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Carmelyn
Barbarito graduated from
high school in New York City on June of 1974. She enrolled
in Caldwell College in August of 1997. This May, she will
graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education
with a second major in English. Carmelyn is a member of four
honor societies at Caldwell College: Alpha Sigma Lambda, Chi
Zeta Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, Kappa Delta Epsilon and Alpha
Chi. Over the years, she has been actively involved as a Girl
Scout leader for her daughters' troops and has been a teacher's
aide for six years. It has always been Carmelyn's belief that
teachers are those who possess true caring for mankind. They
have the capacity to take a young child and nurture him or
her from a small dormant seed into a powerful redwood. She
is proud and honored to be able to call herself a teacher. |
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Amy
Barrett chose teaching as
a second career after 15 years managing software products
at AT&T and Lucent. She graduated from Cornell University
and received a Ph.D. in English from Johns Hopkins University.
Ms. Barrett completed the education program at Centenary College
and will receive certification in Elementary Education, Special
Education, and English. As a student teacher at Clinton Public
School, she taught in grades 3 to 8, including a multi-age
classroom, a resource room, and in an in-class support setting.
She planned many multi-sensory lessons to accommodate diverse
learners. Amy has two children. She brings to special education
the perspectives of both teacher and parent of a child with
special needs. |
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Barbara
Brandon graduated Summa Cum
Laude from Kean University with a Bachelor of Arts degree
in Early Childhood Education. Her student teaching experience
was in first grade at Cliffwood School in Matawan-Aberdeen.
She was a member of several academic honor societies while
at Kean. While pursuing her degree, and raising two daughters,
Barbara coordinated many community projects that benefited
groups such as Vietnam Veterans of America, The Bridges Program,
and Covenant House. Barbara's philosophy on teaching encompasses
the fact that a classroom teacher can make a significant difference
in the world. She believes that cultural, social, economic
and religious differences all come together in the modern
classroom, and cultivating these opportunities for understanding
and acceptance among students, is vital. She believes that
when children value one another not only for their similarities,
but for their differences, a better world is on the horizon.
Barbara is now "team teaching" in second grade at H.W. Mountz
School in Spring Lake. It is a very unique arrangement in
which she has gained invaluable insight and knowledge. |
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Michael
Chodroff an East Brunswick
native, graduated from Rutgers College in 1996 with degrees
in Journalism and Communication. During school, Michael tasted
the importance of education while interning for Richard Heffner
and The Open Mind on Channel 13. After graduating, he spent
time as a financial planner and as owner of a small publishing
company. In 2000, Michael decided to enter the teaching profession.
In 2001, he student taught at Edgar Middle School in Metuchen
and was Kean University's Post-Baccalaureate Student Teacher
of the Year. Presently, Michael teaches 5th grade at Tamaques
Elementary School in Westfield. Michael believes that education
is the true foundation of a good person and a strong society. |
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Accepting
for Anna Conchado, who was unable to attend the ceremony,
was Dr. Mark Meyers, Associate Dean of the College of Education
at Rowan University.
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Anna
Conchado received her bachelor's
degree in teacher of the handicapped and certification in
reading at Rowan University. She was awarded two bronze medallions
from Rowan last spring for the Ernest Maddock Exceptional
Children Award and the Evelyn Slobodzian Excellence in Reading
Award. She is currently the student representative for the
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education at
Rowan. Anna was an active member in the Students for Literacy
Club. She served as the president of the Student Council for
Exceptional Children during the 2002-2003 school year and
was a presenter at the International Council for Exceptional
Children Convention in New York City. Anna is currently teaching
at Chestnut Ridge Middle School in Washington Township, New
Jersey. Anna's philosophy of teaching is that all students
can learn through motivation with the belief that each student
can become a self-confident, self-sufficient, and productive
adult in a world where the only limitations one encounters
are the ones that one imposes on oneself. |
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Jeanette
Fazzari is double majoring
Elementary Education and Psychology at Rider University. Jeanette
made the Dean's list every semester and has been awarded the
distinguished Andrew J. Rider Scholar each year; given only
to the top three students in each of the University's colleges.
Jeanette also received the coveted Shirley Johnson Award in
Psychology. Jeanette student taught first grade at the Dutch
Neck Elementary School in West Windsor. Her most notable accomplishment
has been in martial arts. Jeanette is a 3rd degree Black Belt
in Isshinryu Karate. At sixteen years old Jeanette was the
youngest student to attain a teaching certificate for karate.
Although many activities kept Jeanette busy, she also enjoyed
student life at Rider, dedicating much of her time to the
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. Jeanette was an active
member all four years and was treasurer during her junior
and senior year. Jeanette is also a member of the Student
Education Association and strongly believes that to motivate
students, teachers must provide numerous experiences for them
so that they might apply and retain their newly acquired knowledge. |
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Kari
Fitzgerald was co-valedictorian
of her graduating class at Burlington County College. She
received Burlington County College's award for Outstanding
Academic Achievement in Liberal Arts in 2000-2001. She graduated
summa cum laude from Rowan University last December and will
begin her master's degree work at Rowan this summer. Kari
was the recipient of the Dean's Award for achievement in English
for 2001-2002, as well as the 2002-2003 winner of Rowan's
Medallion Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Student Teaching.
After completing her student teaching in December at Palmyra
High School, Kari accepted a position as a 7th grade language
arts teacher at Lawrence Middle School, in Lawrenceville.
NJ. She considers herself incredibly fortunate to have had
wonderful pedagogical role models at both Burlington County
College and Rowan University. |
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Accepting
on behalf of Rebeka Golieb was Molly Dugan, Associate Director
of Teacher Education at Rutgers University.
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Rebekah
Golieb grew up in Parsippany,
New Jersey. In 1998, she began her undergraduate work at Rutgers
University, where she was later accepted into the graduate
program for elementary education. The experiences that influenced
her career path included volunteering with underprivileged
children, working as a preschool camp counselor, and teaching
students with learning disabilities. She believes the purpose
of education is to create thoughtful, lifelong learners who
will become responsible, productive members of society. Rebekah
received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology with high
honors and will be receiving her Master's degree this May
from Rutgers University. |
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Tiffany
Jacobson will graduate this
May from Saint Peter's College with degrees in elementary
education and American Studies. She made the dean's list every
semester of her college career and has earned a 3.8 grade
point average. Tiffany was the Treasurer of the Student Education
Association and Kappa Delta Pi. She completed her student
teaching in the fall 2002 semester at Edison School in Union
City teaching 6th grade. Tiffany is a strong proponent of
whole school reform and believes that the majority of students
will thrive in an environment where they receive support and
guidance from all members of their community. |
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Daniel
Mark is a senior at Princeton
University and a graduate of the Ramaz Upper School in Manhattan.
He is the creator and host of "The Professor Show" on WPRB
103.3 FM, a junior fellow of the James Madison Program in
American Ideals and Institutions, a staff writer for The Princeton
Story, and a member of the Kukin Society of Fellows. In addition,
Daniel is a 1998 presidential scholar and the author of Federalism
and Constitutional Integrity in Commerce Clause Jurisprudence.
He did his student teaching at Hopewell Valley Central High
School under Alan Sattler. He hopes to teach next year in
New York City. |
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Aleta
Ott
and her daughter began school at the same time. Melinda, her
daughter, went to first grade while Aleta attended Bucks County
Community College. Aleta worked in the college printmaking
studio and it became a life-changing experience. While helping
other students at the studio, Aleta discovered she loved teaching.
She transferred to The College of New Jersey to earn her Arts
education degree; she was invited to join Kappa Delta Pi and
Golden Key, education honor societies. Her student teaching
experience helped Aleta to bring ideas to life for her students
and develop her teaching philosophy that every child can be
given the tools to succeed. |
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Accepting
for Marnie Podos was Mr. Torey Wilson, her supervisor at
Princeton University.
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Marnie
Podos will graduate from Princeton
University this June with a degree in English and a certificate
in teacher preparation. She completed her student teaching
at Hopewell Valley Central High School this past fall, where
she was fortunate to have had a wonderful cooperating teacher.
At Princeton, she has performed in several theatrical productions,
has written editorials for The Daily Princetonian, and has
served as an academic advisor to underclassmen. In the fall
of 2003, she will head to Oxford for a year long Masters Degree
program in 20th Century British Literature. Ultimately, she
would like to become a professor of English. |
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Jo
Ann Price, who is a mother
of three, earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English with
certification in secondary education and ESL from Georgian
Court College. She graduated summa cum laude last December.
She received a perfect score on the English Praxis exam and
is a member of both Kappa Delta Pi and Sigma Tau Delta honor
societies. Jo Ann completed her student teaching experience
at Howell High School, where she is now employed as a long-term
substitute teacher in the English Department. Jo Ann experienced
working with young people in her community as a Girl Scout
leader, religious education teacher and a Music Parent Association
board member. These experiences have contributed to her desire
to return to college in order to become an educator. She wants
to teach because she believes that the power of education
is to uplift and inspire, to literally transform lives, and
to open the eyes of adolescents to the exciting possibilities
and formidable challenges that lie just beyond the classroom
walls |
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Jessica
Rhoades graduated from Princeton
University last spring with a bachelor's degree in cultural
anthropology. She did her student teaching in English at Princeton
High School in the fall semester of 2002. She stayed on through
the spring as director of the IDEAS Center, an in-house tutoring
resource for Princeton High School students. Her summer as
a middle school reading teacher in Newark piqued her interest
in urban education, a field in which she plans to continue
working. Some of the best advice she has received thus far
as a young teacher has been that she has got to be crazier
than the kids. |
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Danielle
Schmidt will be graduating
with honors from Caldwell College with a bachelors degree
in English and secondary education. Danielle has been preparing
her entire life to embark on her journey as a teacher. Throughout
her college experience Danielle has taken every opportunity
to learn more about teaching and to try and become the best
teacher possible. She spent her last three years of college
tutoring in the writing lab at school and also spent a semester
as a supplemental instructor for Western Heritage. For the
past two years she has been working at Huntington Learning
Center tutoring children of all ages in both verbal and math
programs. Each of these experiences only affirmed Danielle's
love for teaching. Her hard work and dedication has led Danielle
to become part of various honor societies including Kappa
Delta Epsilon, an honorary professional education fraternity,
in which Danielle spent a year serving as fraternity president.
Now that her college career is coming quickly to an end, Danielle
hopes to enter the classroom in September and ignite a passion
for literary arts in her students. |
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Elizabeth
Voltman as a graduate assistant,
tutored college writers and taught undergraduate courses in
composition and literature. These experiences were very powerful
and rewarding for her as it amazed her how active a role she
had in opening students' minds to new ways of seeing the world.
This is the same spark that Elizabeth is seeking to kindle
at the secondary level with her World Literature students.
She is currently teaching at Montclair High School where she
presents the curriculum in such a way that engages students
and encourages them to empower themselves. Elizabeth's passion
inspires her to encourage her students to recognize and embrace
the inextricable link between wondering, living, and learning.
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