Spotlight: Megan Eilers (AK '23)

Alaska Milken Educator Megan Eilers is a ninth through 12th grade health occupations teacher at Hutchison High School. Eilers, also a registered nurse, gives students several opportunities to immerse themselves in realistic healthcare scenarios – from CPR to First Aid. She’s passionate about bringing her love for healthcare and nursing to the classroom. "I want my students to remember how much I love my career, both nursing and teaching, and how much I enjoyed the time I spent with them in high school. I want them to aspire to love their career as much as I love mine." Eilers received a 2023-24 Alaska Milken Educator Award in Fairbanks on January 30, 2024.

Milken Family Foundation: How have students responded since your Milken Educator Award surprise? 

My students have been very supportive since I received this award. I have been able to connect with some of my graduated seniors and tell them about the forum. They are super excited for me and the opportunities I will be afforded as a Milken Educator. The parents have also been amazing. I have been overwhelmed by love and support from my entire community. It's an amazing feeling to be so loved by practical strangers. 
 
MFF: Who are your role models as an educator? Is there an experience you had in the classroom as a student that shaped your practices or motivation to teach? 

I have two important role models as an educator. My mom, Diane Minster, is the first. She is also an educator, and she has taught me the importance of being educated. She has always encouraged me to prioritize my own education and success so I can grow and inspire others.  

The second is my first year nursing instructor, Terri Kiss (T.K.). In my early nursing years, I modelled my nursing practice after her. I would think, "What would T.K. do?" As I began precepting and teaching new nurses, I would model my teaching after her. She had a way of making me dig deep for the knowledge I already had, without handing me the answers to my questions. She was a compassionate, no-nonsense instructor who expected greatness from us. When I became a high school teacher, I took what I learned from her about effective teaching methods and implemented them in my own teaching practices right away. I attribute much of my teaching success to her passion for healthcare, teaching, and inspiring us. I only spent two semesters of my whole life with her, but she impacted my future forever. 
 
MFF: Tell us about your first year of teaching. What memories stand out? Who or what helped you through it? 

My first year of teaching was kind of a blur. I was a school nurse the previous two years and loved the school environment. I came directly from the industry as a registered nurse (RN) with no formal teacher training. I walked into my classroom that year having no idea what I was doing. I was at school from 7:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day, learning the material I was teaching the next day, and figuring out how to be an effective educator. It was incredibly challenging, but I knew right away that I was meant to be in that classroom and that I was going to work hard to share my love of healthcare with an amazing population of people — teenagers. 

MFF: What do you hope students remember from their time with you? 

I want my students to remember how much I love my career, both nursing and teaching, and how much I enjoyed the time I spent with them in high school. I want them to aspire to love their career as much as I love mine. The first thing I say to them on the first day of school is that my goal is to help them find a career that brings them joy every day; a career that fills their spirit and never feels like work; a career they aren't afraid to work their tails off to obtain. I want them to always remember that I believed in them and their life goals.  
 
MFF: You’re known for using an engaging and hands-on approach to learning. Can you share your favorite ways to incorporate practical healthcare scenarios into your curriculum? 

I am kind of a wild teacher sometimes, in all the appropriate ways, of course. It is hard for me to contain my excitement for the material I teach. I must be one of the greatest lovers of healthcare on this grand earth. I especially love women's health, and all things related to birth. My excitement produces some teenage eye rolls at times, but then they laugh and are invested in what we are doing.  

One of my favorite classes to teach is medical terminology. In this class, my nursing experience and love of the inner workings of the body really comes to life through anecdotal stories and using clay to teach anatomy. This is the class where I get to encourage students to go masticate with their families at the dinner table and where we get to learn about my favorite life producing organ, the placenta. I'm thankful to our community for always coming through with a placenta donation from the labor and delivery unit I have worked on for 14 years. This is the class where the timeless "Ms. Eilers quote book" was developed by a group of students. What happens in medical terminology, stays in medical terminology!  

My introduction to health occupations class is full of freshmen learning many foundational healthcare concepts through hands-on activities such as taking blood pressure, completing a head-to-toe assessment, and systematically thinking through ethical dilemmas. One of my favorite units is about different healthcare systems and how to navigate the U.S. healthcare system. Who thought learning about health insurance could be fun? In this class it is! 
 
MFF: Could you discuss the partnerships you've established with local healthcare facilities to provide additional opportunities for your students, and how you’ve seen these partnerships enhance student learning? 

As a HOSA Future Health Professionals advisor, it has been critical to expose students to healthcare opportunities outside of the classroom. We have had a close partnership with our local hospital for many years. They provide after-school learning opportunities that have inspired students in a way I am unable to in the confines of my classroom. Students have been able to: Simulate surgery with real surgical robotic equipment; watch a simulated birth; check a laboring cervix; be exposed to cardiac cath lab procedures; intubate and inflate pig lungs; and the list goes on. Through HOSA, I have seen many students rise to greatness through their participation in this international student led organization.  

Last year I went on to develop a partnership with the second largest healthcare provider in our community, Tanana Chiefs Conference. We were able to do a tour of their state-of-the-art facilities and showcase some of their entry level jobs. It was really awesome to see students’ eyes light up when they learned about opportunities available right after graduation. Both Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and Tanana Chiefs Conference have provided financial support to our HOSA chapter, keeping the travel fees down for students. They are invaluable assets to our students.  
 
MFF: What advice would you share with people who are interested in becoming teachers? 

Teaching is the hardest job I have ever had. As a nurse, I can clock out and go home without thinking much about the shift I completed — this is not true for teaching. I take my students home with me every day. They infiltrate my thoughts and spirit well after I have said goodbye for the day. From August until May, the list of things to do never ends and it can feel overwhelming at times, especially when piling on the extra activities that help with professional growth. However, with great responsibility brings great reward. What you put into your work and your students, you will receive tenfold, and it will fill your soul and motivate you to keep going.  

I recently took a group of students to the HOSA Alaska State Leadership Conference. I had three nationally certified CNA's that were set to compete. In my loving and kind way, I told them I expected them to take first, second, and third place at the conference competition, and that I knew they were capable of this achievement. I watched them practice in our classroom lab for weeks. One of the students became concerned one day and asked, "Ms. Eilers, will you be disappointed if we don't take first, second, and third place?" I told her I could never be disappointed in them and that I was already so proud of their accomplishments and efforts.  

Well, wouldn't you know, those girls took the sweep with first, second, and third place! I have had many proud moments during my nine years as a classroom teacher, but this took the cake. They worked hard, they knew I believed in them, they believed in themselves, and they accomplished something that day that will live with them forever. That day was worth all of the hard things I have had to do as a teacher. My students have always been worth it! 
 
MFF: Are you working on any interesting initiatives or new projects these days? Is there anything else you want to share about your school? 

Ironically, when I received the Milken Educator Award, I was locked into a leave of absence this year while figuring out my next career move. I knew the year I won would be my last year in my classroom. I am an adjunct instructor at UAF/CTC (University of Alaska Fairbanks Community and Technical College) and I will always be an educator, but I knew it was time for me to move on from my high school classroom.  

This time last year, I didn't know where my life was headed, and I was feeling a little lost. Then, I won this amazing award, and I knew I must honor the spirit of the award and continue to do good things for education. I have since returned to nursing full time as a manager in the labor and delivery unit I have worked at and loved for the entirety of my career, but I am also excited about my new endeavors. I have been asked to facilitate our district's new teacher mentor program. I was just hoping to become a mentor but helping to facilitate the program feels so huge and purposeful for me. I have no idea what I am doing, but I will figure it out. I am and will continue to mentor my replacement teacher. I am invested in her success, the success of the program, and the robust HOSA chapter I have helped to create.  

I was also recently asked to adjunct for the high school CNA class at UAF/CTC that is offered through our district. This was an exciting development, as I was trying to figure out how to get teenagers back in my life. I am also in the very beginning stages of trying to get a teacher recognition program going in our district, but it's too early to talk much about it. I am thankful for the Milken Family Foundation and the incredible honor that has inspired me in a way that only Milken Educators will understand. I am so excited about my future and the good I still have left to do for education.