“My goal is that students leave my class feeling seen, important and loved by both this community and by God,” said NDA science teacher and Golden Apple nominee Mrs. Molly Mattke. 

Mattke has spent four years of her 14-year career teaching at NDA. She was inspired and taught to love others by her mom who was a special education and sixth-grade teacher. 

She also wanted to start teaching because she loved developing relationships with the kids at a camp where she used to work. 

“The most challenging part of teaching is trying to help about 25 students who all have different strengths, weaknesses, understandings of the topic you’re learning, all at the same time,” said Mattke. “But the most rewarding moments are when I hear students ‘arguing’ about science. That means they are engaged with the topic and thinking deeply about it.”

Mattke would describe herself in one word as “caring.” She always hopes that her students and her colleagues feel cared for.

“I have grown a lot in the last 14 years. I have learned that God has given me a great love for others and an ability to help people know their own worth,” shared the nominee.

“I feel honored to be appreciated by someone in our community enough that they nominated me,” she added.