WWU alum Ariela Ikezawa recognized for early career excellence by the National Science Teaching Association

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WWU alum Ariela Ikezawa recognized for early career excellence by the National Science Teaching Association

May 28, 2026

by Mikayla King

WWU Communications

WWU alum Ariela Ikezawa has just started her career as a science teacher, and she's already received national recognition for her work in the classroom.

Ikezawa has been awarded the Maitland P. Simmons Memorial Award by the National Science Teaching Association.

The award honors NSTA members who have taught for less than five years and have made extraordinary contributions to the field of science teaching.

Ikezawa graduated from Western in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education in Environmental Studies - Elementary and teaches second and fourth grade at Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder Day School in Seattle.

The award included $1,000 to attend the NSTA National Conference in Anaheim, California April 15 - 18, and Ikezawa was invited to present a workshop on how teachers can harness AI to improve instruction and participation while identifying the places where teacher expertise cannot and should not be replaced.

"Being a first-year teacher is a daunting challenge, and it was really exciting to see how the projects I tried with my students resonated with the award committee and allowed me the honor of this opportunity," Ikezawa said. "It's a very validating feeling to win an award from a professional organization I have been a part of these last few years and have such a high level of respect for."

WWU Professor of Elementary Education Debi Hanuscin wrote a letter of support for Ikezawa's award application.

"Ariela is a shining example of a new teacher who is committed to science," wrote Hanuscin, who served as Ikezawa's faculty advisor at Western. "She cares deeply about social justice and equity-using these as lenses to consider her own actions as well as the systems in which she works and lives. To be honest, a conversation with Ariela feels more like a conversation with a veteran colleague than a newly minted teacher, and I would place her in the top 2% of students with whom I have worked over the past 26 years."

During the conference, Ikezawa connected with WWU students Kat Shoemaker, Kelsey Gonzelez-Serna, Trinadey Coville, Grace Blanning and Corin Yates. Each student was able to attend the conference with the support of the NSTA Preservice and New Teacher Scholarship, which covered the cost of their registration.

WWU has sent students to the NSTA national conference each year since 2019.

Ikezawa said the knowledge and support from faculty she received at Western helped lay a strong foundation for her teaching career.

"I was so lucky to have had such amazing mentorship at WWU, particularly from Debi who is the reason why I joined NSTA and who encouraged me to start presenting there in the first place," Ikezawa said. "She's continued to be an amazing source of advice and support for me as an early career teacher and has been absolutely invaluable to me."

To learn more about the Elementary Education Program, visit https://wce.wwu.edu/ecem, or to learn more about becoming a science educator, visit https://smate.wwu.edu/.

Mikayla King, '17, covers the College of Science and Engineering and Woodring College of Education for University Communications. Reach out to her with story ideas at [email protected].