Meet the 2025 Northwestern Schapiro Award winners

Teachers teach a curriculum. Many change lives. This year’s honorees for the Morton Schapiro Distinguished Secondary School Teacher Awards do both and then some.

The award, named for Morton Schapiro, Northwestern’s 16th president, honors outstanding high school teachers for their commitment to students. The teachers are chosen from nominations submitted by graduating Northwestern seniors. The awards carry a stipend of $5,000 for each teacher and $5,000 for each of their high schools.

A great education begins long before a student’s first day of college.”

The 2025 Schapiro Award recipients are Stephanie Hill, Jennifer Neff, Julie Stoffel and Rita Thompson. They will be honored during the Northwestern commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 15.

The award is sponsored by the Office of the President with cooperation from the School of Education and Social Policy and is supported by the Associated Student Government. The selection committee is made up of Northwestern faculty, staff and students who review the nominations and request teaching portfolios from nominated teachers for finalist consideration. A small selection of finalists is chosen after interviews, and the awardees are sent to President Michael Schill for final approval.

“A great education begins long before a student’s first day of college,” President Schill said. “It starts earlier, with the teachers who challenged them, guided them and put them in a position to succeed at the highest levels of academia. I am proud to honor the transformative educators who laid the foundation for our students during this year’s commencement activities.”

Stephanie Hill

Glacier High School, Kalispell, Montana

At Glacier High School in Kalispell, Montana, Stephanie Hill begins each school year with a meaningful ritual — showing students her 2004 high school yearbook where she proudly declared her dream to become a French teacher. Sixteen years into that dream, the Wisconsin native and proud product of the public school system has created a legacy that extends far beyond language instruction.

“Language connects us, helps form communities and guides our way in the world,” Hill often tells her students, embodying her belief that education should nurture global citizens.

Hill’s passion for cultural connection manifests in her annual National French Week celebrations. She has even chaperoned hundreds of students on international trips to 15 countries around the world. But her impact transcends academics.

As a former faculty co-advisor for the Gay-Straight Alliance and creator of “Operation Happiness,” Hill fosters school-wide positivity. Perhaps most remarkable are what she calls the “day after’s” — moments when she provides comfort following tragedies, like when she supported students after the loss of a beloved staff member.

“Ms. Hill didn’t force excellence on us,” recalled Northwestern Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences senior Simon Roston. “She made me feel like I could go anywhere and because of her, I could get to Northwestern.”

Said Principal Brad Holloway, “Stephanie has been a leader in the way our school embraces our language department as one that contributes to our overall climate in a positive way.”

Through her classroom, Madame Hill, as she is affectionately called by students, creates not just French speakers, but also compassionate citizens who, she said, are ready to “care for each other, engage in their community and enact positive change.”

Jennifer Neff

South Anchorage High School, Anchorage, Alaska

In the halls of South Anchorage High School, Jennifer Neff has transformed the way students experience mathematics for more than two decades. As math department chair for more than 10 years, she’s fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a teacher while revolutionizing math education.

Walking into Neff’s classroom, one might mistake it for an art studio — glue bottles, colored pens, paper cutouts and baskets of supplies create an inviting atmosphere where complex mathematical concepts come to life. Her student-led approach has teenagers standing at whiteboards, discovering mathematical principles together rather than sitting passively.

“The times I struggled in math and then overcame it was part of the reason I love learning,” Neff explained. “It is important to me that kids learn that it’s ok when something is hard. If you don’t understand a concept being taught, that doesn’t mean you are ‘not good’ at it, it simply means you have more to learn.”

This philosophy helped transform students like Ava Earl, who is now a senior in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. Earl considered math her least favorite subject before encountering Neff’s innovative methods.

“I am so proud to have been her student,” Earl said. “When I look back on my high school years, Ms. Neff stands out, not because she was the smartest or the funniest or the most lenient, but because she was hands down the best teacher I had.”

Beyond her classroom, Neff pioneered the Illustrative Math curriculum, now used in over 20 schools. She balances her serious commitment to education with playful elements, like coordinating spirit days where teachers wear t-shirts adorned with tongue-in-cheek math puns.

“Jennifer Neff does all of this with an ideal balance of seriousness and humor, which means that students and teachers gravitate toward her,” said Principal Luke Almon.

Through her student-centered approach and continuous self-improvement as an avid reader of teaching methodologies, Neff has made her 20-year career not just about numbers, but about nurturing confidence, creativity and a genuine love for learning.

Julie Stoffel

Lincoln High School, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

At Lincoln High School, Julie Stoffel conducts more than melodies. Over the last several years, she has composed a sanctuary of growth and self-discovery through her work as a performing arts teacher and choir director.

Stoffel takes choral groups to numerous musical festivals where they consistently earn top ratings. While passionate about music, Stoffel’s true measure of success lies in the transformative journeys of her students.

“I firmly believe that the arts provide invaluable opportunities for growth, not only in musical skills, but also in students’ understanding of the world around them,” Stoffel shared. “Whether through singing songs that reflect different cultures, historical periods or current events, students expand their horizons as they engage in music making.”

What distinguishes Stoffel’s classroom is its dual nature as both sanctuary and challenge.

“This passion is most evident when you step foot in her class and see her students shed their anxiety, come out of their comfort zone and shine in ways they may not have thought possible,” said Principal Rodrick Watson.

For many students, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community, Stoffel’s classroom has become a safe haven. School of Education and Social Policy senior Adrienne Scheide recalled when she was Stoffel’s student, “She created a place for us to thrive. Mrs. Stoffel is one of the toughest people I know.”

Even through personal challenges, “Mrs. Stoffel still showed up for us and was a caregiver that many of us needed,” Scheide added. “She continues to spend an unimaginable amount of time devoting herself to others.”

Stoffel isn’t just an educator, she’s also a student, pursuing a Master of Music Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Through musical productions, choir performances and daily interactions, Stoffel demonstrates that teaching excellence isn’t just about perfect pitch — it’s about hitting the right notes in students’ lives and creating harmonies that resonate long after graduation.

Rita Thompson

Elk Grove High School, Elk Grove, Illinois

For 27 years, Rita Thompson transformed Elk Grove High School with her unique approach to education. The former lawyer, and now retired English teacher, believes in the power of failure as a steppingstone to success.

“Rather than a transformational effect on students, I hope I have had an invitational one,” Thompson said. “I hope I have invited students to see themselves differently, to imagine a better life.”

Thompson’s philosophy centered on three principles: continuous learning, teaching “the good, the true and the beautiful,” and fostering trust with students. She founded the school’s reading center, coached award-winning debate teams and led Lincoln-Douglas Debate students to a national victory.

Her impact extended beyond academics. When Northwestern School of Education and Social Policy senior Kaylyn Ahn faced homelessness in high school after fleeing child abuse, Thompson and her husband welcomed her into their home. They celebrated holidays together, taught her to drive and coached her for the LSAT. Ahn later won the prestigious Truman Scholarship and Marshall Scholarship.

“She never gives up on anyone,” Ahn reflected. “Because of Mrs. Thompson, I believed that my life did not have to be determined by the worst things that happened to me.”

Even as a three-time cancer survivor who retired last year, Thompson’s legacy continues through the countless students whose lives she changed.

As Elk Grove High School Principal Paul Kelly noted, “Rita, simply put, inspires people to be and do better. She’s a transformer of minds and lives.”