(STURGIS) - A member of the Sturgis Public Schools family has received a special award.
Sturgis Middle School math teacher Anna Northam has been named the 2026 recipient of the John E. Oster Award for Excellence in Teaching. Northam was nominated by her peers, and her nomination was reviewed by an independent committee of community members and Sturgis Public Schools leadership. She is the 45th educator to receive the award and was publicly recognized October 15 at the Sturgis Area Community Foundation's Annual Meeting.
For 18 years, Northam has been helping students discover they can do math, including at Sturgis Middle School, where she has taught seventh- and eighth-grade math since 2022. Growing up in Sturgis, Northam wasn't always confident in math, and teaching wasn't always the plan. She was first inspired by a college roommate set on a career in education, and her time as a counselor at the Doyle Community Center's Summer Adventure Club confirmed her love of working with kids.
The Oster Award is presented each year to a teacher in Sturgis Public Schools who demonstrates high professional standards in teacher training and education, along with extraordinary devotion to the Sturgis community. The award is given in memory of the late John Oster, a Sturgis attorney who placed a high value on education.