Two Teachers To Receive Texas A&M’s Inspiration Award May 14-15

Two Texas high school teachers – Liz Treptow, an animal science, horticulture and communications teacher at Weimar High School, and Sohail Khan, AP physics teacher at Marcus High School in Flower Mound – have been selected, based on nominations by former students, to receive the Texas A&M University Inspiration Award for Exceptional Education.

The recipients of the award are recognized during the ceremony at which the nominating student graduates. Treptow was nominated by Kasey Kram. She will be presented the award at the university’s 9 a.m. commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15. She also will have the honor of presenting her former student, Kram, with his agriculture business and agricultural leadership and development degree from Texas A&M’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Khan was nominated by Michelle Wise. He will be presented the award at the university’s 7 p.m. commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 14. Khan will have the honor of presenting his former student, Wise, with her mechanical engineering degree from Texas A&M’s Dwight Look College of Engineering.

In addition to the award, each teacher will be presented a check for $2,000, while their respective schools will each receive $1,000.

The unusual Texas A&M award is believed to be the first of its type sponsored by any university in Texas. As a university known for valuing excellence, leadership and service, Texas A&M sponsors the award as a way of recognizing those values in the teachers who have inspired and challenged their students to excel, officials note.

In nominating Treptow, Kram says for the last 16 years he has had the honor and privilege of being mentored, taught and nurtured by Treptow while she worked in various capacities for Weimar ISD and the Texas FFA Association.

He adds that Treptow has a student-oriented approach to the multiple agriculture courses she teaches. In her classes she pushes students to develop their potential and to pursue a future outside the classroom. In addition, she commits every lunch period and afternoons to training various teams to compete at the state and national level in contests associated with UIL and FFA.

“Her commitment is what gives her students a distinctive advantage when it comes to applying to colleges and universities. I distinctly remember spending countless lunches with Ms. Treptow and I can personally say she was fully committed to making sure all her students have the opportunity to continue their education after high school,” Kram says. The majority of students who have graduated from Weimar High can testify to Treptow’s genuine character and overall love for her students, he adds, saying her consistent positive attitude and air of calm confidence enables her to relate to all students.

Kram concludes by saying Treptow has his highest recommendation because she “truly cares for each student and will forever make an impact on the lives of students.”

In her nomination letter, Wise says she was “blessed” to have taken Khan’s famous AP physics course her senior year and “will never forget the enriching lessons he taught both inside and outside the classroom.” She stays in touch with him and considers him one of the most influential and inspiring people in her life.

“Mr. Khan was born and raised in Pakistan and, with the onset of a devastating war and the loss of his older brothers, was forced to flee. He spent the next 10 years in America as a cab driver in Dallas and rebuilding his life.”

Wise adds that he shared some of his background with the class and she found the stories simultaneously heart wrenching and uplifting. “They demonstrated the power of hard work and perseverance in fulfilling the American dream and serve as the foundation for the success of many of his students.”

She found Khan’s passion for motivating his students has had a positive effect and is an example of his desire to serve a purpose greater than himself. His students find his lessons to be interactive because he requires the class to answer questions, propose theories and solve problems.

“He goes above and beyond to make sure his students truly think instead of memorize formulas and regurgitate answers. Among all my high school teachers, and even my college professors, I have never encountered another instructor who cares more deeply about his students and their development of powerful thinking skills and their retention of fundamental course concepts.”

Wise describes Khan as someone who truly believes every student is capable of achievement so he invests his time to ensure each student has the opportunity to recognize their potential. The scores of his students on AP exams attest to his investment in their education – his students maintain a passing rate above 97 percent.

Khan also tells his students about his dedication to serve the community by coaching Special Olympics teams and sponsoring children at New Horizons orphanage by delivering toys and supplies at Christmas. “Although his religion does not celebrate the holiday, he is committed to the idea of serving others and bringing about positive change and hope to the less fortunate.”

Although he never set foot on the Texas A&M campus, Wise believes Kahn exemplifies the university’s core values such as excellence and selfless service and has “inspired me to excel in high school, college and beyond. My appreciation and respect for the life-changing impact he has had is profound. I have dedicated myself to becoming a better person because of him.”