Rhonan Mokriski, M.S. ’96, an educator at the Salisbury School, has been named the 2024 Connecticut History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Established in 2004, this prestigious award recognizes the exceptional contributions of K-12 teachers by annually honoring one exemplary educator from each state as well as the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools, and the U.S. territories.
In 2024, Mokriski began his 29th year of teaching at his alma mater, the Salisbury School — an all-boys, college-preparatory boarding school in Salisbury, Conn. His notable achievements include the development of a course titled “Coloring Our Past,” which encourages students to assume the role of historians to recover and present the narratives of overlooked or marginalized individuals and events. In 2021, he forged a partnership with Troutbeck, a historic site in Amenia, N.Y., to establish the Troutbeck Symposium. This annual, student-led program brings together public and independent schools, providing students with a platform to share these important stories.
As recognition for his outstanding contributions, Mokriski received a $1,000 honorarium, an archive of American history books, and educational materials curated by the Gilder Lehrman Institute.
Mokriski is the second alumnus from Southern to receive this accolade in recent years. In 2020, Federico Fiondella, M.S. ’03, 6th Yr. ’18, a teacher at North Haven High School, was named Connecticut History Teacher of the Year.
