Ellen Brooker, an instructor at Southwest High School in San Antonio, Texas, credits her Chickasaw heritage for greatly influencing her role as an educator. Certified in history and government, gifted and talented programming and instructional technology, Ellen has been teaching for over 28 years. She's passionate about exposing her students to Native American history and incorporates traditional regalia and Chickasaw phrases into her classroom — doing so, she said, encourages her students to explore their own heritages and to gain a better understanding of their shared histories. Ellen is well-recognized for her teaching efforts and has a master's degree in curriculum and instruction; she was the 2012 Chickasaw Nation Dynamic Woman of the Year, is an Outstanding American Teacher award recipient and is a department chair and winning grant writer.