Abilene High School teacher Jennifer Jordan was honored Wednesday, Jan. 4, as the recipient of the Jay Taylor Moore Outstanding Teaching of U.S. History Award from Humanities Texas.

Mrs. Jordan is one of only 15 teachers statewide to earn a 2025 Outstanding Teaching Award and was selected from more than 900 nominations, placing her among the top humanities educators in Texas.

Students and staff gathered for the campus ceremony alongside award namesake and former Abilene High teacher Jay Taylor Moore, as well as Humanities Texas Executive Director Eric Lupfer, who presented the recognition.

“Recognizing outstanding teaching is key to the future of the state,” Lupfer said. “Outstanding teaching is supported by an outstanding institution.”

As part of the honor, Mrs. Jordan received a $5,000 award, and Abilene High School was awarded a $1,000 grant to support humanities-based instructional materials.

The Jay Taylor Moore Award recognizes exceptional achievement in teaching U.S. history and civic literacy. For Mrs. Jordan, the recognition carried a special meeting. She previously taught alongside Mr. Moore at Abilene high, with the two working just steps away from each other in the same hallway. She credited his mentorship and reflected on a piece of advice he shared: “Our content is important, but our relationships are more important.”

During the ceremony, Mrs. Jordan thanked both current and former students and colleagues for their support.

“You are my why,” she said. “You inspire me every day, and you encourage me to be a better teacher. It’s always truly a great day to be an Eagle.”