English Teacher Lisa Neu’s AP Language and Composition class was about to take their quiz on The Great Gatsby when a stream of faculty paraded through the door. In the audience of teachers and students stood Principal Dr. Barbara Georges, who announced that Neu had been selected as the Distinguished Teacher Award of 2025 recipient.

The quiz was canceled.

On May 22, at the Honors and Awards Ceremony, Neu was officially declared as the 41st Distinguished Teacher of the Year. This decision came from the Parents’ Association Executive Council and a few select students who discussed the student nominations, Georges said. As Distinguished Teacher, Neu is responsible for appearing and speaking at school events, such as the Homecoming parade and the National Honors Society Induction Ceremony.

“There’s part of me that knows I don’t deserve [the award] any more than anybody else [at South], but [receiving the award] is pretty freaking awesome,”  Neu said.

When Neu was a junior in her English class at South, inspirational teachers helped her discover the power of classroom discussion, inspiring her to eventually become an English teacher herself, she said. She began student teaching at Highland Park High School, then became a teacher at Stevenson High School, before finally returning to South, Neu said.

“The greatest reason I became a teacher is [that] I loved the conversations and being able to talk about big things [like] philosophy and [the] human experience,” Neu said. “That was my junior experience and it changed the way I thought about things.”

As a teacher, Neu prepares her students for future careers and sets them up for success, Georges said.

“[Neu is] nurturing some skills and passions that will be able to grow and thrive as [with students as] adults,” Georges said. “She’s going to have a lot of students who look back on her classroom fondly and have positive memories of their time at South because of their moments with Neu.”

While some people may think of English class as boring and difficult, Neu establishes a collaborative classroom where all her students feel comfortable to engage, junior Ariel Bukhalo said. Neu shares personal anecdotes to connect her lessons to the real world and makes time out of class to meet with students to provide them with feedback, making her class not only more digestible, but also more compelling, Bukhalo added.

“[Neu is] a teacher that makes the point of trying to connect with every single student,” Bukhalo said. “By doing that, she tries to incorporate [collaboration] in her lessons, and it makes class a lot more fun.”

Neu’s role in Erika’s Lighthouse, a former club at South started by two students in 2009, is one of her proudest achievements, she said. Neu, along with a social worker, provided a safe space for students to discuss mental health stigma and issues, Neu said. Neu continues to be a strong advocate for students’ well-being and sense of belonging, Georges said.

“[Neu] is always vocalizing how she believes that we could do better,” Georges said. “It’s teachers like her that help make sure that our school and our organization is always moving in a forward direction of improvement.”

Neu is retiring in two years, but instead of focusing on the future, she is concentrating on her current students.

“[Teachers are] replaceable, and that’s a good thing,” Neu said. “But knowing that [I am] replaceable means that the kids that are with [me] right now are the ones that matter. It’s not about the legacy.”