Judge Memorial teacher receives AP award

Friday, Aug. 29, 2025

SALT LAKE CITY—Dr. Dylan Esson, a human geography, AP human geography and AP research teacher at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City, has been honored as an AP Teacher of Distinction, an award which recognizes exceptional dedication and effectiveness in teaching Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Esson was one of only five educators in Utah to receive the award this year.

For the past four years, Esson has been a fixture in the ninth-grade classrooms at Judge Memorial. He described the experience as incredibly rewarding and has appreciated the caring environment at the school. 

“It’s an incredibly supportive community, [with] wonderful colleagues, students who are willing to grow, and just a great environment to be a teacher,” Esson said. “I think there’s a lot of hope.”

Esson has observed a significant shift in his students since the pandemic. “It was harder four years ago,” he said. “I think in terms of getting students to do work was trickier because we were getting a group of middle schoolers who I think were accustomed to a lower workload.” 

Now, he feels that students are more prepared for high school. “I feel like we’re getting students who are less impacted, I think, by changes in their middle school curriculum and they’re willing, they seem more curious,” he said.

Teaching AP courses presents its own unique challenges for both students and teachers, he said. “Helping students push through that challenge, especially when they’re making the leap from being middle schoolers and then getting college credit, it’s a huge jump sometimes,” Esson said. 

He emphasized the importance of motivation in his role. “You have to learn to motivate students to do just a higher volume of material, and you have to motivate them to overcome a lot of difficulty with material because it’s aimed at a college level.”

Prior to his time at Judge, Esson spent a decade teaching at the Waterford School. His academic background is extensive. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Utah and a Ph.D. in the same subject from UC Berkeley.

Esson’s nomination for the AP Teacher of Distinction award came from Vice Principal Louise Hendrickson, who was impressed with the work he has done with his excellent freshman AP human geography class. 

“He not only taught a rigorous curriculum, but he also worked with all students to deepen their understanding of the material and understand more of the world around them,” she said. “Dylan works with freshmen who come in at various skill levels. He is able to individualize and differentiate to help each student grow in comprehension and application.”

Esson’s care for his students is clearly evident in his classroom, Hendrickson said.

Esson had kind words for the Judge Memorial community.

“I’m thrilled to work in such a supportive environment,” he said. “I feel like as much as I’ve earned this award, I feel like it’s the students and my colleagues.”