The Presidential Award is not only a validation of my chosen career, but it is also an affirmation that I am serving my students, as well as their families, well. Quite often I hear from parents and young people that they struggle with mathematics or that it makes them anxious. It is my goal to improve every student's confidence and to remind them that "math anxiety" really just means that they care and want to do well. I appreciate that my students trust me to help them on their journey.

Daniel Seykora Rugby, ND | 7-12, Mathematics, 2023

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Daniel "Dan" Seykora has been an educator for the past 18 years. He has taught seventh and eighth grade mathematics at Rugby High School over the last seven years. He was previously a sixth grade teacher at TGU Towner Elementary School, where he spent his first 11 years in education. In addition to teaching middle school mathematics courses, Dan also teaches a dual-credit drone course. When he taught in a self-contained classroom, Dan's passion for mathematics developed. Although he knew all of the subjects were important, he thoroughly enjoyed watching the productive struggle mathematics presented, as well as the sense of pride students acquired from their accomplishments. When an opportunity arose to move into a middle-level position to solely teach mathematics, he happily accepted. As an educator in a small, rural district, Dan wears many hats. He has served as an RTI (Response to Intervention) chair, MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) committee member, and as a member of Rugby Public Schools' Grading and Reporting Committee. Dan has presented numerous times to other general education teachers and mathematics educators within his district and for the North Central Education Cooperative. He also coaches Rugby's middle school MathCounts team. In 2023, Dan became a certified remote pilot. This certification allowed him to teach an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (drone) dual-credit course to high school juniors and seniors through Dakota College at Bottineau. He enjoys learning new things and has a passion for technology, so this addition to his teaching repertoire was ideal. Dan earned a B.A. in elementary education from Minot State University and an M.A. in educational leadership from North Dakota State University. He has an endorsement in middle school mathematics.

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