Julie Greene explains.
Yonke has been a science teacher at Glendale for 14 years. For him, being a teacher is his way of making a difference.
“There’s a part of doing things for kids that says that somebody needs to shape them for the future, recognize their abilities, help them with their weaknesses and keep pointing them towards their goals in life so I try to do all of those as a teacher,” Yonke said.
Incoming Yale students were asked to nominate inspiring educators around the world who have had a profound influence on their lives, and Yonke’s former student, Andy Hill, nominated him.
“There’s a personal sense of reward to say you’ve been recognized for doing something well which being a teacher, that’s a large part of what we do. We’re not here for the pay. This has been something that’s recognized Glendale saying that we do have high quality teaching and teachers here, and we also have really high quality students like Andy who’s capable of applying to and matriculating to a school like Yale.”
Yale created the Yale Educator Award as a way to honor and thank hard-working educators who are dedicated to shaping and influencing Yale’s incoming students.
Yonke is this year’s only Missouri recipient, and he joins 51 other teachers and 38 counselors, who together represent 29 states and 10 countries.
For KSMU News, I’m Julie Greene.