Tucson Standard

An educator from Mica Mountain High School in Vail was named one of the nine finalists for the Arizona Athletics Teacher of the Year Award.

Matt Penland has been a teacher for 18 years. Educating isn't restricted to solving equations; it's also about building character, Penland said, according to KGUN.

"That part, building relationship[s] with kids outside of the classroom, when they come into the classroom they know you're not just here to give them homework and make sure they're taking tests and things like that," Penland said, according to KGUN. "They kind of want to work for you because they see there's other things besides the geometry or the algebra."

KGUN said that Penland has served in multiple positions in education but currently teaches geometry and algebra.

"I love math," Penland said, according to KGUN. "I know that sounds kind of weird to a lot of people, but [I] really like teaching math."

Penland lends credit for the nomination to his students.

"When they leave in May, they're better people," Penland said, according to KGUN. "To me, that's really, really important that they learn some skills about how to be good people, not just the geometry."

Penland is appreciative of receiving a nomination for the teacher award; he acknowledged that long hours of educating and coaching track, cross country, and soccer are paying off.

"I was excited, because you put in a lot of hours sometimes," Penland said, according to KGUN. "It's good to be recognized for those hours. It was cool."

The winner of the award will be announced on March 5.

Located in Tucson, Mica Mountain High School is named after Mica Mountain, which is located approximately 20 miles to the east of Tucson in Pima County. The peak of the mountain is 8,668 feet high and can be located from Mica Mountain High School, according to the Vail High School Choice website.