Educators Honored with Yale Award
Fink and Farrar recognized for student achievement
Har-Ber High School math teacher Travis Fink and counselor Seanne Farrar are recipients of the 2025 Yale Educator Award.
The award is presented by the Yale Office of Undergraduate Admissions and recognizes outstanding educators from around the world who’ve supported and inspired first-year Yale students to achieve at high levels.
Ethana Hang, a 2025 Har-Ber High School graduate, nominated Fink and Farrar for the award.
“I feel very honored to receive this award—not because of the recognition itself, but because Ethana cared enough to nominate me,” Fink said. “That means far more than the award. Knowing she remembered me, even after moving on to Yale, is humbling and encouraging.”
Farrar said she also feels honored to receive the award.
“As a school counselor, my goal is always to support students in finding their path and helping them reach their potential, so to be recognized in this way is both humbling and very meaningful,” she said.
Hang is an Advanced Placement Scholar, holds the Arkansas Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish and Vietnamese and is a member of the National Honor Society and HOSA — Future Health Professionals.
She said she has a clear goal of becoming a neurosurgeon and is actively preparing for a career in medicine, having completed medical honors and medical completer courses in high school.
Farrar said she’s proud of Hang and all she’s achieved.
“She has always been motivated, compassionate and driven, and I have no doubt she will continue to do amazing things at Yale and beyond. This recognition is truly an honor, but the real joy is watching students like her thrive.”
The recognition is more a testament to Hang’s thoughtfulness and writing than it is about him as an educator, Fink said.
“I’m grateful I had the opportunity to support her at Har-Ber, and I have no doubt she’ll continue to shine bright and be a difference maker at Yale as well,” he said.
More than 302 educators from 38 states and 22 countries were nominated for the 2025 Yale Educator Award. Of those, 61 teachers and 26 counselors were selected to receive the recognition. The winners received engraved desk sets and congratulatory letters.
That Hang thought of her during this exciting new chapter in her life means a lot to Farrar, she said.
“Counselors often get to walk alongside students during some of their most challenging and transformative years, so hearing that she remembered me reminds me of the impact those relationships can have,” she said.
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