David Whitesell, a teacher at Gig Harbor High School (GHHS), was retroactively given the Karen Fellin Award at the most recent Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, Sept. 22. 

The Board of Directors nominates and gives the Karen Fellin award in June of each year, and chose to recognize Whitesell last month because he was originally nominated in the 2019-2020 school year, during the height of the pandemic.

The award was established to honor Karin Fellin, a former office manager at GHHS and executive assistant to the superintendent.

Whitesell is a history and AP art teacher at GHHS, and has been with the district for a long time. Principal Michele Suiter, GHHS teachers, and students spoke about Whitesell’s commitment to his students, his large impact on generations of Gig Harbor graduates, and his continued passion for teaching. 

“It is quite an honor because I worked with Karen Fellin and I understand the commitment she had,” Whitesell said. “I hope I live up to the character she established.”