Congratulations are in order for one history teacher at Andersen Middle School! The educator at the Home of the Dragons has been nominated for a prestigious award.

He’s the go-to teacher for any and all things history at Andersen Middle School–and now, with 32 years as an educator under his belt, Brian Palaganas is making history himself.

Palaganas was selected to represent Guam in the Junior Division as a nominee for the 2024 Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award for the National History Day organization.

He says this distinction is truly for his students and colleagues.

“It’s for the kids because it opens up a lot of doors because we talk about research and their passion for other things," he said.

Palaganas is among 102 teacher nominees, who represent 50 of NHD’s 58 affiliates—all of whom are being recognized for their outstanding commitment to engaging students in historical learning.

The history buff on how he gets the Home of the Dragons excited about the subject.

“If you’re real with them, and you talk to them in a relevant sense, you make the topics creative–but at the same time, make it so they can understand it. That's the most important thing. I think out of all the things that I’ve done is relevant and something that they can care for, it opens up many doors," he shared.

Palaganas opening up the door to be an educator through the military route–pursuing his passion for teaching and serving his country.

"I’m a second generation army —my dad’s from the navy, my brother is from the army. The bottom line is that we have this traditional background in the military, and then I bled into teaching. “It’s always been something that I’ve wanted to do. I’ve taught in public schools and in DoDEA since the beginning–in 1997," he said.

And his unwavering commitment remains to this day. He leaves this message for his students, saying, “Thank you for being my students. We just got people out of there this week. I'm very proud to be a part of your school and to be one of your teachers. As always, go Dragons!”

In the meantime, one national winner in the Junior Division and High School Division will be selected and announced on June 13 at the National History Day National Contest Awards. The ceremony will take place in College Park, Maryland.