Kent-Meridian High teacher wins national civil rights award

The National Education Association (NEA) has named Kent-Meridian High School teacher Marissa Winmill as the 2025 winner of the prestigious Mary Hatwood Futrell Human and Civil Rights Award.

“Winmill is one of the nation’s leading figures in advancing academic opportunity for young women,” according to the NEA. “For over 30 years, she’s served as a visionary educator who’s helped implement and carry out curricula that puts a focus on ensuring teen girls are never denied the chance to reach their full potential. Instructing in school settings ranging from the Philippines, to the state of Texas, Winmill finds the commonality in her young charges, and empowers them to believe in themselves.”

Winmill is in her seventh year at Kent-Meridian, where she has launched programs that increase gender representation in underrepresented fields like STEM, including a thriving Girls Who Code club.

But her journey—and her impact—extend far beyond any single classroom, according to a May 23 Kent School District press release.

Winmill’s passion for education was born from personal experience. Raised in the Philippines in a patriarchal society where opportunities for women were limited, she witnessed firsthand the transformational power of learning.

“My grandmother couldn’t vote because she couldn’t read or write,” Winmill said. “My aunt went to high school at 28. My mother dreamed of being a teacher but couldn’t finish college. For me, education was the key. It became the platform through which I could advocate for women and gender equality.”

The Mary Hatwood Futrell Award is named for the legendary NEA president and civil rights advocate who championed equal access to education for young women and girls.

Winmill’s teaching journey has taken her across the globe—from highly structured schools in the Philippines, to underserved communities in Texas, to dynamic classrooms in Washington state, according to the press release. These experiences have shaped her student-centered, equity-driven philosophy.

“I believe we’re not just instructors—we’re talent scouts,” Winmill said. “We’re here to cultivate strengths, to recognize the assets students already bring, especially multilingual and immigrant students.”

At Kent-Meridian, Winmill has made it her mission to open doors for young women—especially those from BIPOC and immigrant communities. After learning about Girls Who Code, she established a local chapter that now serves as a launchpad for girls interested in STEM careers.

“They inspire me every day,” Winmill said. “This isn’t just about coding—it’s about leadership, confidence, and access.”

In addition to her work in the classroom, Winmill has served as a board members for six years on the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board, where she advocated and supported efforts to diversify the educator workforce. She has championed data-driven reforms in teacher and principal preparation programs to ensure intentional recruitment of BIPOC women into leadership roles.

Through multiple grants, she has helped sustain professional learning communities like the Refugee Educator Academy, Kent Educators of Color Network, the Puget Sound ESD Educators of Color Leadership Community and the Filipino American Educators of Washington, according to the press release.

“Affinity groups are powerful,” Winmill said. “They create a sense of belonging and empowerment for educators who have long felt isolated in the system. Many paraeducators from these programs are now certified teachers.”

Winmill said she believes true leadership is about service and uplift—cultivating others and recognizing the potential within every student and educator.

“Do ordinary things with extraordinary love,” she said, quoting Mother Teresa. “That’s how we build something lasting. Leadership isn’t a competition—it’s a collaboration.”

Winmill shows no signs of slowing down. She continues to lead efforts across Washington state to shape the next generation of educators and students, according to the press release. Her work with professional standards boards, her advocacy for refugee learners, and her community-building initiatives all point to one vision: a more just and inclusive education system.

“This award is more than a recognition—it’s a platform,”Winmill said. “It’s a chance to keep advocating, mentoring, and creating space for more women to lead.”

According to the NEA, in a climate where any attempt to consciously speak to the needs of those previously left behind is viewed by some as “unfair favoritism” or “reverse discrimination,” Winmill is fearlessly working to dispelling that myth, and not letting anyone stand in the way of progress for young women.

“As Mary Hatwood Futrell did before her, she’s paying it forward to the next generation of young women to succeed, and take their dreams to the next level,” according to the NEA. “By mentoring women educators, she’s building a legacy… one teacher at a time.

“Marissa Winmill… the very model of gender diversity, equity and inclusion.”

About the NEA awards

Winmill will be honored July 2 in Portland, Oregon at the 58th Annual NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards Dinner.

The annual NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards is inextricably connected to the 1966 merger of the NEA and the American Teachers Association, according to the NEA website. The American Teachers Association, which represented Black teachers in segregated schools in the South, traditionally honored leaders in the justice and civil rights movement at an annual awards dinner.

This inspirational program was necessary to acknowledge progress in the movement towards justice nationwide, and to uplift positive impacts on the education of students of color, according to the NEA. As a new merged association, the NEA has proudly held to this tradition each year since 1967, celebrating leaders in racial justice, social justice, human and civil rights.