Every year the Office of College Admissions at University of Chicago presents high school teachers with their Outstanding Educator Award. This year, 2015 DGN graduate and U of C freshman, Daria Wick, nominated English teacher Farrah Velazquez for this award.

“The Office of College Admissions grants the Outstanding Educator Award to teachers who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to the education and personal development of their students,” according to the U of C website.

In order for a teacher to be eligible for the award, a current U of C student must write a letter to the Office of College Admissions explaining why one of their high school teachers deserves this award.

“She [Velazquez] really went above and beyond in terms of teaching. Not only when I had her as a teacher but also as my academic career progressed I knew I could always go to her if I needed an essay looked over or anything remotely English related I could go to her,” Wick said.

Annually, hundreds of letters are received from U of C students nominating their former teachers, from all over the world. Only five to ten teachers become recipients of this award, Velazquez being one of them.

“I was very touched and honored. For those people who do know Daria, she’s a pretty outstanding young woman and so for her to pick me out of any teachers she’s had I was both surprised and honored,” Velazquez said.