“Honestly, I can’t believe how lucky I am. As a little kid at Lagonda Elementary School, I never imagined that I would one day be heading to Washington, D.C., to receive an award from the White House. I feel an enormous amount of gratitude,” Jenkins said.
As a young educator, Jenkins said he received “phenomenal” mentoring from many teachers during his time at Schaefer Middle School and Greenon, with more experienced teachers taking the time to work with him, giving him praise and constructive feedback.
“Their investment in me and their role modeling were invaluable. I wouldn’t have won this award without their support,” he said.
Jenkins, as well as the other winning teachers, will receive $10,000 from the National Science Foundation, a certificate signed by the President, a trip to Washington, D.C. to celebrate their accomplishments, participate in professional development activities and network with other STEM educators, and join a “prestigious cadre” of more than 5,200 teacher-alumni from across the nation.
“Thomas Jenkins Jr. represents the most outstanding teachers America has to offer and serves as both a model and an inspiration to students and fellow teachers,” the NSF said.
After 25-years, Jenkins recently left Greenon and is now the program manager at the National Museum of the United States Air Force where he works in the educational office to offer a range of learning opportunities for guests.
Although Jenkins is unsure who nominated him for this award, he said that “the Greenon community has always been very supportive, and I have felt appreciated.”
He encourages others to visit https://paemst.nsf.gov/ to nominate other deserving STEM educators for this award.
“It means the world to a teacher just to be nominated, not to mention the possibility of being honored with an award from the President,” he said.
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