Our Graduates

A program graduate stands in a classroom, leaning on their diploma — Chimere Hackney MiT 2010, Evergreen's 2018 PK-12 Distinguished Educator of the Year Award recipient.

Many graduates have received local, regional, and national awards. Not just “Teacher of the Year” in their individual schools, but in their school districts and regionally.

Others have been recognized by local and professional organizations such as Rotary clubs, the Washington Art Education Association, and the Washington State Indian Education Association. Evergreen’s Professional Education Advisory Board also annually selects a Distinguished Educator of the Year.

Nathan Gibbs-Bowling MiT ’06 and Betty Williams MiT ’96 have even gone on to win the prestigious national Milken Education Award in 2014 and 2001. This award is considered one of the nation’s highest honors in education.

A New Generation of Innovators and Advocates

Nate Gibbs-Bowling — I get to leave my intellectual and cognitive fingerprints on 100 kids a year who are going out and hopefully becoming more informed citizens and especially being agents of change.

—Nathan Gibbs-Bowling, MiT ’06 **Washington State Teacher of the Year**

Alumni have crafted creative, interdisciplinary lessons.

Matiah Shaman, MiT '13, teaches physical science to high school students. Last year, his class ended a unit about engineering design and electrical circuits by building remote-control sumo-wrestling robots from scratch.
Katie Baydo Reed, MiT '06, teaches fourth graders about the use of Washington State Fairgrounds as a Japanese internment camp during World War Two.

They have also spoken out about the value of teaching and the need to advocate for all students.

Lincoln High School teacher Nathan Gibbs-Bowling, MiT '06, was a panelist for The Seattle Times LiveWire Event (March 2017). He explained why schools serving low-income students need more funding than other schools and how the current system provides the opposite.
Ted Cohn, MiT '03, spoke about the privilege of teaching at The Seattle Times Annual Ignite Education Lab storytelling event (February 2017).

My greatest successes have been seeing how some of my former high school students are now finding happiness in their own lives.

—Avi Barnes, MiT ’04

Awards and Recognition

2022

Jerad Koepp, North Thurston Public Schools, Washington State Teacher of the Year (MiT 2008)

2021

David Buitenveld, Nisqually Middle School, ESD 113 Regional Teacher of the Year (MiT 2015)

2019

Devin Alexander, Olympia School District Elementary Teacher of the Year (MiT 2004)

Wayne Au, The Evergreen State College Distinguished Educational Leader of the Year (MiT 1996)

Lauren Roberts, The Evergreen State College Distinguished PK-12 Educator of the Year (MiT 2007)

2018

Chimere Hackney, The Evergreen State College Distinguished PK-12 Educator of the Year (MiT 2010)

2017

Katie Agren, NTEA Teacher of the Year for Chinook Middle School (MiT 2007)

Wayne Au, Society of Professors of Education William H. Watkins Award Winner (MiT 1996)

Fred Ericson, NTEA Teacher of the Year for River Ridge High School (MiT 2001)

Nathan Gibbs-Bowling, Evergreen's Joseph Albert Dear Distinguished Alumni Award Winner (MiT 2006)

Rand Hodgson, The Evergreen State College Distinguished PK-12 Educator of the Year (MiT 2010)

Tim Holman, WHAS11 & LG&E Excellence in Classroom and Educational Leadership Award Winner (MiT 1999)

Alex McCarty, Featured in The Evergreen Magazine - 2017 Winter Issue (MiT 2002)

Ingrid Morais, Washington State PTA Outstanding Educator (MiT 2012)

Amy Solomon-Minarchi, Olympia's First Poet Laureate (MiT 2011)

Chelsea Thomas Altrum, NTEA Teacher of the Year for Timberline High School (MiT 2011)

Pamelia Valentine, NAEA School of Art Leaders Participant (MiT 1999)

2016

Jim Anderson, Washington State Forensics Association Coach of the Year (MiT 2002)

Justin Brooks, Lochburn Middle School Teacher of the Year (MiT 2006)

Kelly Cowgill, Featured in the Oregon Education Association's Quarterly Publication (MiT 2015)

Nathan Gibbs-Bowling, Washington State Teacher of the Year (MiT 2006)

Betty Hicks, Washington State PTA Outstanding Educator (MiT 2002)

Theresa Holland-Schmid, ESD 114 Regional Teacher of the Year (MiT 1993)

Nicole Laib Rutledge, Yelm Community Schools Secondary Teacher of the Year (MiT 2007)

2015

Elisabeth Rene Avnet, Herbst Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence Recipient (MiT 2005)

Nikki Dunbar, Highline School District Ducky Award Recipient (MiT 2012)

Nathan Gibbs-Bowling, Pierce College Distinguished Alumni (MiT 2006)

David Hunter, NCGE Outstanding Support for Geographic Education Award Recipient (MiT 2011)

Erin Landvatter, North Kitsap School District Rangveld Kvelstad Teacher of the Year (MiT 2000)

Kasinda Starmer, NTEA Teacher of the Year for Chinook Middle School (MiT 2012)

Cindel Tobias, The Evergreen State College Distinguished PK-12 Educator of the Year (MiT 2010)

Joanna Tovar Barnes, National Endowment for the Humanities Grant Recipient (MiT 2010)

2014

Victoria Benson, MiT 2005 - North Thurston School District Cause for Applause Award Recipient (MiT 2005)

Liz Fegley, Woodbridge Senior High New Educator of the Year (MiT 2010)

Mike Fekete, St. Mary of the Assumption School Ann Anderson Teacher of the Year (MiT 2011)

Nathan Gibbs-Bowling, Milken Education Award Recipient (MiT 2006)

Nora Hallet, Washington Association for Language Teaching Teacher of the Year (MiT 2001)

Susi O'Bryan, Nisqually Middle School Teacher of the Year (MiT 2002)

Sean Riley, The Evergreen State College Distinguished PK-12 Educator of the Year (MiT 2005)

Jeremiah Tuckett, South Sound High School Teacher of the Year (MiT 2006)

2013

Rob Cahill, The Evergreen State College Distinguished PK-12 Educator of the Year (MiT 2008)

Angela Farley, NTEA Teacher of the Year for River Ridge High School (MiT 1999)

Pamela Valentine, ESD 113 Regional Teacher of the Year (MiT 1996)