Williams College has awarded the annual George Olmsted Jr. Class of 1924 Prize for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching to four outstanding high school teachers.
The recipients are Andrew Bernard, a music teacher at Byhalia High School in Byhalia, Miss.; Liberty Bell, an Advance Placement (A.P.) U.S. government and AP microeconomics teacher at Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, Wis.; Bryony Potter, a chemistry teacher at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School in the United Kingdom; and Troy Tactay, a mathematics teacher at Hood River Valley High School in Hood River, Ore.
Each year, Williams seniors nominate high school teachers who played influential roles in their lives and education. A committee of faculty, staff, and students choose winners from among the nominees. Recipients of the award receive $3,000, and an additional $5,000 is given to each recipient’s school. The Olmsted Prize was established in 1976 with an endowment from the estates of George Olmsted Jr. and his wife, Frances.
Bernard was nominated by Estefany Lopez Velazquez ’25; Bell was nominated by Zoe Kane ’25; Potter was nominated by Li-Norah Flynn ’25; and Tactay was nominated by Poppy Miller ’25.
Published May 22, 2025