NEW — 2:45 p.m. Nov. 3, 2015
Gretel Von Bargen’s vacation plans took an interesting twist this past summer.
One hundred and ten miles into a “lifetime bucket list” backpacking trip on the John Muir Trail with her husband, Von Bargen, a teacher at Skyline High School, received a special invitation to fly to Washington, D.C., meet President Obama, and be recognized by the National Science Foundation with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
Although it meant cutting the hiking trip short, there was no way Von Bargen could miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Von Bargen said that was when the real, epic journey began, as the couple proceeded to “hike, boat, hitchhike, train, bus and drive home from California” in time for her to catch a flight to Washington D.C. and participate in the awards ceremony.
The ceremony in the nation’s capital was the culmination of a process that began in November 2012 when Von Bargen’s former principal, Lisa Hechtman, nominated her for the award. For six months, Von Bargen worked on an extensive application packet that included essays, videos of her teaching, and letters of recommendation.
She received word in late summer 2013 that she was a Washington state finalist. And then, nothing. Nearly two years later, Von Bargen had almost given up on hearing any news.
It was the day she and her husband were set to begin their hike in California that the letter arrived: Von Bargen had been selected as the Washington state winner in science teaching. But there was no word as to when the ceremony would take place.
Von Bargen made it to Washington, D.C., and had an opportunity to talk with teachers from all over their country and learn about their school systems.
After these conversations, she said she “was often left with a sense of gratitude for teaching in Issaquah. It is wonderful to live and work in a community in which parents and students value education. My biggest sense of gratitude was for my teaching colleagues. Our schools are filled with teachers and staff who care very deeply about student learning and are willing to go above and beyond to do what is best for our kids.”
President Obama greeted the group in the White House after the award ceremony and, Von Bargen said, joked that “the water glasses we’d been drinking out of were all being saved so that the government could clone us.”
The President spoke about the impact a teacher makes on students, and referenced his own daughters learning math and science, noting that students need STEM subjects, not only so they can get a job, but so they can understand their world.
After taking a group photograph, each of the award winners had an opportunity to shake hands with Obama and introduce themselves. Von Bargen reported that she received some extra attention when she slipped slightly on the wooden floor. The President reached out to make sure she was OK and joked that he could run and get crutches for her if she needed them.
“Conspiracy theorists will claim I slipped on purpose for the extra 15 seconds of attention,” Von Bargen said, “but I assure you that it was unintentional.”
Issaquah School District officials stated they are proud of all their teachers and thrilled that one of their own has received recognition for excellence in teaching at the national level. The district strives to be supportive of professional growth, and values teamwork and collaboration.
Von Bargen sums it up this way: “I work with teachers who encourage me to reflect on my practice and who challenge me to be a better instructor, and I am very grateful for them.
“I must also thank my husband, Curtis, and the Skyline staff who have been extraordinarily supportive of the time and dedication I have for teaching. Curtis doesn’t blink an eye when I tell him I need to work long nights or weekends. I know I wouldn’t have been nationally recognized had he and my teaching colleagues not been so supportive.”
Courtesy: Issaquah School District