LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Kevin Leon was nominated by a student.

"In my eighth-grade year at Butler Middle School, I was stressing out over a big project for my science class, where I had to make a city of the future with a group of friends. It felt like it was only me and one other person doing the work while the others just stood there and did nothing. My science teacher, Mr. Leon, saw this and came over to talk to me and my friend to offer any help and/or materials. Mr. Leon stopped by every so often to help us with our project, and it moved me to see a teacher who wanted to help a kid learn. Mr. Leon started to feel less like a teacher and more like a friend than anything, which helped me and my friends learn more than our ADHD brains would have let us otherwise. He was also super flexible. For example, we were supposed to have a test on a Friday. The class was tired (like a usual Friday), so he said to use this class to do a different task. He moved the test after a class vote, which made us happy because teachers don't do that on a whim. Mr. Leon kept motivating me and my friend to keep going," said the student.

"When I walked into his class each day, I felt like I wanted to learn for the first time in a long time. Mr. Leon kept making jokes and was super funny and friendly. Everybody I knew liked him. He was also super interactive with the school spirit days. Mr. Leon brought in a Santa outfit, hat, and beard the day before Christmas break. Everybody loved it, even the other teachers. Mr. Leon also gave out candy as "presents" for the break and let the whole class watch Frosty the Snowman for the whole class. This increased morale for every class and made everyone smile and happier overall, improving focus and productivity. Mr. Leon went above and beyond what he was supposed to do and treated everybody respectfully. Mr. Leon's classroom felt less like a school and more like an organized friend hangout," said the student.

"Mr. Leon even knew some of the younger slang at the time, making him seem younger than he already was, like when he taught a class using slang terms for that time like G.O.A.T. Also, there was a class joke where he was Canadian because he was so nice (spoiler, he was not). He made everyone laugh and made people excited about his class; more and more kids wanted to learn with him and take his classes. He always brought out the best in everybody, and each day I walked into his classroom, I was reminded that school isn't always so bad, despite what others may say. Mr. Leon is the best teacher I've ever had throughout my career in education. Even though I don't see him daily anymore, I hope Mr. Leon is still just as good as I remember him to be. Despite the controlled chaos each day erupted with, Mr. Leon still made it feel more like a controlled chaotic social friend group rather than a school environment," said the student.