ENMU alumnus wins $25,000 educator award

A Loving High School science teacher who is an Eastern New Mexico University alumnus has won a $25,000 Milken Educator Award from the Milken Family Foundation.

Tyler Finch, a 2013 ENMU grad who received a master’s degree from ENMU in 2018, “was recognized for his innovation and creativity when motivating them to learn and prepare for life beyond high school and college,” according to an ENMU news release.

The Milken Educator Awards is considered the “Oscars of Teaching,” the news release stated. The award “celebrates the American teaching profession” toward a goal of attracting young, talented and qualified men and women to consider teaching as a career.

In the news release, Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards, said of Finch, “Through his high engagement and innovative leadership in and out of the classroom, Tyler Finch is making an indelible mark on his students, colleagues and community.”

Foley praised Finch’s “expertise and creative use of technology to reach his students, effectively examine data to develop instructional practices and leverage his talent across the district.”

Finch chairs the Science Department in the Loving district, the news release stated. In addition, he coaches football and track and launched a “Falcon Strong” workout program for students on the field and in the classroom.

New Mexico Public Education Secretary Kurt Steinhaus, who is also an ENMU alumnus, stated in the news release, “Tyler Finch represents the best of the best in our profession. He inspires his students to succeed at the highest levels and reminds every educator in New Mexico why we joined this noble profession.”