Mrs. Hailey Anderson, math teacher and head girls lacrosse coach, is one of six NDA teachers nominated for the prestigious Golden Apple Award.

“I was shocked, excited and a little overwhelmed! I had no idea I was nominated,” she said. 

She has been teaching for eight years, but this is only her sixth year at NDA.

“I have always wanted to be a teacher since I was in preschool. I think I decided on becoming a math teacher after my middle school teachers,” said Anderson. 

Those teachers had such a passion for the subject and helped her really succeed.

“I knew I wanted to do the same thing for other students one day,” she added.

A big challenge for her as a teacher is helping her students see that they can be successful in math or any subject. 

“Helping students see they are capable of anything and that some things, like math, might just take a little more work,” she said. 

When she helps students overcome that, it “feels like a huge victory” no matter how long it takes to get the student to that point. 

“The most rewarding moment as a teacher is seeing those ‘ah-ha’ moments. It’s so rewarding to see students be successful and understand their work,” said the math teacher. 

To the person(s) that nominated her she would like to say: “I am honored that they thought of me to be nominated for such an award! I am grateful for the opportunity.”