University of Washington

One of the highlights of the awards ceremony is always the Thomas J. and Cameron Pressly Prize for Excellence in Secondary Education, which is awarded annually to an outstanding high school teacher in the state of Washington. This award recognizes all the great work teachers at this level put in to inspire the next generation of UW history majors. This year's recipient was Andrew Monsen, who teaches U.S. history, civics, human geography, and sociology at Auburn Riverside High School. The presentation was made extra special by the fact that Monsen was introduced by his former pupil, and current UW student, Dax Tate, who had nominated him for the prize. Tate described Monsen as a caring and inspiring teacher who encourages students to think critically, carefully, and with an open mind, about the past and present. Tate also recalled times when Monsen went above and beyond, acting as a mentor to himself and many others. Tate would often seek Monsen's sage advice, especially when he found himself unable to communicate with those who held opposing points of view. When asked how it felt to receive the award, Monsen stated that he was honored. "I feel especially proud to have made an impact on such a great student and person like Dax." He also explained his pedagogy in the classroom. "I often only have one hour with a diverse group of kids. In that time, I want to help them answer, and get them excited about answering, the question Congratulations to Hannah Fumiko Takemori, who was this year's winner of the Power Prize for Outstanding Student Leader. This well-deserved award was given in recognition of her commitment to lead and inspire. While at the UW, Takemori has excelled, using her studies and knowledge to do important work outside the classroom and to integrate the study of history with community and public engagement. She explains, "History is not merely something that I love–albeit I do–but something to be done in the public, beyond the archive and library." Her honors thesis, "It Must Be Odd to Be a Minority," examined multiracial families and surveillance during the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. She has also given back to the community in myriad other ways. In her first year at the UW, Takemori tutored at-risk youth in U.S history through the UW Pipeline Project, and she has been an activist for the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) from a young age. She acknowledges how her advocacy has been greatly "enriched and informed" by her study of history. This award tops an impressive year for Takemori, who was also named one of the University of Washington Husky 100 for 2018. This distinguished group of students are recognized annually for their commitment to their studies and their drive to truly make the most of their Husky experience. 2018 DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AWARDS CEREMONY U W U N D E R G R A D U AT E G I V E S B A C K T O E X E M P L A R Y T E A C H E R : A N D R E W M O N S E N AWA R D E D T H E P R E S S LY P R I Z E F O R E X C E L L E N C E I N S E C O N D A R Y E D U C AT I O N ANDREW MONSEN (RIGHT) AND DAX TATE (LEFT) Outstanding Undergraduates Make Their Mark H A N N A H F U M I K O TA K E M O R I : O U T S TA N D I N G S T U D E N T L E A D E R A N D M E M B E R O F T H E H U S K Y 1 0 0 of how did we get here? That's what was always exciting to me about history, and in my classrooms I want to bring enthusiasm and encourage discovery … Change is inevitable, and by studying history we can not only learn about how and why we change but also explore how we might change in the future. I believe you can't be a good citizen and know who you are without knowing the past." 2  U N I V E R S I T Y O F W A S H I N G T O N

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