Receiving the Presidential Award means that I have the responsibility to represent teachers well and help other teachers reach their goals. The award places me in a position to serve the profession and step up in any way I can to help others. I also see this award as a reflection not of myself, but of my school and fellow staff members. The staff at Complete High School Maize have all dedicated their lives to helping struggling students and I am in awe of their passion and commitment.

Heidi Albin Maize, KS | 7-12, Science, 2017

The official biography below was current at the time of the award. For this awardee's latest biographical information, see their profile page.

Heidi Albin has spent the last ten years as the science teacher and Character Education Coordinator at Complete High School Maize (CHSM), where she teaches 9-12th-grade Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physical Science, Agriculture, Health, Career Skills, and Character Education. After helping CHSM receive recognition as a Character.org state and national School of Character, Heidi coauthored "186 Days of Character," a year-long character education curriculum which is shared freely across Kansas (KS). She has successfully implemented a facility therapy dog program into her school, helped CHSM receive recognition as a Kansas Association of Conservation and Environmental Education Green School of the Year, and established a handicap accessible community garden. As a master angler with Fishing's Future, and a member of the board of directors for Wild KS, Heidi has written and implemented curriculum for fishing, wilderness survival, and camping. She shares her resources across Kansas, presenting at conferences such as the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network and KS Association for Teachers of Science. She is a 2018 Milken Educator and serves on a national 100Kin10 team. Heidi earned a B.S. in cellular molecular biology, cum laude, and a M.S. in secondary education from Fort Hays State University with certifications in biology, chemistry, agriculture, and earth and space science.

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