2021 State History Teachers of the Year Announced

The Gilder Lehrman Institute is proud to announce the 2021 State History Teachers of the Year.

Since 2004, 855 exemplary American history teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools in all fifty states, Department of Defense schools, Washington DC, and US territories have been named State History Teacher of the Year. Many have gone on to work with the Institute, many as master teachers for programs such as History School.

Inaugurated in 2004, the History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools, and US Territories. In fall 2021, ten finalists for the National History Teacher of the Year will be announced.

Local news stories about State History Teachers of the Year can be found here.

The 2021 State History Teachers of the Year are

ALABAMA

Jaclyn Foster

Tuscaloosa Academy

Tuscaloosa, AL

ALASKA

Myla Liljemark

Seward Middle School

Seward, AK

ARIZONA

William Kibler

Cesar Chavez High School

Laveen, AZ

ARKANSAS

Kristy Brasfield

Blytheville High School New Tech

Blytheville, AR

CALIFORNIA

Lindsey Charron

Horace Ensign Intermediate School

Newport Beach, CA 

COLORADO

David Benson

Colorado Springs School

Colorado Springs, CO 

CONNECTICUT

Nataliya Braginsky

Metropolitan Business Academy

New Haven, CT 

DELAWARE

Thomas Leighty

Dover High School

Dover, DE 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DoDEA)

Mark Fairchild

Department of Defense Education Activity 

Kaiserslautern High School

APO 

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Caneisha Mills  

Hardy Middle School DC Public Schools

Washington, DC 

FLORIDA

Lindsay Brinkmann

DeLand High School

DeLand, FL

GEORGIA

Jose Gregory

Marist School

Atlanta, GA 

HAWAII

Melissa Perkins

`Iolani School

Honolulu, HI 

IDAHO

Benjamin Harris

Bishop Kelly High School

Boise, ID 

ILLINOIS

Rivanna Jihan

Simeon Career Academy

Chicago, IL 

INDIANA

Emily Lewellen

Brown County High School

Nashville, IN 

IOWA

Amber Davison

Hoover High School

Des Moines, IA 

KANSAS

Dave McIntire

The Independent School (Middle School)

Wichita, KS 

KENTUCKY

Justin Mitchell

Franklin-Simpson Middle School

Franklin, KY 

LOUISIANA

Chris Dier

Benjamin Franklin High School

New Orleans, LA 

MAINE

Michelle Strattard

Gray-New Gloucester High School

Gray, ME 

MARYLAND

Adam Laye

Parkville High School

Baltimore, MD 

MASSACHUSETTS

Christina O’Connor

Hingham High School

Hingham, MA

MICHIGAN

Ryan Werenka

Troy High School

Troy, MI

MINNESOTA

Martin Marrin

DeLaSalle High School

Minneapolis, MN 

MISSISSIPPI

Steven White

Pearl High School

Pearl, MS 

MISSOURI

Dale Hoggatt

Cecil Floyd Elementary

Joplin, MO 

MONTANA

Jennifer Zirbel

Belgrade High School

Belgrade, MT 

NEBRASKA

Nathan Bassett

Lincoln Lutheran MS/HS

Lincoln, NE 

NEVADA

Brooke Wheatley

Valley High School

Las Vegas, NV 

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Jake Goodwin

Exeter Regional Cooperative Middle School

Stratham, NH 

NEW JERSEY

Medha Kirtane

Ridgewood High School

Ridgewood, NJ 

NEW MEXICO

Michelle Van Sant

Rio Rancho Middle School

Rio Rancho, NM 

NEW YORK

Andrew Savage

Brooklyn High School of The Arts

Brooklyn, NY 

NORTH CAROLINA

Hannah Page

Raleigh Charter High School

Raleigh, NC 

NORTH DAKOTA

Denise Bervig

Williston High School

Williston, ND 

OHIO

Emily Marty

Marion L. Steele High School

Amherst, OH 

OKLAHOMA

Alona Whitebird

Southmoore High School

Moore, OK 

OREGON

Gregory Garcia

Franklin High School-Portland Public School District

Portland, OR 

PENNSYLVANIA

Olivia Good

Manheim Township Middle School

Lancaster, PA 

RHODE ISLAND

Charles Laurent

Rocky Hill Country Day School

East Greenwich, RI 

SOUTH CAROLINA

Saudah Collins

Jackson Creek Elementary

Columbia, SC 

SOUTH DAKOTA

Tamra Huffman

Harrisburg North Middle School

Sioux Falls, SD

TENNESSEE

Duke Richey

McCallie School

Chattanooga, TN 

TEXAS

Corey Butler

Talkington School for Young Women Leaders

Lubbock, TX 

US TERRITORIES

James Glenn

Marianas High School

Saipan 

UTAH

Quinn Rollins

Cyprus High School

Magna, UT 

VERMONT

Emmet Quinn

St. Johnsbury Academy

Saint Johnsbury, VT 

VIRGINIA 

Benjamin Overcash

Trailside Middle School

Ashburn, VA 

WASHINGTON

Leslie Heffernan

Mica Peak High School

Spokane Valley, WA 

WEST VIRGINIA

Adena Barnette

Ripley High School

Ripley WV

WISCONSIN

Kate Van Haren

Pittsville Elementary School

Pittsville, WI 

WYOMING

Stephany Anderson

Cody High School

Cody, WY