Vietnam vet named ‘Teacher of the Year’

bertholdo@theacorn.com


A.E. Wright teacher Arthur Borgquist

A.E. Wright teacher Arthur Borgquist

Arthur Borgquist, a teacher at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas, was recently honored as "Middle School Teacher of the Year" by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in California.


Borgquist has been a teacher in Las Virgenes Unified School District since 1976 and a teacher at A.E. Wright since 1989. He currently teaches science classes at the school.


Borgquist was interviewed by students. In his written response to the question of why he was chosen for the award, he said, "I was chosen for this award because the VFW in Sacramento felt that I was the one teacher in California who best taught citizenship education to middle-schoolers. They also were most appreciative of the fact that I teach patriotism, Americanism and about Veterans Day and Memorial Day."


Borgquist and the school received $500 to promote citizenship and patriotism in the classroom. When asked how being a veteran affects his teaching, Borgquist said, "When I left Vietnam 35 years ago, I knew that I wanted to do something worthwhile with my life. I wanted to make a difference because I had learned how easily life could be taken away. . . . Teachers make a difference and are givers."


An awards ceremony was conducted at the Sacramento Hilton on Jan. 24. Borgquist said that the award "is an affirmation that what I have been doing all these years in the schools is important. It also gives further meaning to the sacrifice of so many that we might live in a free country."


During his interview, Borgquist said that while he enjoyed teaching middle school, he was disappointed with the attitudes of some students. "I must say that I don’t care for the lack of effort and motivation that I see in some students," he said. "I am a conservative educator and think that there should be more discipline and also consequences for recalcitrant and insolent students." He also noted that he didn’t enjoy the amount of paperwork that’s required of teachers.


Borgquist enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve in 1967, completed training at the Naval Amphibious Warfare School in Virginia and served a year in Vietnam.


Honors and awards aren’t new for Borgquist. He was awarded the title of "Ambassador" for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and as a guest of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, he spoke at the Teach Teachers Vietnam Conference in Washington, D.C. in 2002. He’s been recognized in numerous ways. In 2002 he was named the "Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year." In 1999 and 2002 he was nominated for "Outstanding Educator" by the Disney Corporation.


A lifetime member and senior vice-commander of the VFW Post for the Las Virgenes area, Borgquist chairs the "Voice of Democracy and Youth Activities Essay" each year. He’s a third-generation member of the VFW.




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