Phebe and Zephaniah Swift Moore Teaching Award
Mathematics and physics teacher
Hazel Park High School Hazel Park, Michigan
To Sunil Suckoo ’16, a math classroom seemed an unlikely place for students at Hazel Park High School to encounter “daily warm-ups,” “provocative debates” and “engaging lectures.” Yet, in applying such strategies, Dawn Gafa proved to Suckoo and his peers that math was more than the “monotonous” and “grueling” chore they’d once believed it to be. “[Ms. Gafa] challenged my notions of mathematics from the very beginning by introducing me to the theoretical ideas behind the practice,” wrote Suck- oo in nominating his AP calculus teacher for a Swift Moore Award. “Rather than mindless repetition, she taught me that mathematics involved deep analytical skills.” Suckoo transferred these skills to his college coursework. “After I gained my acceptance to Amherst College, I had no idea what chal- lenges to expect in higher education at an elite institution, but the critical thinking skills and motivation she instilled in me allowed me to prosper in my classes.” Suckoo commended Gafa’s commitment to students beyond the classroom. Whether offering emotional support, attending graduation parties or sending birthday cards to her students, Gafa, he believes, is both “an educator and role model.”