“If I had a superpower, I’d want super speed, just so I could grade faster and finally keep the homepage up to date,” Frilot said with a grin.

It’s a playful answer, but it encompasses him perfectly: light-hearted, self-aware, and devoted to his students.

A Calling to Teach

Frilot teaches AP Government and on-level Government here at South Forsyth. For him, teaching is more than a career — its a calling. 

“The most important quality a teacher can possess is compassion and understanding that each student’s educational journey is going to be different,” said Frilot.

That compassion runs in the family. His mother and brother are also educators, and both have won Teacher of the Year honors. Now Frilot joins them, proudly carrying on the family legacy. 

Frilot was surrounded by inspiration even outside his home. As a self-proclaimed “non-math person,” Frilot felt as if it was his math teachers who left the deepest mark.

Teachers who Shaped the Teacher

“I had my freshman year math teacher that really kind of instilled spirit and appreciation for the community that you’re in. He always had, I thought, really cool decorations in his room. Even though he was a math teacher, he had a cool Georgia Bulldogs poster in his room,” said Frilot.

Inspired by this experience,  Frilot fills his own classroom with reflections of both him and his subject through posters, flags, and decorations with the ultimate goal of passing that same spark forward.

It wasn’t just one teacher who left an impression, however. Years later, another math teacher bookended Frilot’s high school experience with the same lasting impact. 

“She had an event around Mother’s Day that she called ‘Mothers and Math’ and she invited all the moms of the students she taught to the school, and we had an event in the cafeteria where the students taught the moms a math lesson in May around graduation,” Frilot said. “The moms thought it was the best thing.” 

Whether it’s celebrating a student’s last fire drill or encouraging them to vote for the first time, he wants students to leave his classroom knowing their experiences matter.

Relevance Outside the Classroom

“Hearing from them about things from my class that inspire them, whether it’s a job in government or simply sending me an ‘I Voted’ sticker from across the country, reminds me that what we do in the classroom truly matters,” he said. “Every day has the potential to be a landmark day.”

To Frilot, the most rewarding part of teaching comes after his students have graduated. 

That word, “relevance,” is the cornerstone of his teaching. In fact, last year, a group of seniors painted “AP Gov Relevance” across the Spirit Rock as a tribute to his class.

“I hope that students remember that what we did in this class is relevant to their lives outside of it,” said Frilot.

From South Forsyth to Cornell

Occasionally, these reminders come in extraordinary ways. A former student, Isabel Hui, majored in government at Cornell University after leaving South. Hui chose to present Frilot with a stole of gratitude at her graduation, a Cornell tradition where graduates give the stole to someone who made a meaningful difference in their lives. 

For Hui, who now attends Law School at Emory University, the choice to honor Frilot at this moment was a no-brainer.

“It felt fitting to let him know how grateful I was and that I wouldn’t be getting the degree I was without his guidance,” Hui said.

For Frilot, the moment was unforgettable. 

“She invited me to the ceremony with her family, and when she placed that stole on me, I realized the weight of what teaching can mean,” he says. “Receiving that, I was like, oh, well, I guess maybe people are paying attention to what I’m doing. I can be inspiring, so I was like, oh, I guess I might be doing the right thing.”

Despite having attended a variety of schools since her time at South, Hui will always remember Frilot as a teacher who kept her inspired.

“For me, Mr. Frilot represents the optimism and faith that I can achieve anything that I set my mind to,” Hui said. “He also reminds me to have a profound appreciation for my roots, the journey ahead, and the unwavering support of those who have stood by me every step of the way.”

Hui’s stole now hangs in Mr. Frilot’s classroom. To Mr. Frilot it is more than just a keepsake; it’s proof that relevance, compassion, and connection extend far beyond the school building.

Everyday as a Landmark day

The recognition of Teacher of the Year is meaningful, too, not just for Frilot but for his family and school. With two children also attending South Forsyth, Frilot says sharing the honor with them is particularly special.

“The students make me want to do a good job for the potential they have,” he adds. “And the teachers here make it a great place to work and a great place to teach.”

Even in small, light-hearted moments, his devotion shines. From joking about superpowers to proudly collecting voting stickers from alumni across the country, Frilot’s impact is both personal and lasting.

As South Forsyth’s Teacher of the Year, he sees each day not as routine, but as an opportunity: a chance to make relevance real, compassion visible, and connections unforgettable.

Because in Frilot’s classroom, every day really does have the potential to be a landmark day.