How outstanding! – Eastlake High teacher wins chemistry society award
Over the summer, Brian Wikrent, chemistry teacher at Eastlake High School, won the American Chemical Society’s Puget Sound Section 2024 High School Teacher of the Year award. The award is given to nominees who demonstrate quality in their teaching, an ability to inspire and challenge students, and extracurricular work in chemistry or a chemical science. The award comes with $250 cash plus $750 for science supplies, and an invitation to the awards dinner that takes place on September 28 at Renton Technical College.
According to the awarding organization, Brian Wikrent received his Bachelors of Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota ('95) and his Masters of Education from the University of Minnesota ('00). He taught in Minneapolis for three years ('00-'03), then moved to Washington and has been teaching at Eastlake since. In 2007, he earned a National Board Certification with the advanced chemistry addition to start teaching AP chemistry which he has been doing since 2008. "I think chemistry is the easiest science to teach because I can show them all kinds of neat reactions to excite them about it,” Wikrent said. “Except thermodynamics ... it can't be helped.”
Wikrent was nominated by his Associate Principal, Lowell Thompson, who had been a chemistry teacher himself for 27 years. “In addition to his in-depth knowledge of chemistry, Brian has excellent teaching skills,” Thompson said. “He built the AP Chemistry program up at the school requiring the addition of a second AP Chemistry teacher. Brian took time to mentor the new teacher and he is always ready to support his colleagues by demonstrating his leadership in the field of chemistry teaching.
Thompson said that Wikrent’s students absolutely love him. They appreciate the constant support he provides. One of Wikrent’s seniors is about to attend UCLA to major in Chemistry. Here are their words about Mr. Wikrent from that student: "I've always had an interest in chemistry and how the universe works, but having Mr. Wikrent as my chemistry teacher has only grown that interest and willingness to learn exponentially. He is extremely helpful when lecturing and guiding labs, mentoring and giving informative lectures and guidance while still allowing the student to grow and learn on their own. I am now going off to college to major in chemistry, and I owe so much of my success in chemistry to him and his teaching."