Lottery Commissioner, Suzanna Shkreli, presents Ben Darin with his Excellence in Education check.
A Kent County educator who is known for providing students with options for a successful future has been honored with an Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery.
The award winner, Ben Darin, is an eighth-grade Science, Flight and Space, and Green Architecture teacher at Eastern Middle School. The school is part of Forest Hills Public Schools.
The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence In Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.
Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WLUC in Marquette, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, and WWTV-TV in Traverse City. The news segment featuring Darin will air this evening.
“Mr. Darin’s story of overcoming adversity as a child and using that experience as inspiration for a career in education is truly remarkable,” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. “He sets a positive example for his students every day, and makes them feel included and provides them with the tools they need to be successful members of society.”
Darin said his experience in third grade inspired him to pursue a career in education.
“When I was in third grade, I was in and out of school for the second half of the year fighting brain cancer. My teacher made such an effort to make my time in the classroom feel normal and enjoyable. It ended up being my favorite year of elementary school. The care he had for his students really showed. I’ve always had a knack for explaining things to other people. Inspired by my experience in elementary school, I thought teaching would be a wonderful way to use that gift. It would also allow me to give back to society and be that positive role model for students who would be coming through my classroom.”
Darin was nominated for the award by a family member.
“Mr. Darin is an outstanding example of what a teacher should be and how his classes should be structured. As the teacher for Project Lead the Way, he encourages STEM careers but also gives options to those who may want to work in math and science careers but are more suitable for the trades. Understanding what your options are as a young adult, and having access to resources that encourage your education outside of college is something every child should have.”
Darin earned a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and is pursuing a master’s degree in educational leadership from Calvin University. He has been an educator for 12 years, the last four in his current position.
Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:
- Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
- Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
- Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
- Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
- Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district.