2025 Simplot Inspirational Teacher of the Year Finalist William Hawk

Join us in celebrating an outstanding educator!

We’re proud to announce that William Hawk, Science teacher at Irving Middle School, has been named a finalist for the Simplot Inspirational Teacher of the Year!

This year, the Simplot Education Council received an incredible 2,617 nominations recognizing 402 exceptional teachers across Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25. Finalists will be spotlighted daily through Thursday, May 15, 2025.

On Friday, May 16, 2025, three Simplot Inspirational Teacher Awards will be announced—honoring one exceptional teacher each from the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each category features five finalists, all of whom will receive a $100 award, with the top recipient in each group earning a $500 prize from the Council.

Congratulations to Mr. Hawk on this well-deserved recognition! 

“I believe that Mr. Hawk deserves this award because of his ability to make learning fun. He can turn a bunch of sleepy kids into working machines.  The hands-on labs he would do each week made me feel like a real scientist.” Birch M. 

Mr. Hawk is always kind. He explains things so I can understand them without giving away the answers. He is very supporting in class and always makes us laugh, he is the best teacher. Houston K. 

“I am nominating Mr. Hawk because not only does he have a fun class, he also is one of those teachers that helps you through your rough day and always cares. He is fun, caring and most of all big hearted. Even when I didn’t have him as a teacher, I would stop by his classroom to hear a joke to cheer me up.” Ruby A.