Bill Nye Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

 By Emily Himber ‘28
William Sanford Nye, also known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his dedication to science education on January 4th. ​

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is seen as one of the utmost honors a person can receive, thanking the recipient for changing the United States for the better.
The White House describes honorees as those who have made “exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.”
Alongside 19 other individuals, former president Biden presented Nye with this honor at a ceremony on live television.
“[I’m proud] to congratulate you on all you've accomplished, and I'm grateful for the work you'll inspire for generations to follow, to stay engaged, to never give up, [and] to always keep the faith,” Biden said in his address at the ceremony.
Bill Nye was, and continues to be one of the most influential scientists to young children. Nye’s qualifications for this award included being an American educator of science, a television presenter, the CEO of the Planetary Society, and being a vocal advocate for space exploration and environmental stewardship.
On his show that aired from 1993 to 1999, Bill Nye taught children the importance of science and how it relates to current life by demonstrating all kinds of experiments. Topics range from how gravity works, to dinosaurs, to light and color.  
“I remember being in 5th-grade science class watching Bill Nye videos and being fascinated. He was an amazing educator and it is so cool he is being honored for it” says junior Brandon Schall. 
Despite being mainly known for his television appearances, Nye has made many contributions to society beyond the screen. 
In 2017, he released a book titled Everywhere All at Once, detailing his problem-solving process, life lessons, and personal anecdotes about his life as a scientist, engineer, and more. 
Additionally, he owns the patents for a model of pointe shoes, the “Educational Lens”(a product to teach children about how a lens works), and a throwing technique trainer that teaches baseball players how to throw a ball properly.