Surrey teacher receives Alumni Educator of the Year Award
Media production and ADST teacher Lev Mihalik has been named this year’s Alumni Educator of the Year by the UBC Faculty of Education. The Surrey teacher receives Alumni Educator of the Year Award for supporting students both in class and through film programs across the region.
Surrey Schools notes that Mihalik stands out for his mentorship, his advocacy for inclusive learning, and his ability to build trust with students who often feel disconnected from school.
From at-risk teen to award-winning educator
Mihalik traces his teaching journey back to his own teenage years at Templeton Secondary in East Vancouver. As an at‑risk student in an inner-city setting, he joined a support program for troubled teens that helped him reset his path.
He says that experience shaped how he now approaches his classes. He tells students it is okay if they do not like school at first; his priority is getting to know them and making school feel safe. That simple shift, he explains, can go a long way toward helping them show up and engage.
Film program ignites a calling
Templeton also hosted a strong film program that sparked Mihalik’s passion for storytelling. As a high school student he helped teach summer film camps, which gave him early classroom experience and pointed him toward a career in education.
After graduating, he kept returning to those programs as a volunteer, building enough experience to earn a scholarship to become a teacher. He says he never planned this path in advance but followed opportunities that felt meaningful for him and for the young people around him.
Building a career across districts
Mihalik began his career with the Vancouver School Board before moving to Surrey as a priority teacher on call. Over more than 20 years, he filled in at schools across Surrey and White Rock, then accepted a contract at Frank Hurt Secondary.
He moved to École Salish in the 2024–25 school year, where he now leads media production and ADST courses for students in Grades 8 to 10. In summer, he directs the SFU Film Academy and co‑founded Young Moviemakers, an award‑winning acting and film camp for children and youth.
Giving back through storytelling and mentorship
For 15 years, Mihalik has used film and media projects to help students find their voice, build confidence and see new futures for themselves. He believes good things happen when educators give back and stay open to new chances to serve.
The Surrey teacher receives Alumni Educator of the Year Award with gratitude, calling the recognition a surprise and crediting the support of colleagues at École Salish. He says schools need a mix of different teaching styles to reach every learner, and that he is simply one of many “fantastic, remarkable teachers” helping Surrey students write their own stories.
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