Every spring, the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth's International Educator of the Year Award allows the Council to highlight the amazing individuals that make our education program, Global Young Leaders, possible. By working directly with high schools and universities, the Council has encountered numerous educators devoted to enriching their students' knowledge of world affairs and expanding international learning opportunities for their students. These teachers and administrators demonstrate leadership by going above and beyond their typical responsibilities.

2021 INTERNATIONAL EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

Maria Viera-Williams
Maria Viera-Williams of the Richardson Independent School District will be honored as 2021 International Educator of the Year. Viera-Williams is an English and ESL teacher at Lake Highlands High School. She is the founder and senior co-sponsor of the school’s Junior World Affairs Council, active since 2014. The Lake Highlands Junior World Affairs Council was named Most Active Junior World Affairs Chapter in 2019 and 2020. There are more than 60 Junior World Affairs Council chapters in area public, private and charter schools.

“The Junior World Affairs Council Chapter has played a significant role in global awareness among students, faculty and staff for the past seven years. As the founder and senior co-sponsor, I have been intensely committed to providing students with informative programs that raise awareness on current, past, and future world issues as well as exposure to presenters with international expertise,” said Viera-Williams. Lake Highlands High School Principal Kerri Jones said, “Mrs. Viera-Williams is a master of all of the ingredients of successful teaching and leadership.”

For her initiative and continued work inspiring young minds to think globally, Viera-Williams will receive the 2021 International Educator of the Year Award, a $500 honorarium and participation in the World Affairs Councils of America’s Annual Conference to be held in the fall of 2021 in Washington, DC.

SPEAKER

Secretary Jim Mattis
Our virtual conversation with former Secretary of Defense General Jim Mattis will be moderated by Council President Emeritus Jim Falk. General Mattis served as the 26th secretary of defense from January 2017 through December 2018 after retiring from his 43-year career as an infantry marine in 2013. Through his decades of experience, General Mattis has developed an acute understanding of American foreign policy and the United States’ role on the global stage and is a fierce advocate for education.

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