Warren Fitzgerald educator wins Excellence In Education award
Acting Lottery Commissioner, Joe Froehlich, presents Brian Michael with his Excellence in Education check.
A Macomb County educator who was inspired by the values and importance of education instilled by his own mother has been honored with an Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery.
The award winner, Brian Michael, is an English teacher for Fitzgerald High School. The school is a part of the Fitzgerald Public School District in Warren.
The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence In Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.
Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
Mom’s career served as inspiration
Michael said that his mother was a preschool teacher for more than 35 years and seeing the passion and love she put into her work inspired him to become a teacher himself.
“As I grew up, I was fortunate to have had extraordinary teachers who helped shape me as a person and showed me the impact that a teacher can have on a student’s life,” Michael said. “I think I always knew that wherever life took me, that I wanted to make an impact somehow and in some way; to see what my own teachers did for me growing up and seeing the heart and dedication that my mom would put into her job teaching preschool, I thought ‘Why not give back and try to do the same for the next generation?’
“With that, going into teaching felt like the natural career choice and I’ve never regretted it since.
“As a teacher, what drives me is my desire to always put people – students and families first; I think relationships are vital to driving the curriculum and instruction for a student to receive any content you’re about to teach. I would like to think that in many ways, I’m a servant leader for students, families, and colleagues.”
Former student nominates Michael
Michael was nominated for the award by a former student.
“Mr. Michael is an extraordinary figure at Fitzgerald High School, embodying more than a teacher — he is a parent, mentor, friend, and a constant source of inspiration to all students,” the nomination stated. “His dedication, treating every student as his own, is truly remarkable, making him one of the most inspiring, caring, and kind individuals many have ever met.
“His love for his job as both an English teacher and Senior Class Advisor is inspiring.”
“His words have challenged students to think bigger, push past their limits, and embrace failure as an opportunity to grow, instilling in them the courage, resilience, and determination to decide their futures. The students are better people because of him.”
Michael earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Oakland University and has been an educator for 13 years, the last 10 in his current position.
