It’s not every day that an award-winning educator admits they were inspired to become a teacher, thanks to working with a giant mouse.

That’s exactly what happened for this week’s Golden Apple Award winner.

Bryan Lewis teaches science at Erie’s Strong Vincent Middle School. His inspiration for teaching came while working with a giant mouse named Chuck.

“I actually worked at Chuckie Cheese for many years and working with the kids at Chuckie Cheese all those years made me decide I’m pretty good at this. I might as well get paid more to do it in the classroom than at the ticket counter,“ said Bryan Lewis, Golden Apple winner.

Mr. Lewis is full of passion, energy and creativity. Here he sets cheese balls on fire to teach caloric formulas.

What’s he like best about science?

“Doing stuff and explaining why there’s condensation on the outside of your mug and why different things happen the way they do. Real life relates to science. You can explain why things are happening with science,” Lewis added.

This week’s Golden Apple Award winner had not one, but two student nominators. They’re both in the same class but one didn’t know the other was also writing a letter. 

“Even though some may consider his subjects challenging, he makes learning very fun and interactive,” said Christina Thompson, student nominator.

“He found a way to make learning really fun, so I’m not bored. I enjoy taking in information that he gives me,” said Natalia Miller, student nominator.

Our education expert is impressed by the students’ nomination letters.

“In their letter, they stated that we want Mr. Lewis to really understand how much we appreciate him and the impact he has on our lives and on all the other students,” said Dr. Mary Jo Melvin, Penn West.