NILA Special Report 2019 NILA Awardees Honored

Cara Heminger (left) presents the NATF TOY Award to Sasha Van Zandt (right).

Alicia Dallman Shoemaker (left) and Angie Wagoner (right) present the award to Jami Holbein Swanson (center).

Alicia Dallman Shoemaker (right) presents the New Teacher award to Kelleen Browning (left).

NATF Teacher of the Year Sasha Van Zandt
Nebraska Association of Teachers of French (NATF) President Cara Heminger (Lincoln North Star) awarded Sasha Van Zandt of Lincoln Southwest High School the NATF Teacher of the Year. Van Zandt has been actively involved in French activities at Southwest and around the state. Last year Van Zandt traveled to France with colleagues Will West and Kristen Tangen and 22 students. Van Zandt has also presented at NILA conferences.

NATSP Teacher of the Year Dr. Jami Holbein Swanson
Nebraska Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (NATSP) President Angie Wagoner awarded North Star High School Spanish teacher Dr. Jami Holbein Swanson the NATSP Teacher of the Year. Holbein Swanson has worked with Lincoln Public Schools for 23 years. Holbein Swanson, a long-term advocate for world language learning, is now working directly with heritage and native speakers of Spanish to promote first language literacy.

NILA New Teacher of the Year Kelleen Browning
NILA President Alicia Dallman Shoemaker awarded Lincoln Southeast High School German teacher Kelleen Browning the NILA New Teacher of the Year. Browning completed a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Germany during 2014-2015. She also studied in Germany for six months with UNL’s Deutsch in Deutschland program. Browning is the incoming President of the Nebraska Association of Teachers of German and hosted the 2019 Wunderbar Together German Students’ Convention.