Matthew Hansen

Marcus, IA | 7-12, Science, 2023

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

What motivates me is seeing students discover their potential through hands-on learning. I struggled to find purpose in school until shop class showed me how STEM could be practical and powerful. Now, I aim to give my students that same moment, the spark that connects learning to a future. Watching them grow confidence, skills, and ready for real careers drives everything I do as a STEM teacher. I believe I offer students an experience that very few educators get to experience.

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

I used to think that the importance of being an industrial technology teacher was preparing students to join the workforce and build large projects to showcase in our community. This was the case till a former student decided to attend college to pursue a career in industrial technology education. She once told me she chose to become an industrial tech teacher because of the confidence and purpose she found in my classes. She was the only woman in her college industrial technology education program and said, “I’m here because of you.” That moment affirmed that what I do is bigger than projects, it’s about building futures, especially for students who didn’t see themselves in STEM/CTE careers until they stepped into my classroom.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

As a Presidential Awardee, I hope to amplify the voice of rural STEM educators and spotlight the value of skilled trades in shaping our future workforce. I aim to strengthen school-industry partnerships, mentor teachers, and advocate for hands-on, career-connected learning that empowers all students, especially those in underserved areas, to see STEM and CTE not just as a subject, but as a pathway to opportunity and purpose to make a meaningful impact on our communities.

Biography

Matthew Hansen has taught Industrial Technology at Marcus Meriden Cleghorn-Remsen Union High School for the past 10 years. As the school’s manufacturing technology and engineering instructor in grades 7-12, he educates students in anything from mechanical engineering and additive manufacturing at MMCRU High School as well as exploratory STEM classes in the MMCRU Middle School, focusing on creating a love excitement for engineering in the district. Matthew’s passion for STEM education and the skilled trades is contagious throughout the school and community: he created a program that is all elective coursework that now serves 85% of the high school student body. He chartered the school's first SkillsUSA chapter, a nationally recognized student leadership organization that empowers students to lead and excel in the skilled and technical trades. Students and state leaders alike recognized the incredible contributions he has made by honoring him as Iowa's 2020 STEM educator of the year. The district’s skilled trades program has been recognized as an Iowa STEM BEST program in 2021 and 2024 for its commitment to engaging students with leadership and real-world training beyond high school. Matthew’s passion to lead by example goes beyond his own district: he has presented sessions on industry partnerships in rural education and STEM education for various organizations across the state such as the Iowa Governor's STEM Council, Iowa STEM Summit, Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) of Iowa, and SkillsUSA of Iowa. Matthew has a B.A. in industrial technology with a concentration in education from Wayne State College and is certified in STEM education in grades 6-12. He is a member of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, ACTE, and AWS.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

The views expressed in awardee profiles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF or the PAEMST program.