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Matthew Vriesman, '06

History Teacher, East Kentwood High School

I teach AP U.S. History and AP African American Studies at East Kentwood High School, where I help students think critically, challenge dominant narratives, and discover the power of history to shape their understanding of the world and themselves. I also started a nonprofit, , which offers free classroom resources that spark critical thinking, confront injustice, and empower students through history. I serve on the board of the Michigan Council for History Education, and I work with the College Board to promote AP African American Studies.

I love watching students move beyond memorizing a textbook to investigating history for themselves by weighing evidence, questioning sources, and seeing how different groups experienced the past in different ways. Those habits of inquiry are exactly what I learned at Calvin. My professors challenged me to move past public memory and enter what I now think of as a genuine quest for truth: broadening the sources we consider, listening to marginalized voices, and drawing conclusions from evidence. Those skills continue to shape everything I do as a teacher, nonprofit leader, and advocate for history education.