MEA member Matt Hamilton added a brilliant new chapter to his inspiring story on Friday when he was chosen from among five finalists for one of education’s highest honors: the 2025 NEA Member Benefits Award for Teaching Excellence.

A 23-year middle school teacher in East Jordan, Hamilton was nationally honored for his work teaching history and video production and advising an ambitious student-led group known as Shoe Club, which teaches kids to value themselves and others through empathy, leadership and service.

“I’m deeply humbled and extremely honored to receive this award,” he said at the NEA Foundation Salute to Excellence in Education Gala in Washington D.C. “I’m incredibly grateful to be in this room and in the presence of so many extraordinary educators from across our great country, each with our own impact, our own stories, and our own missions.

“This room is filled with some of the best human beings on this planet.”

Since its inception 17 years ago, the Shoe Club has gathered footwear from notable people who’ve made a difference in the world to encourage students to walk a mile in another’s shoes and understand that everyone faces struggles which may not be apparent from the outside.

Shoes collected by the club—from icons such as Michael Jordan, Dolly Parton, Jane Goodall, Temple Grandin, Bruce Springsteen, Ruby Bridges and her teacher, Barbara Henry—are more than artifacts, Hamilton told the crowd.

“They’re stories of perseverance, grit and generosity, and they remind us that success is a journey of effort, growth and purpose.”

In a brief video shown at the awards ceremony (jump to 1:17:45), Hamilton explained the club arose from a motivational speaker at a school assembly who used shoes as a device to tell stories of young people who appeared well on the outside but struggled with unknown challenges.

In the weeks that followed, students began opening up to Hamilton about their own problems.

“The lessons I’ve learned through the Shoe Club are lessons for all of us as educators,” he said in his acceptance speech. “Every student in our classroom matters. Every student has a story and every student needs to know they are valuable.

“When we teach from that place of love and purpose, we don’t just change lives, we impact communities and futures.”

Over the years middle school members and high school mentors in the shoe club have tackled big issues with even bigger results, raising huge amounts of money to complete a solar array at the middle-high school; improve a school garden with fencing, a hoop house and shed; and partner with veterans to enhance a community park.

Hamilton credited an “incredible support system” that allows him to accomplish all he does, which included his family, students, colleagues, community and union—the East Jordan Education Association, MEA and NEA. Of his students, he said, “They have no idea how much they inspire me every single day.”

Hamilton concluded: “To all my fellow educators: Dream big alongside your students. Don’t be afraid to take risks, and let’s continue to make a difference one student, one story, and one shoe at a time. I’m honored to be here, proud to work in the best profession in the world.”

Since 2001, the NEA Foundation has conferred the Award for Teaching Excellence annually. This distinguished recognition, which comes with a $25,000 award, recognizes K-12 public school educators nationwide for excellence in the classroom, dedication to family and community engagement, commitment to equity and diversity, and advocacy for the teaching profession.

Last March MEA awarded Hamilton the 2024 Educational Excellence Award. In October, he was selected as one of five recipients from across the country of NEA’s Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence before winning the top honor on Friday.

Awardees are selected by an expert panel and evaluated based on excellence in the classroom, dedication to equity and diversity, engagement with families and communities, commitment to professional development, and advocacy for the teaching profession.

Hamilton exemplifies the dedication and hard work of public school educators across Michigan, who are committed to helping students realize their self-worth so they can thrive in and out of school, said MEA President and CEO Chandra Madafferi.

“Matt’s amazing work throughout the East Jordan community is a testament to the power that our local educators have to transform communities by building unity, inspiring hope and shaping the leaders of tomorrow.”

Watch his acceptance speech (jump to 3:20). To learn more about the Shoe Club, and view the shoe museum, go to shoeclub.org.