The Delaware Military Academy consists of many outstanding educators. However, one in particular stood out to me the most. My Naval Science Instructor, Master Sergeant Kevin Howie, truly deserves this award. I have never encountered a teacher quite like him. His lessons, style of teaching, and personality are what make his class the most enjoyable. With his guidance, my classmates and I feel ready to take on new challenges that may have seemed impossible to conquer before beginning his class.

    One of the primary purposes of Naval Science class is to better prepare the cadets for the real world. Master Sergeant Howie gives us realistic scenarios, and he teaches us how we should react and what we should do in those situations. For example, we were taught how we should behave during an interview and how both parties should behave during a first date. The cadets are all going to be placed in these situations, and it's important to know what to do now so that we can be prepared for it when the time comes. Master Sergeant Howie is the best man for the job. He’s teaching us valuable information that some cadets may not learn at home. Because Master Sergeant Howie also served in the United States Marines, he is also educated on what a person should do during a fight. We started to learn how to defend ourselves against someone who may have the intention of hurting us. Knowing this information now will guarantee our safety when we have to encounter it. Learning it from an experienced person makes the information credible.

   Master Sergeant Howie is not only my Naval Science Instructor, but he is also my marksmanship coach. There has never been a day where he hasn’t given me positive feedback or constructive criticism so that I can become a better shooter. He truly cares about each and every cadet, and he knows everyone’s weaknesses and strengths. A lot of teachers are not fully aware of their students’ potential, but Master Sergeant Howie takes the time to understand what makes everyone unique. For instance, one day at marksmanship practice, I was not shooting well, and Master Sergeant Howie noticed. I apologized for not doing well that day, but he said that he knows how I usually shoot, and it was not necessary to apologize. He is well aware of my skill and knows that if I were to ever have a bad day again, then I wouldn’t need to apologize. It’s a relief to know that he genuinely understands.

    Everytime I walk into Master Sergeant Howie’s class, I know that I will enjoy the lesson planned for the day. He often includes comedy to give the students a laugh. If the lesson may become too serious or if everyone is less attentive, Master Sergeant will tell us a joke or a funny story to lighten up the mood. Also, part of the reason why the class is so enjoyable is because he created a family-like environment. The activities that he gives us push the cadets to work with each other and makes us become closer. Ever since the first day of school, Master Sergeant’s goal was to make everyone comfortable around the other students. We did so many interactive assignments, and we all noticed that he made us become closer and created a family.

    In conclusion, not a day goes by where I’m not thankful for all that Master Sergeant Howie has done for me and all of the other students at the Delaware Military Academy. He truly deserves this award. He prepares us for the challenges we will face in the real world, and pushes us to our full potential. He has taken out the time to understand his students on a personal level. Because he knows us, he can help us become better students and to become more prepared for new challenges.