SVUUSD and Fair Haven Union High School are proud to announce that math teacher and class of 2025 advisor Mr. Nathan Morris has been named a recipient of the 2025 Yale Educator Award, following a heartfelt nomination by Class of 2025 graduate Emmet MacKay. The Yale Educator Recognition Program honors outstanding teachers and counselors worldwide who inspire and support their students. Of this year’s 302 nominees from 38 states and 22 countries, 61 teachers and 26 counselors were selected for the award.
Emmet’s nomination captured the energy and dedication that set Mr. Morris apart:
“Mr. Morris is not just a teacher or class advisor. He is a force. He is the pulse of our school. He is the reason our class of 2025 had any chance at making senior year feel legendary. He planned our prom(s), found the deals that made our senior trip possible, organized fundraisers, and pushed every one of us to step up. He showed us how to lead by leading harder than anyone else. Every hallway knows his voice. Every classroom knows his presence. The man is said to have two volumes: loud, and louder.
There were days when he would emerge from a smoky room wearing a blue wig while Nirvana played at full blast (for science...). There were rallies where he would charge down the bleachers with a massive homemade hammer that looked like something out of a cartoon. That hammer became a symbol of our class, and so did his self-coined phrase, which he shouted at every rally and event: ‘Be the hammer, not the nail!’
But Mr. Morris is more than school spirit. He is the kind of teacher who shows up beside a desk when students forget to ask for help. He is the kind of advisor who gives you the guidance you did not even know you needed. When I told him I didn't really want to apply to Yale, he looked at me and told me to make my own story. That conversation changed me. I applied. I got in. I would not be here without him.
Mr. Morris is spirited, loyal, and legendary. He went to this school, grew up in this town, and has poured himself into building something better for the students who came after him. I will never forget what he gave us.”
Mr. Morris’ recognition is both a personal honor and a proud moment for SVUUSD and Fair Haven Union High School. His passion, loyalty, and unwavering commitment to students has left a lasting mark, and the entire community celebrates this well-deserved achievement.