APOPKA, Fla. — Scott Lords hated school when he was young, but that eventually changed when a teacher inspired him to be become an educator. Now, Lords is being recognized for his dedication and hard work affecting young students' lives.


What You Need To Know

  • Scott Lords teaches honors science at Wolf Lake Middle School in Apopka

  • Lords' geology professor at community college inspired him to teach

  • He has been teaching for 26 years

  • Here’s how you can nominate an A+ Teacher 🍎

Lords admitted he felt alone when he was young. 

"I came from a broken family. My mother — she wasn't even in the house," he said. "She was more in a mental institution, and so it was so sad, but from that, I really didn't like school. I hated it because I didn't have a teacher that wanted to help."  

But that eventually changed.

"I went to a community college, and I found this geology professor that just opened my eyes," Lords said. "And I said 'I want to teach,' and I want to teach something that I wasn't good at, which was science."

In his 26 years of teaching, Lords said he tries to make sure no student slips through the cracks.

"It's all about giving my kids a better chance in life," he explained. "I do anything I need to do to get the job done, to get these kids to the next level. I want to change lives. That's my goal."