History teacher Albert Cho received the Charles Dana Meserve Teacher of the Year Award Thursday, Oct. 17, honoring him for his lasting impact on students, according to an email sent out by Principal Henry Turner.

“My first thought when I got the news was just shock, I’m so honored, and I was not expecting it at all,” said Cho. “Teaching always starts with building relationships with students and helping them grow, it still is for me.”

The Charles Dana Meserve Award is given to a graduating senior every year for “academic excellence” and making “significant contributions to the school community,” according to Turner’s email. The recipient of that award then nominates a teacher for the Charles Dana Meserve Teacher of the Year Award to be awarded and celebrated for their outstanding contributions to the classroom. Cho was nominated by Clara Lake ‘23.

According to Cho, Lake was “the most thoughtful student,” and her “curiosity was unreal. She always leaned into the learning aspect of school.”

According to Lake, Cho “really just cared about his class, and we got to know him really well as a person.”

Cho teaches AP European History and AP Psychology, which are history electives available to students their senior year.

“I’m lucky to have seniors who chose my class as an elective, they have more enthusiasm,” said Cho. “I’m able to get to know them better as individuals.”

According to Luke Andrews ‘23, students love Cho’s AP European History class for his dry humor and “making a really small class into a community,” he said.

“The way he structures the course really encourages students to develop a sense of autonomy,” said senior Fran Della Rocca.

According to Cho, he loves to see how North has prepared seniors for university and fostered their passions for different subjects, such as AP Euro. Every year he is reminded of how much he loves teaching when he makes new connections with students, he said.

“AP Euro class always comes to mind even when I’m majoring in something unrelated, I really fondly remember his friendliness and his fullness,” said Lake. “Cho makes people feel seen.”

Cho’s fellow faculty members have also observed his dedication to teaching.

“He is one of the most creative teachers I know. He is always thinking about history, and always thinking about teaching,” said history teacher Gregory Drake.

According to Turner, Cho continues to make lasting contributions to North.

“Mr. Cho is an extraordinary person. He has taught almost every history course at Newton North, he runs the Prague trip, and he is a department chair,” said Turner. “He has not only left an impact on the students, but also the school. He is a true Newton North Tiger.”