Recognizing Matthew Vriesman

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedication and commitment of my constituent Matthew Vriesman as an educator shaping the lives of high schoolers at East Kentwood High School. As we come to the end of another school year, I would like to commend him for his outstanding contributions to our community as an Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies, AP United States History, and AP World Studies teacher. I would also like to congratulate him for being named the National History Teacher of the Year.

Every year for the past two decades, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has chosen one history teacher out of thousands across the nation for this prestigious award. The institute's selection committee chose Mr. Vriesman in recognition of his extraordinary ability to tell history through the lens of his community while also cultivating students' passions for storytelling, learning, and American history. It was an honor to celebrate this recognition by inviting Mr. Vriesman as my guest to the 2024 State of the Union Address in Washington, D.C.

Matthew Vriesman serves as an inspiration to us all, particularly in West Michigan. He has gone above and beyond by working with the Grand Rapids Museum to teach students through historical archives, primary source documents, and a historical virtual tour of the area that he helped create. He has also emphasized teaching about the Great Migration from the perspective of Black migrants to Grand Rapids. I admire his efforts to make American history accessible to all students, especially those from underserved communities. On behalf of myself and West Michigan, I applaud Matthew Vriesman for the impact his leadership has had on the student population and community as he strives to ensure our students' historical education is reflective of the accuracy and fullness of our Nation's history.

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