How Excellence in Teaching Winner Ashley Bak Empowers the Next Generation

Note: This is one in a series recognizing winners of this year’s NHA Excellence Awards, a program that honors educators, deans, and administrative teams across our network.

When Vista Charter Academy educator Ashley Bak was asked to help put together a teacher appreciation video last spring, she jumped at the chance to support her colleagues. She spent two weeks running around campus preparing the footage for what was advertised as a routine end-of-year assembly. Instead, the middle schoolers were brought into the room to watch her unwrap the ultimate surprise: Bak was named a recipient of a 2025-26 National Heritage Academies^® (NHA^®) Excellence in Teaching Award.


"I had no idea this was happening. When Dean of Middle School Dawn Donati-Martin started talking, the next thing I knew she announced that I won," Bak recalled. "I go to walk up to the stage; I took a little sneak peek around the corner and here comes all of my family and friends with a big banner. I was in shock."

To make the moment even more special, a former student who was named Eighth Grade Student of the Year handed Bak the trophy. The grand celebration reflected the profound impact Bak has made since joining Vista in 2017. Having struggled academically as a student herself, she knew early on that she wanted to give back to kids in the same way her past teachers supported her.

"I was somebody who struggled in school a little bit. I had a great group of teachers at my middle school through high school that supported me and gave me the tools I needed to be successful," Bak said. "I wanted to make that impact on kids, and I knew that from a young age"

The Leader She Was Meant to Become

After eight years as an eighth-grade ELA teacher, Bak transitioned this year into a new leadership role as Vista's English Language coordinator and middle school EL teacher, coaching colleagues while supporting students. Throughout her time at the school, her core philosophy has centered on creating a culture of trust, instilling a love for reading, and framing feedback as a tool for personal growth rather than failure.

For Bak, student success begins long before anyone sits down to take a test. It starts by stepping outside the classroom doors and being a constant presence in the school community.

"In eighth grade, if you aren't out in the hallways, getting to know the kids, and showing up at their games, you miss the chance to connect with some of them before they ever step into your classroom," Bak shared. "One way, especially in middle school, to get kids to come in and want to do the work to learn and be engaged is being involved in who they are as a person, outside the classroom."

Supporting the Vista Community

Whether she is helping a student navigate a challenging day in her classroom's ‘calm down’ corner or weaving NHA’s Moral Focus™ virtues like courage and respect directly into daily literature discussions, Bak's priority remains educating the whole child. She also emphasizes open, weekly communication with families and reminds new educators that success in teaching relies heavily on leaning into the surrounding community.

"If I could tell myself, 'You're never going to have enough time. You're always going to want to do better. But just coming in and giving what you can every single day for those kids is going to get you where you want to be,'" Bak reflected when considering advice for her first-year self. "And that I'm going to learn probably more from those kids than I'm ever going to teach them."

As Bak looks forward to continuing her leadership journey at Vista, her hope for her long-term impact on her students remains rooted in confidence, advocacy, and unconditional support.

"I hope my students leave knowing that they matter and that their voice counts," Bak said. "Looking back, I want them to see me as the person who always showed up, and to feel empowered to respectfully speak up and create change."

Congratulations Ashley on your well-earned Excellence in Teaching award! Thank you for all you do for your students, colleagues, and community.
 
About Vista Charter Academy
Vista Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA^®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.