More than 100 students and staff members at Scullen Middle School in Naperville gathered to celebrate orchestra teacher Matthew White, as he was surprised with the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.
White is one of 10 Illinois educators — out of nearly 600 fourth- to eighth-grade nominees — to receive the 2026 award, which celebrates outstanding educators. He is also Indian Prairie School District 204’s first Golden Apple Award winner in over 20 years.
“I’m still trying to come up with words of exactly how I feel. I’m feeling loved, and I’m feeling proud, and I’m excited,” said White.
A teacher at Scullen for more than 10 years, he has built a reputation for kindness and inclusivity, according to staff and students.
“He sets the example of creating an environment in his classroom that is so welcoming and loving for our students that it then bleeds over into other classes,” said Scullen Middle School principal Scott Loughrige.
Teacher creates inclusive classroom environment
White was nominated for the Golden Apple Award by one of his students, seventh-grader Tharun Manikandan, a violin player, who is deaf.
Manikandan said he often struggled to hear his tone when playing — that is, until White found a way to help.
“I was having trouble hearing the first time with the acoustics, which means the regular violin. He helped me transfer to the electric [violin],” said Manikandan.
White, with the help of audiologists and engineers, found a cord that connects Manikandan’s cochlear implant to an electric violin, allowing him to hear his instrument more clearly when playing with his classmates.
The educator then advocated for the school to buy an electric violin for his student to use.
“It was the most amazing thing…And he was so excited to share that with everybody that he had a violin that he could play, and there is nothing better than the feeling of sharing my love for music with somebody else and seeing them want to share that with others too, and spread that joy of music to other people,” said White.
It was an unforgettable act of kindness, according to Manikandan, and another example of the type of person his teacher is.
“He’s been kind and supportive to his students, and I am also thankful for having him from sixth grade to eighth grade,” said Manikandan.
White awarded prize money and a sabbatical
White is also credited with launching Scullen’s first Carnatic music ensemble, a classical music style from South India, and encouraging student community engagement through performances at nursing homes.
In what some would describe as true White fashion, he praised his fellow teachers and his students for inspiring him to work hard every day.
“This community is just the best. The parents, the families, and the rest of the district is. This is just an awesome place to be, and I feel very lucky,” said White.
As a Golden Apple Award winner, White was awarded a $5,000 cash prize and a spring sabbatical at no cost through Northwestern University.
He is also now part of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a group that helps prepare future teachers in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs.
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