That's not a mistake, Conaway Jr., a 7th and 8th grade technology teacher at Eisenhower Science and Technology Leadership Academy in Norristown, Pennsylvania, was voted Most Valuable Teacher and took home a $20,000 donation for his school on behalf of SAP.
"I was truly speechless," Conaway Jr. said of winning the public vote and beating out teachers from all over North America. "I was beyond excited because of the potential impact that this will have on the students of the Norristown Area School District."
The big win was announced on Monday at Wells Fargo Center as the Philadelphia Flyers hosted the New Jersey Devils. Conaway Jr. was surprised, as he thought he was attending the game and being honored along with other frontline workers.
Through the Future Goals program, SAP, the NHL and the NHL Players' Association are proud to celebrate some of the best teachers that not only educate students, but help instill values, build character, and shape the future generations of smart, responsible citizens.
Over the course of three months, 60 teachers across the United States and Canada have been competing to become the Future Goals' Most Valuable Teacher of the Month. After tens of thousands of votes the three-monthly winners competed throughout Teacher Appreciation Week for the coveted title of Future Goals' Most Valuable Teacher of the Year!
Conway's big night, which also included being surprised on a Zoom call by Flyers center Sean Couturier, comes on the heels of last month's honor, when Conaway Jr. took home a $10,000 grant, a signed jersey and a video message from Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart.
"The goal is to create a STEM lab for our students truly get the hands on, real life applications of the Science we are learning in the classroom. ... This donation will create incredible opportunities for students of Norristown and give them windows in STEM careers and have the potential to change their lives for the better," he said. "It always has been and will always be about what's best for our students and this donation will certainly change lives."
