Mason Hardy

2022 "Pass the Torch" Scholarship Finalist

“Everybody has a story’… that was his favourite idiom; that in journalism and life we should approach people as though they have far more to teach us than we have to teach them.”

Mason Hardy was bemused when he first encountered Journalism teacher, Mr. Nichols, an unconventional educator who assigned work, then left it to students to complete —or not— and could often be found napping on his favorite recliner mid-class. However, the radical trust and respect Mr. Nichols displayed towards his students cultivated important qualities in them: integrity, discipline, empathy, and pride in their work. As an English teacher, Mason aims to instill these same values in his students – and to ensure that, like Mr. Nichols, he remembers that every student in his class has a story.

Here is Mason's story about Mr. Nichols, the teacher who inspired him.

Want to hear the stories of the other nine finalists? Visit our 2022 Scholarship Finalists page.

Thinking of applying to this year's program? Learn more on our Teachers Test Prep "Pass the Torch" Teacher Scholarships page.