‘Honor of a lifetime’: Summit High School welding, Spanish teacher wins national award — and a big check for the district

Kit Geary/Summit Daily News
Rose Kelley said her son Oakley Van Oss has been a knowledge-seeker since he was young, always looking to learn more about skilled trades from the men in his life. She described him as someone who has carried himself with remarkable confidence from a young age and said he has the ability to connect with others from the jump. She was thrilled to witness him follow in her footsteps and become an educator, teaching welding, construction and Spanish at Summit High School.
For over a month, Kelley had to keep a secret from Van Oss. She learned he had won an award given to the top skilled-trade educators in the U.S. that he has long aspired to win. Numerous weekly phone calls, his birthday and other family events passed, and Rose continued to hide the surprise. Finally, on Tuesday, Oct. 8, she was able to have that weight lifted off her chest.
On Tuesday, Van Oss was told to go to a room on the first floor of the high school where he was met by family, friends, students, fellow educators and community members to receive the 2024 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. Kelley flew in from Florida to celebrate with him.
He was one of 25 teachers to be awarded in the nation and one of two in Colorado.

Harbor Freights Tools for Schools District Manager James Haynie presented Van Oss the award, which included a $50,000 prize — $15,000 of which goes directly to Van Oss and $35,000 of which goes to the school. A tool cart was also included in the prize.
The purpose of Harbor Freights Tools for Schools is to increase understanding, support and investment in skilled trades in public schools across the U.S. Haynie said the award is extremely competitive and that Van Oss’s application went through three rounds of judging by experts in education, industry, philanthropy and civic leadership. Harbor Freights Director of Store Operations Drew Denerstein said educators such as Van Oss who can teach in both English and Spanish are crucial in building a stronger, more diverse workforce for the trade industries.
Principal Doug Blake said the value Van Oss brings to his welding and construction programs and to the school community at-large is “immeasurable.”
Summit School District Superintendent Tony Byrd shared a similar sentiment.
“You can’t train people to have what you have,” Byrd said to Van Oss at the celebration. “You are an amazing human being and an amazing educator.”
Van Oss’s dual-language welding class also got to attend the ceremony to celebrate with him.

Summit High School senior Lukas Navratil is in that class and said Van Oss “is surely nothing short of exceptional.”
Navratil grew up in a family that worked in the trades — but not welding. He said Van Oss opened a door for him to different possibilities he hadn’t considered.
“To be able to come into somewhere and feel like I have someone who can properly teach me a skill that I’ve never learned before, that can also be applied in the real world, it’s just truly exceptional,” he said.
Van Oss described the award to be an “honor of a lifetime,” particularly because it is from Harbor Freights Tools and Schools. He said the organization is key in elevating resources available to public schools to give students the opportunity to get a start on careers in skilled trades that are in high demand.
He has been an educator for around 25 years and last year was awarded Outstanding Educator of the year in the Summit Foundation 2023 philanthropy awards.

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