Kellogg Middle School Teacher Honored as 'Symetra Hero in the Classroom'

Symetra and the Seattle Seahawks honored Kellogg Middle School teacher Bill McMurray as a “Symetra Hero in the Classroom” on Nov. 3 during a surprise faculty meeting. McMurray is a seventh-grade Science instructor and coaches basketball at the Shoreline school.

“Bill McMurray is the ultimate hero both in and outside of the classroom. For more than 30 years, he has taught and coached with a consistent passion and energy I’ve seldom seen replicated,” said Nathan Courtney, a teaching colleague at Kellogg Middle School. “Bill goes about everyday with an upbeat and positive attitude that naturally rubs off on all those lucky enough to know him. He teaches his students to love science and life by leading science sing-alongs, making personal connections to content and relating science to current world events.” Courtney nominated McMurray for the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom® award.

“When I see of the words ‘Hero in the Classroom’, the first image that comes to my mind is Bill,” said Courtney. “One of the things that I have learned in my 10 years teaching middle school is that sometimes the teaching content is secondary. Middle school can be a challenging time for many students, but when a student is lucky enough to have Bill as their science teacher or coach, they soon find out that they have an adult in their life who truly cares about them and wants them to succeed.”

McMurray 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 2014 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. McMurray will be recognized at the Nov. 9 game when the Seahawks take on the New York Giants.

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.

More information about Symetra Heroes in the Classroom is available at www.SymetraHeroes.com/Seahawks.

About Symetra
Symetra Financial Corporation (NYSE: SYA) is a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Wash. 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.