A great word to describe Hamilton High School math teacher Andrew Burkhart is: "champion."
He's a champion for his students in the classroom.
He's a champion for his students outside of the classroom as an anti-bullying advocate.
He's a champion for his own son, whose name is also Andrew.
Andrew has cerebral palsy. Together, Mr. Burkhart and his wife are a dynamic duo, working tirelessly for Andrew.
"There is strength in people you can learn from," explains Burkhart.
It's not exactly the lesson you'd expect to learn inside a math class, where geometry problems are sketched across a whiteboard.
"I think we're all mandated and we're supposed to serve."
Serving is what Mr. Burkhart does best. After working a full day at Hamilton, he teaches even more kids at Bogle Junior High - and that's not all he does.
"We need an environment that welcomes you. We need an environment that's not judgmental. We're all here for the same reason and just trying to figure things out. And I want kids to understand that."
So six years ago, Burkhart started hosting anti-bullying assemblies.
Burkhart says, even though he's trying to teach his students, he's usually the one that ends up learning something in the process.
"To me, if the kids aren't inspiring them, I am doing something wrong here. I need to be teaching most of these attributes. The ability to love. The ability to see the best in each other. They will be something that in turn, inspires us."
And Andrew Burkhart, that's why you are one of Nick's Heroes!
All around us in the Valley, people go above and beyond to help make our community even better. We want to know who they are! Nominate someone today and tell us why they should be one ofNick's Heroes. They could win a $500 gift card from our friends at Valley Toyota Dealers.
