MAHOPAC- When it comes to teaching German, Mahopac High School-Middle School teacher Katrina Bauerlein stands above the rest.
On Friday, Bauerlein learned that she had been named the 2026 recipient of the Outstanding German Educator Award in the high school category—the organization’s highest honor for German educators.
Bauerlein started teaching at Mahopac in 2001 after returning from a full year abroad, living and working in Germany with a Fulbright Fellowship.
Bauerlein has been a dedicated member of the Mahopac school community, helping students develop their German language skills. Her approach emphasizes meaningful communication, cultural understanding and an inclusive learning environment in which students are encouraged to think critically and engage with new perspectives.
Mahopac High School Principal Patrick Keevins commended Bauerlein: “Katrina brings an incredible level of knowledge, enthusiasm and care to her classrooms. She has a gift for making the German language and culture meaningful and accessible to her students, and this acknowledgement is well-deserved.”
For Bauerlein, the award is both a professional honor and a reflection of the importance of continuing to grow as an educator.
Bauerlein said she was “incredibly honored and humbled to receive this award. As the sole German teacher in this part of the Hudson Valley, I have always worked hard to seek out professional collaboration and opportunities for my students well beyond our geographic area. These partnerships have proven to be just the ticket to the strength of Mahopac German as well as to my own growth as an educator.”
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