West Bend Teacher Invited to Symposium

By Bailey Schultz, Current Staff

Tanya Lohr is thrilled about her upcoming trip to New York.

Lohr, a West Bend West High School social studies teacher, leaves today for New York as part of an American Geographical Society fellowship. The event will take place Thursday and Friday, with Lohr returning home Saturday evening.

In recognition of her many years of teaching geography, Lohr will attend a geography symposium that includes many speakers from different business and universities.

“I found out about the award in June when I was a reader at the AP human geography reading and other people were talking about how awesome this (event) was,” Lohr said.

Only 50 teachers were chosen for this fellowship in the nation. Not every student can say that they have had a teacher able to participate in a national fellowship, but West Bend students of Lohr can say they have.

“She totally deserves it because she is really good at teaching geography,” said Lilly Kieckhafer, a West sophomore.

Lohr’s principal was also pleased to hear of the award.

“Any time any of the staff members get recognized for such a prestigious award is a big deal,” West Principal Ralph Schlass said.

There will be many different events and speakers all related to geography at the symposium. The American Geographical Society will be looking at the future of geography and what has been newly discovered. Different businesses and professors will be giving speeches on the improvements of geography and the future of geography applicable everywhere.

“I really can’t wait to be connected to an AP human geography teacher from Washington and to me if that is the caliber of teacher that this fellowship attracted, then I can’t wait to sit down and work with this group of people” Lohr said.

Lohr will be able to communicate with other teachers from all over the nation. The 50 teachers selected will have the opportunity to listen to over 40 speakers at the symposium.

The fellowship was created for high school teachers because the organization wanted to include the high school teachers. Most high school teachers, however, did not have the resources to become a part of the organization.

“It was my first year really on a national level really working on AP human geography,” Lohr said. “I was shocked when I got it but also excited.”

(Photos by Bailey Schultz, Current Staff.)