Northwestern College professor receives award from Iowa Council of Teachers of English

Kim Van Es, an adjunct instructor at Northwestern College, is this year’s recipient of the Iowa Council of Teachers of English (ICTE) Distinguished Service Award.

ICTE presented Van Es with the award at its annual conference, held Oct. 5 and 6 in Johnston, Iowa. She was nominated for the honor by a colleague, Dr. Chris Nonhof, an associate professor of English and education at NWC, and former students Victor and Nicole Mena, now both English teachers in Le Mars, Iowa.

In choosing Van Es for the award, ICTE cited the way she brought many of Northwestern’s teacher education students to the organization’s conferences and—as the ICTE’s college liaison—encouraged other English teaching professors across the state to do the same.

“Kim is honest, encouraging and supportive of her student teachers,” Nonhof and the Menas wrote in their nomination. “She offers a great balance of constructive criticism and grace, and pushes her students to the next level and their full potential. Her mentorship, numerous professional contributions and caring spirit make her deserving of the Distinguished Service Award.”

Van Es earned a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Iowa, where she became involved in the Iowa Writing Project and the world of Iowa’s English language arts teachers. She taught secondary English in Marengo, Iowa, and Orange City before eventually teaching first-year writing and English education courses at Northwestern. She currently teaches Northwestern’s Business Writing course while also serving as a writing coach through her business, Kim’s Writing & Editing Service.