Full Circle: Goodrich alum brings award-winning teaching back to alma mater

August 20, 2025

Every time Hilan Younis spoke to her Goodrich Middle School classes during her first week as a teacher, she copied the caring and compassionate leadership style that Nicolle Armstrong showed to her.
 
Younis is preparing to make a difference in hundreds of Goodrich lives this year in her full-circle role as a seventh grade social studies teacher. Younis sat in the same GMS seats more than a decade ago when she studied important pieces of literature in Armstrong’s English class. Now, she is passing along her world history knowledge by building both connection and community for the current group of Dragons.
 
“The reason I do this is because I want my students to know I’m really here for them,” Younis said. “Not just to teach and go, but to show up for who they are. I build everything on relationships. I want them to feel seen and known, not just as students, but as people.”
 
Younis said she often thought of Armstrong’s kindness as she pursued her dream of becoming a teacher. Armstrong encouraged her in class activities, spoke to her in hallways and asked how she was doing during difficult moments in middle school. Younis said that thoughtful approach to teaching has influenced her entire life.
 
“She was amazing,” Younis said. “She was probably the reason why I wanted to step into this role and come back to Goodrich.”

 
Goodrich Principal Kelly Apel said Younis owns those same life-changing talents. She compared Younis to “a first-round draft pick” in professional sports because of her positive personality. During one first-week-of-school activity, students created a timeline of important historical events by looking up facts and photographs on their laptops. Younis lent her support to everyone in the room by holding one-on-one conversations with them at their desks.
 
“Hilan is awesome with checking in with students,” Apel said. “I was in here yesterday and she was moving around the classroom, checking in to make sure that every student has the feeling of success.”
 
Younis’ abilities drew statewide praise this past spring when she received the Outstanding Clinical Practice Educator in Social Studies Award. The Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies (NSCSS) selected her after learning about her above-and-beyond actions as a student teacher at Irving Middle School. The NSCSS recognizes one student teacher each year for showcasing strong content knowledge, building positive relationships with students and developing innovative teaching methods.

 
Irving social studies instructor Trey Ottley was Younis’ cooperating teacher during her student teaching experience. He said Aardvarks in his classroom respected her for overcoming obstacles in her life. She spent nearly eight years working her way through Peru State College before earning her diploma.
 
“I just enjoyed Hilan as a person,” Ottley said. “She is down-to-earth and the students loved her. She has a unique background when it comes to her life as a student that I think students will really benefit from – especially with the more reluctant learners.”
 
Lori Broady was Younis’ student teaching supervisor at Peru State and nominated her for the NSCSS honor. She was impressed with the constructive way Younis approached her student teaching responsibilities at Lincoln Public Schools. Younis spent the fall semester at Irving and was a teaching assistant at Goodrich this past spring.
 
“Her enthusiasm to improve her craft grew throughout the semester I worked with her,” Broady said. “She willingly accepted her cooperating teacher’s guidance, but was willing to stand in her own as well. She understood the nuances of teaching, which was evident in my personal observations in the classroom as well as in the extensive journals she wrote.”

 
Ottley said that willingness to grow was one reason why Younis will be a great teacher at Goodrich. Ottley watched her seek input on everything from lesson plans to behavior management when she was at Irving. In addition to soaking up suggestions from Ottley, Younis also visited with other teachers about their classroom strategies. She then incorporated those ideas when she was in front of her classes.
 
“I just really felt like she was using the student teaching opportunity to really discover what works best for her,” Ottley said. “While she and I had some very similar philosophies, she didn’t assume that she needed to do things just as I would do. Even when working off of lessons that I had originally put together, she would put her own unique spin on it for the sake of trying something new. It’s just clear that she understands how adaptability is such a necessary trait to be an effective educator.”
 
Younis began displaying her educational excellence at Goodrich last spring. She became a coach, encouraged students with their academic goals and spoke to many parents at Goodrich Legacy Night activities. That laid the groundwork for a full year of future inspiring moments at GMS in 2025-26.
 
Ottley felt Younis would make the same life-changing impressions on current Dragons as Armstrong did many years ago.
 
“I think teaching is such a relational field, and she’s such a relational personality,” Ottley said. “She is well-suited to make a huge impact on the lives of the students that are fortunate enough to be around her.”
 
Want to inspire LPS students in the same way as Hilan? View a full list of job opportunities by visiting our careers page at https://home.lps.org/hr/careers. 
 
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