Ken Young, Lamar University professor of educational leadership, has been awarded the 2021 David. J Beck Teaching Excellence Award. The award recognizes teachers who exemplify a profound dedication to teaching. Young receives $25,000 and recognition as a Beck Teaching Excellence Award recipient for the remainder of his academic career.
Three students nominated Young for the award, separate from one another, he said.
“I was humbled by their recognition and their nomination,” he said. “I thought, if they can take time from their busy lives to nominate me, I can take the time to go through the application process.”
Young was presented the award during one of his Zoom class meetings.
“I start noticing there are people in my room that aren’t normally in my room, one of them being the provost, and some folks that I’ve worked with in regard to technical issues,” he said. “I really thought they were there because I’d been complaining about some issues I’ve been having with technology.”
Young said he was anxious because of the content of a video he had playing prior to class starting.
“I either play music or videos 15 minutes before class,” he said. “For whatever reason, in this TEDTalk, (the speaker) was talking about measuring feces and urine. My head was about to explode.”
It wasn’t till one of Young’s coworkers introduced LU President Kenneth Evans that Young realized what was happening.
Young said he plans to use the award money take his family on a once-in-a-lifetime trip, to help renovate his house, and to find a way to “pay it forward.”
“Teaching has a long history of being overlooked and disrespected, not by people who are in it, but by the people that look at it and don’t understand what goes into it,” he said. “For someone to not only have the idea and put the money towards an award like this, but to recognize the importance of good teaching, I think it’s absolutely phenomenal.”
Prior to his academic career, Young served as a minister.
“I spent 15 years in full-time pastoral ministry,” he said. “Pick a position in a Christian church and I’ve probably served in that capacity in some regard or another.”
His passion passion for teaching grew from meeting with a Baylor University professor, Young said.
“She looked at me and asked me what it is that people seek me out for,” he said. “It was then, in that moment, that I realized I’m a teacher at heart.”
Young earned his doctorate in educational leadership from Baylor University.
While he has already thanked the students who nominated him, Young said he has many more people to thank.
“I’m always aware of the fact that I didn’t get here by myself,” he said. “There are people who have poured into my life since I was a child.
“If I have any success as a teacher, it’s because of my friends, mentors, and the people in the churches I’ve served that have encouraged me along the way.”
