From left: SLHS Principal Dr. Tami Seddon, Michael Nelson, and Carson City Rotary President Katie Leao.
At the beginning of this month, Michael Nelson of Sierra Lutheran High School was awarded Teacher of the Month by the Rotary Club of Carson City.
Nelson has been working at Sierra since the fall of 2006, when he moved to the area to begin his first year of teaching after graduating from Concordia Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Education (emphasis in math and theology). He also holds a Masters in Education Administration from the same university.
Nelson also serves as the SLHS athletic director, varsity girls basketball coach, and he runs the school’s Applied Christianity program, which facilitates the school’s student-led chapel each week.
Nelson also teaches AP Calculus, and this past school year his students averaged a 4.3 score (out of 5) on the College Board AP Calculus exam.
This isn’t the first community recognition Michael has received this year. At the end of the 2016-2017 basketball season, Nelson was named the 1A Western Division Coach of the Year.
Taylor Davison, a junior on the varsity team, describes Nelson as “always encouraging and positive.” On a personal note, she shared, “I’m shy, but he has helped me gain confidence in games by pushing and encouraging me in practice.”
But it is not just Nelson’s excellence in the classroom and on the court that makes him an amazing leader in the community.
“Michael is a true asset to SLHS due to his passion for encouraging and nurturing teens,” explains SLHS Principal Tami Seddon.
Sophomore Rachel Allin, a member of the Applied Christianity program, shares a description of Nelson that is quite telling: “He is energetic and passionate about our school. He makes me excited to learn, and he makes me feel important to our school community.”