Hazen High School Teacher Honored as ‘Symetra Hero in the Classroom’

Symetra and the Seattle Seahawks honored Hazen High School teacher Nathan Maddox as a “Symetra Hero in the Classroom” on Sept. 6th during a surprise school presentation. Maddox is a geometry and math analysis instructor at the Renton Highlands high school.

“Mr. Maddox never fails to add depth to his daily math lessons and make the connection to why we study math and its relevance to the real world. This approach helps students like myself learn difficult material at a fast pace,” said Hazen High student Amy Chin. “Mr. Maddox created ‘Problem-Solving Fridays,’ during which students work on complex, real-world problems or math puzzles related to the content we covered the previous week. It’s a personal favorite of mine and another example of how Mr. Maddox comes up with creative ways to keep us thinking.” Chin nominated Maddox for the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom® award.

“Since math can often be a subject that many students dislike, a great teacher can mean the difference between whether or not a student enjoys it,” said Chin. “Mr. Maddox knows his students incredibly well, and he knows just what to do to keep our class engaged, laughing (with the occasional joke or two) and ready to learn. For me, Mr. Maddox has definitely increased my fondness of math—even if I have to learn and retain new concepts at 8:20 every morning!”

Maddox is one of 16 K–12 teachers across the Puget Sound area that will be honored for educational excellence in the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom program during the 2016 NFL season. Teachers are recognized in front of their students and peers at surprise in-school presentations, and they receive a $1,000 donation for classroom books and supplies. In addition, they receive tickets to a Seahawks home game and are acknowledged during an on-field presentation at CenturyLink Field. Maddox will be recognized at the Sept. 11 regular season opening game when the Seahawks take on the Miami Dolphins.

Teachers may be nominated by their principal, district staff, student or student’s parent. The winners are selected based on their ability to make a real difference in students' lives; to go above and beyond in their day-to-day responsibilities; and to help students build life skills.

To learn more about the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom teacher-recognition program, or to submit a nomination, visit www.SymetraHeroes.com/Seahawks.

About Symetra

Symetra Financial Corporation is a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent agents and advisors. For more information, visit www.symetra.com.