Bishop Chatard teacher receives prestigious national award

By John Shaughnessy

When Amanda Horan opened the e-mail, the news shocked the science teacher at Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis in the best possible way.

The e-mail shared the news that Horan had been chosen for a prestigious national honor—the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

On Jan. 13, then-U.S. President Joseph Biden announced that Horan was among the educators from across the country who received the honor, which includes a $10,000 grant and a trip to Washington for an upcoming ceremony.

A press release from the White House noted that this presidential award honors “the vital role that America’s teachers and mentors play in shaping the next generation of technical leaders, including scientists, engineers, explorers and innovators.”

“I was shocked,” Horan recalls about receiving the e-mail that informed her of the honor. “I stared at it and my jaw dropped. In big font, it said, ‘CONGRATULATIONS!’ ”

Horan had applied for the honor in the 2022-23 school year, the same year she received the highest honor that the Archdiocese of Indianapolis gives an educator—the Saint Theodora Excellence in Education Award.

Horan is in her 14th year of teaching at Bishop Chatard, leading classes in Physics, Chemistry, Honors Chemistry and Advanced Placement Chemistry. A mother of two adopted children, she also serves as the moderator of the archdiocesan high school’s Black Student Union.

“I’m a very motherly person in my interactions with my kids in my classroom,” Horan says about her approach to teaching. “I think my kids know I love them and care about them because I hold them to high expectations, and I’m not going to let them sluff off. I tell them, ‘Here are my expectations for you, and I’ll do anything I can to help you get there. But I’m going to hold you to those high expectations because I know you can do it, and I care about you.’

“I want my students to grow up to be people who can think for themselves. Whether or not they love chemistry or physics, I want them to learn how to learn for themselves and how to think for themselves and how to have discussions with each other and help each other.”

As the principal of Bishop Chatard, John Hasty has seen the difference that approach makes to Horan’s students.

“Her personal commitment to faith, continuous learning, leadership and service profoundly impacts our students and staff, inside and outside the classroom,” he says. “Students often credit Mrs. Horan with helping them find a love for science and learning. We are excited to see her earn this well-deserved and distinguished recognition.”

The students in one of her Advanced Placement classes even threw her a party.

“They wanted an excuse to bring snacks in, let’s be honest,” she says with a laugh before turning serious. “My students have all been supportive and excited for me. They were all impressed that my name was actually on the White House website.”

Students also have asked her about her plans for the $10,000 grant she will receive.

Some of the grant will be used when she travels this fall to Chicago to pursue a dream—to run in that city’s marathon. She sees how striving for that goal helps her as a teacher.

“Running is not something that comes easily to me,” she says. “I have to work really hard at it whereas school, science and math have always come very easily to me. Running has given me an appreciation for the struggles some of my students have with chemistry. It gives me more empathy for their struggles.

“I can stand in front of them and say, ‘I’ve done hard things that have taken me a lot of work and I can understand how that can feel sometimes. I know that if you work hard and I’m here to help you, you can get this tough chemistry too.’ ”

Horan completed her first marathon this past fall—the Monumental Marathon in Indianapolis. She has also run about 15 half-marathons.

“I started running and I realized I could do something hard,” she says. “I like that feeling of setting a goal that I used to think was impossible, of working toward it and achieving it. It’s made me a happier person.”

So has changing her career path to teaching. After graduating from Purdue University with a degree in chemical engineering, she worked for five years with Eli Lilly & Co., doing good work and making good money. But there was always the thought in her mind about teaching. It reached the point where she felt God was calling her to teach and influence young people.

Horan views the Presidential Award as another affirmation that she made the right decision to become a teacher.

“I believe in the potential of every student, and I show this by maintaining high expectations while supporting them on their educational journey. Being recognized with this award reaffirms that teaching is my true calling and that my impact extends beyond the classroom.” †