Winter/Spring 2009
MESA advisor and Stockton's Stagg High School teacher, Andrew Walter was named an Outstanding Teacher of America by the Carlston Family Foundation.
The national award follows several recent distinctions for the 15-year MESA advisor. For example, he also led a team of students to win first place in the MESA National Engineering Design Competition in 2007.
The Carlston Family Foundation identifies stellar public school teachers based on nominations by former students who have advanced to college. Each teacher receives $15,000 and an additional $5,000 is awarded to his or her school.
But Walter said the benefits of being a MESA advisor go beyond finances or academics.
"I hope I am able to help my students go on to do something better than they had originally thought they were capable of achieving," he said.
One of Walter's former students, an engineering management major at University of the Pacific, said of him: "He saw something in me no one else had. I really have to thank him for where I am today.
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