ALLIANCE, Ohio — The University of Mount Union is proud to announce that Rachel Cummings ‘09, instructor and director of athletic training, has been named its Great Teacher for 2021. 

The award was presented virtually as part of Mount Union’s annual Senior Recognition and Honors Convocation throughout Mount Union’s social media channels on April 20 by Chad Johnson ’07, president of the Mount Union Alumni Association. 

A member of the Mount Union faculty since 2019, Cummings, a Mount Union alumna, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training from the institution. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in exercise, leisure, and sport from Kent State University. 

A student nominator said, “She truly puts the mental health of students before everything else, making sure that they are not only physically ready for class, but emotionally. She is always there to check on others and make their day brighter. She continually checks on students that have graduated. You can feel the passion that she has for teaching and her profession. There is no one more deserving of this award.”

The Great Teacher Award, initiated in 1962, is sponsored by the Alumni Association and recognizes excellence in teaching – the foundation upon which the reputation of Mount Union has been built.  

Cummings was chosen as this year’s Great Teacher by a selection committee consisting of the officers of the senior class, the two most recent recipients of the Great Teacher Award and the president and immediate past president of the Alumni Association. 

View past winners and more information about the Great Teacher Award at mountunion.edu/great-teacher-award.