Almost one month ago, towards the end of a long school day, Psychology professor and US History teacher Benjamin Lacombe received the UNR Excellence in Education Award while teaching a history class. 

 “This is an award that comes from the Alumni Association,” Lacombe said, “It recognizes graduates of University of Nevada, Reno, and they give it to people who make an impact in the community. Mine was for education (…) I was nominated by a former employee who used to work here a couple years ago.”

The award was presented to Lacombe by the president of UNR and former governor of Nevada, Brian Sandoval.

“I’m used to having adults walk into my classroom,” Lacombe said. “It was Ms. Levy and a couple other people following her, so I just assumed she was showing [people] around the school. What blew my mind is when the former governor walks in, and whenever you see the former governor walk into your classroom, you know something’s up. It was very nerve wracking, exciting, hard to catch your breath type situation which I’m not normally in. ”

While winning the award may have felt odd and out of the ordinary for Lacombe, his students felt the award was well deserved and applauded him for his efforts as a teacher. 

“I have Mr. Lacombe for Psychology sixth period, I love it, it’s so fun and it’s super engaging and interactive,” junior Arielle Levi-Haim said. “I’m so happy, I really think he deserves [the award]. I feel that he really cares about his job, he really cares about teaching, and he really cares about the students and everyone.”

Throughout his teaching career, Lacombe has always tried to maintain a good relationship with his students in hopes of leaving a positive impact on them that follows them beyond the classroom. 

 “The job itself is to educate children, but that’s not the only job we have,” Lacombe said. “I take it personally, knowing that it’s not just the curriculum that we are teaching, but helping people become better human beings as a whole. It’s making people understand themselves better and just making them better human beings through respect and kindness.”

This sentiment distinguishes Lacombe’s classroom from most others as he consistently brings an enthusiastic energy that leads to his students deeply enjoying his classes and being motivated to complete their assignments. 

“I like that he’s very enthusiastic about what we’re learning, especially when he’s doing lectures. He’s not monotone; he’s very animated,” junior Valentina Escobar said. “I’ve had experiences with other teachers who don’t really sound enthusiastic about their work, but Mr. Lacombe, he gets really into it…We were doing a discussion about the US Constitution and the Civil War, and we had to relate it to the reform movements. I had brought up a point about a women’s rights movement and how it’s kind of related to slavery, and as soon as I said that, he got super excited about it. It made me feel good because I felt like I was making connections.”

Through these teaching strategies which help students feel more engaged, motivated and inspired within the classroom, Lacombe hopes to impact his students in their everyday lives as well. 

“I’m just weird to a certain extent, I do weird things and I’m very energetic, I keep people on their toes,” Lacombe said, “The biggest thing is that I’ve never wanted to be like the teachers I  had when I was a kid. I know a lot of people, they go to their jobs and they hate it, it’s just something they have to do, but I don’t view it that way. This is truly like a second home to me. I don’t just come here to work, it’s a part of who I am, and I take my job very seriously.”

Along with being great at teaching, Lacombe consistently tries to get to know and connect with his students on a personal level to build strong relationships with them. 

“I think kids just need love and respect and kindness, because sometimes they don’t get any of that at home or work, or wherever they might be,” Lacombe said, “Without a doubt, I truly believe that I learn from them [students]. I think a lot of adults have no contact with kids except for their own, and I see kids with all kinds of diverse backgrounds and different interests. Whoever they want to become, I want to support them.”

With this empathetic, honest, and open approach to his job as a teacher, Mr. Lacombe has been able to help his students grow out of their comfort zones, explore new opportunities, and cherish memories from his classroom.

“To Mr. Lacombe: Honestly, a lot of times, I’m not excited for group work,” Escobar said,  “But I think that’s something you should keep pushing, because it helps you get to know your peers better, and the way you make your assignments engaging, it’s a good way to get out there. Thank you for being such a good teacher.”