KEARNEY – Jay Lee, a lecturer in the UNK Department of English, received the 2023-24 Excellence in Teaching General Studies Award during Tuesday’s Student Government meeting.
Presented by the UNK General Studies Council, the award recognizes a faculty member for their outstanding dedication to teaching general studies courses and helping students accomplish their academic and career goals. All nominations come from students, and a selection committee comprised of students picks the winner.
Born in South Korea and raised in Kansas, Lee teaches developmental and first-year English courses at UNK and advises the Korean Student Association at Kearney.
“As a former college dropout who was once underprepared, I understand the reasons behind student dropout rates, absences and failures. In response, I have designed my English classes to encourage students to confidently express themselves and appreciate the diverse backgrounds of their peers,” he says. “Moreover, being multilingual in English, Korean and Japanese, I leverage these languages to build bridges between domestic and international students. Often, these students are curious about each other but hesitate to communicate.”
Olivia Sheldon, a sophomore in the pre-veterinary medicine program, called Lee an “excellent teacher” who cares deeply about his students. In his English 101 class, she gained self-confidence and developed lasting relationships with classmates from other countries.
“Mr. Lee was able to take students from a lot of different backgrounds and make us a little family,” Sheldon said. “I learned a lot of things in that class, and most of them were not about English.”
“I am also grateful that he pushed me out of my comfort zone a little,” she added.
