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Award Notification: William Smithyman (KS '15)
Blue Valley Northwest High School
KS English Teacher Bill Smithyman Surprised with $25,000 Milken Award
In English teacher Bill Smithyman's class at Blue Valley Northwest High School, a “B” is a badge of honor. Smithyman is tough, but the students love him, lining up outside his door after class to ask him to proofread a college entrance letter or edit an essay. Former students say Smithyman is the reason they feel competent, competitive and confident in their college English classes and beyond.
A slew of state and local dignitaries turned out to join in Smithyman's career-defining Milken Educator Award surprise presentation, including Kansas Commissioner of Education Dr. Randy Watson. "To have the whole community come out, have the student body, have the mayor...to be able to recognize one of our best and brightest [teachers] is certainly special," he said.