Samuel Richins was the Teacher of the Year from Hillcrest this year. Richins is a history teacher whose classes include both AP and IB courses.

When asked about how he felt regarding the award, Richins said, “It’s a great honor, there’s a lot of really good teachers here at Hillcrest High School, and it’s nice to be appreciated for the hard work and dedication you put in.”

“I hope that I’m able to connect with kids, I hope that my personality transfers in a way that students are comfortable, I hope that my sense of humor helps keep students’ attention, and I hope that my knowledge base combined with those other things are able to make me a quality teacher,” Richins added when asked about why he thought he was nominated.

Richins’ students seem to agree with the award.

“Richins is a great teacher who prepares his students for AP tests well,” junior Braxton Caldwell said.