“It is such an honor to be named a Teacher of Distinction,” said Mr. Adam Rudar, Notre Dame’s department chair for social studies. He has been teaching at NDA for well over ten years now.
Fourteen other NDA teachers also received nominations for the Golden Apple award, but only Rudar will advance to the next level of the Golden Apple Awards as a Teacher of Distinction.
The process begins with someone nominating a teacher, after which the school selects nominees to advance toward the Golden Apple recognition.
Those designated as a Teacher of Distinction proceed to the final selection process. Rudar is in that final step, right before being a Golden Apple recipient.
“There are so many great teachers out there, and to be at the top of that is so nice,” said the social studies teacher.
Rudar was inspired from a young age to be a teacher by his middle school English teachers.
“As I kept on going through school, I was very interested in history and psychology,” he said.
Rudar attended Saint Norbert College for his undergrad and teaching license.
“I majored in social studies and psychology,” he explained.
He received his master’s in psychology from NorthCentral University, now merged with National University. Rudar has continuously pursued higher education and is now set to get his doctorate in psychology.
“It is through the Concordia three-year hybrid program,” he explained. During his time teaching at NDA, he takes the online courses, but in the summer, he takes in-person classes.
The program allows him to complete his doctorate in under four years, but it runs year-round with no summer break.
“It is hard to be a full-time student and teacher.” Rudar admitted. Not only does he arrive at school early to prepare for a long day of teaching, but he also goes home to learn more.
Balancing work, family, and school can be overwhelming at times, but he handles it with resilience.
Rudar’s first official teaching job was at NDA, subbing for a psychology class. Now he teaches IB psychology, intro to psychology, and multiple social studies courses.
“I think social studies is special and gives you a sense of identity and how to make choices in the world,” Rudar said.
Teaching social studies allows him to foster students’ appreciation for the subject he loves.
His favorite part of Notre Dame is the supportive and caring community.
“We don’t always appreciate what we have every day,” he said.
Rudar plans on staying at Notre Dame for the next few years, or until his children graduate. Both are eagerly awaiting attending NDA.
“I love teaching here, but maybe working at a college someday in the future,” he added.
The fourteen other NDA teachers also nominated for the Golden Apple award were Danielle Bennett, Carolyn Brown, Eliza Campbell, Julie Campbell, Jaime Danen, Crystal Dory, Gregory Geiser, Andrea Gilson, Tina Harpold, Holly Hinch, Jennifer Laaksonen, Michael Prudisch, Steven Stary and Jean Thillman.
Receiving the ultimate award is rare, as NDA has only had two Golden Apple winners since the inception of the program in 1993.
“I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Adam received the Golden Apple Award,” said veteran English teacher Carolyn Brown. “He is a dynamic teacher and gives unselfishly of his time to work on committees here at school and do all kinds of service beyond the classroom. I was thrilled to learn he’d been named a Teacher of Distinction.”
