This award is established in memory of Dr. John Nikol who taught History at Stuyvesant High School from 1986-2007. He had a PhD in European history and taught for many years at both Fordham Prep and Stuyvesant High School. Teaching was his passion and he engaged students in a way that few educators could. Dr. Nikol started the first experimental 10th grade AP European History class at Stuyvesant with success and wrote countless college recommendations for students. While at Stuyvesant, he also served as faculty advisor for The Standard. He passed away in 2022 after a three year battle with Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia.
The awardee will be selected annually by the faculty of the Social Studies Department, on the basis of merit in the area of history, an interview, and overall need.