For the fourth consecutive year, a Monterey Bay Academy teacher has been named a Teacher of Excellence by the Adventist Alumni Awards Foundation.

Steve Walls, who is in his 39th year at the academy and a longtime student favorite, has been honored with the award that includes a check for $1,000 and a trip to Arizona for the annual AAA awards presentation.

“I’m delighted to be selected for this award,” Walls says. “When you realize that only 10 teachers in the entire North American Division receive this award, it’s quite humbling.”

The teachers are nominated through their respective conference offices of education. Walls follows Bob and Betty Baerg, who are now retired, and Tim Kubrock, who received the award last year as the academy’s history teacher. Kubrock now serves as the school principal.

“Mr. Walls is definitely deserving of this recognition. He is truly an outstanding teacher,” Kubrock said. “He’s the kind of teacher that makes this academy a great school.”

On staff since 1967, Walls was first hired as a taskforce dean. By his second year, he was a full-time English teacher. He’s been recognized before, receiving the MBA Alumni Association Faculty of the Year Award and the Zapara Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1994.

“All of my favorite memories of working at MBA involve my students,” Walls says. “I love watching the transformation that takes place from the freshman to the senior year. Being a positive influence in a young person’s life is very rewarding. It’s why I do what I do.”