Around this time of the year in 2015, the Mount Carmel community was in a state of shock and grief. The passionate and dedicated theology teacher, Mr. Kevin Hansen, had just passed away after a very brief battle with leukemia.
Nine years later, those at MC are still thinking of and celebrating Mr. Hansen’s life. The most important way the community does this is through the Kevin Hansen Green Jacket Award, which is given annually to the teacher who exemplifies the morals and qualities that Mr. Hansen shared when was at Mount Carmel.
Every year the faculty nominates five fellow teachers or staff members who best embody these values, and then it is up to the student body to vote. Each student is allowed to vote for two of the five teachers, and the one with the most votes at the end wins.
Faculty who have won the award and still currently teach at MC are Mr. Mark Antonietti, Mrs. Emma Norise, Mr. Brooks Nevrly, and Mr. Manuel Medina.
Chair of the Science Department Mr. Caribee Collier has now joined this distinguished group by winning this year’s Green Jacket Award.
“I appreciate whatever the thought process was for how the student body chose the winner,” said Mr. Collier. “I also appreciate that they even included me in it.”
Mr. Collier started working at MC in 2010, three years after Mr. Hansen did. While they didn’t cross paths that often, Mr. Collier still remembers him as a very organized and respectable teacher.
“He was consistent, and he really cared about the students,” Mr. Collier said. “He used to hand out pieces of paper to students who had missing assignments in his class. That definitely stood out to me.”
Something else that stood out about Mr. Hansen was his dedication. He would wake up every day and look at a list of fourteen goals he would try to live out and accomplish. One of those goals was “pray always,” something Mr. Collier can relate closely to.
“I believe in prayer,” said Mr. Collier. “There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t pray for a good day or my family.”
Along with the goal of always having prayer in mind, Mr. Hansen also set out to be motivated and dedicated.
“I’m grateful for the fact that somebody sees those values in me,” said Mr. Collier. “I really appreciate it. If I do just a few of those goals every day, I’d be happy.”
Similar to Mr. Hansen, Mr. Collier does his best to be a motivating role model in the classroom. In fact, many students see him as one of the best teachers at MC.
“Mr. Collier is one of the best teachers I’ve had at Carmel,” said junior Christos Dimas. “He definitely deserves this award, and I respect him a lot.”
This is the third year in a row Mr. Collier has been nominated. Some believe it was just a matter of time before he won.
“I voted for Mr. Collier because of how understanding he is,” said junior Danny O’Connor. “He’s very good at explaining things thoroughly, and he’s always there for students. I’m glad his great teaching and personality was finally recognized.”
Mr. Collier’s embodiment of Mr. Hansen’s values goes far beyond that of the perception by the students. Members of the faculty also wanted to see him win this award as well.
“I think it was very well deserved,” said Mr. Tony Vazquez. “He’s a great colleague and someone that I model my teaching off of.”
Over the past nine years, the Green Jacket Award has become a tradition at MC. Not only has this time in April become a time to reflect on Mr. Hansen’s life, but it’s also become a time to reflect on how much has changed since he passed.
“All the people who have won over the years won because they were truly their best selves,” said Mr. John Stimler, who organizes the voting for the award and discusses who Mr. Hansen was with the student body each year. “We’re not looking for those who knew Kevin really well or are very similar to him. We’re looking for someone that lives by their own values. That’s a good tradition here at MC.”
For those who knew Mr. Hansen, it can be nostalgic and saddening to think that it’s been nine years since he passed away. But for right now, the community continues to remember and celebrate his life through this award and teachers that deserve it.
“As colleagues we all recognize that Caribee is an awesome teacher,” said Mr. Stimler. “There’s a lot of great names on this green jacket list and I’m just really glad that he’s getting some deserved recognition.”
