LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Ian Wald was nominated by his principal, Toni-Ann Noyes.

Mr. Wald became a member of the Nature Coast Shark family in 2009. For eight years, he has been the foundation and constant in the lives of many of his students, their families, and his colleagues. What is most remarkable about Mr. Wald is his undying and unquestionable love and enthusiasm for his students and athletes, as well as their accomplishments and successes. Mr. Wald is student-centered, and it is his students who drive his instruction and their learning environment.

"Although he has witnessed much change in the field of education, he has met each challenge with great humility and a sense of excellence for himself and his students," Noyes said.

As the digital video teacher at Nature Coast, Mr. Wald maintains a program of around 130 students from grades nine through twelve. In the past five years, he has had 189 students receive their industry certifications in Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop, with a success rate of 82%. His students have competed at SkillsUSA, receiving three medals in Regionals (Gold in TV., Silver and Bronze in Digital Cinema), and one medal at States (Silver in Digital Cinema).

If that wasn’t enough, Mr. Wald has also had four film submissions officially selected for the 2016-All-American High School Film Festival, and won the “Heart” award for the most compelling story. He and his students attended the same film festival this year and placed in the top four for “Action Sports Finalist," and top eight in “Film Invitational Finalists." Additionally, he was named as the Festival's Teacher of the Year.

"I could go on and on about Mr. Wald and what he is able to get his students to accomplish, but I believe his character and work speaks for itself," Noyes said. "I highly recommend Mr. Wald as a candidate for LifeChanger of the Year and look forward to the opportunity to continue working with him and watching to see what great things he does next."