ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AMY GUMPF RECEIVES YALE HONOR

WRITTEN BY KEITH TAYLOR, WEBMASTER & SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Allen High School teacher Amy Gumpf greets every school day by meeting the challenge of providing students the skills to be successful in life.

That’s why her recent selection as a 2024 Yale Educator Award is a special recognition. She was nominated by a former student, Blake Maulsby, a 2023 Allen High School graduate and current Yale Freshman.

“I am incredibly honored and deeply humbled to receive this award from Blake,” Amy said. “It is a privilege to know that my efforts have had a meaningful impact, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of his academic journey.”

The Yale Educator Recognition Program recognizes outstanding educators from around the world who support and inspire their students to perform at high levels and to achieve excellence. This year’s nominees represent 39 states and 24 countries, 75 teachers and 20 counselors.

“Blake is amiable, intellectual, altruistic, and determined,” she said. “He was also the salutatorian of Allen High School last year. He is a current freshman at Yale University and is majoring in molecular cellular and development biology as he pursues his medical degree. He chose Yale because of the outstanding community and, of course, the stellar academics.”

Yale students are invited to nominate high school educators, and a committee of university admissions officers reviews each nomination individually and designates recipients. In September, the winners were sent their awards with congratulatory letters, and administrators of the high schools were notified of their achievement.

Yale is a top research university with an emphasis on undergraduate liberal arts education. Undergraduates at Yale come from all 50 states and more than

80 foreign countries. More than 18 percent of Yale students will be the first in their families to complete a four-year degree. The 1,558 members of the Yale Class of 2028 who began their first semester in August 2024 graduated from more than 1,100 different high schools.

The Yale Admissions Office attributes the exceptional quality of the Yale student body to educators such as Amy, who “shape their students long before they attend Yale. The Admissions Office is proud to thank these and all educators for their ongoing efforts in motivating and supporting their students.”

And Amy is proud could help Blake in his success.

“I am deeply moved to know that “Fun Fridays”, singing about neurons, and psychology in general, has made such an outstanding contribution to his career.”