Eisenhower Teacher Honored by Stanford University

Kelley holds her certificate from Stanford University as she stands in front of a painting from Nguyen.

Dr. MichaelAnn Kelley, art teacher and International Baccalaureate (IB) art class teacher at Eisenhower High School, recently received a surprise. Former student Som-Mai Nguyen, who currently attends Stanford University, chose Kelley to be honored. Nguyen nominated Kelley as a measure of gratitude for her sacrifices and dedication. Through the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Teacher Tribute Initiative, Stanford University invites incoming freshmen and transfer students to consider nominating one former high school teacher or community-based organization mentor for this honor. While students may have more than one educator they would like to thank, the tribute is intended to recognize the unique and special contribution of one individual toward their educational or personal growth.

Nguyen’s tribute description is included on the award and reads as follows:

Dr. Kelley is the bomb, all that jazz, the cat’s pajamas, and the most influential teacher I’ve ever had, without whom I would have missed an entire dimension of culture and likely never learned the satisfaction of practicing art. She helped me find my voice and then gave me a bullhorn.

“We are very proud of both Dr. Kelley and Som-Mai,” stated Ben Ibarra, principal at Eisenhower High.