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Earlier this year, in response to growing concern about the coronavirus, what would have been the college’s 18th annual Recognition Dinner was cancelled. And while hindsight shows that this was a wise decision, we all – alumni, donors, students, faculty and staff – missed this opportunity to gather and celebrate all that makes the University of Florida and the UF College of Education special.
Despite outrageous challenges over the last several months, the college and the entire EduGator community carried on in pursuit of academic excellence. After a rigorous selection process, three graduate and four undergraduate students, who were chosen for their outstanding accomplishments during the academic year: Noor Aboushaar, Brandon Alexander, Caleb Chambliss, Alaizhia Clark, Nicolette Grasley-Boy, Hannah Kastensmidt and Mercedes Machado.
The past year was marked by many achievements and these students are proof that there will be much to celebrate in the future.
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The Outstanding Graduate Leadership Award is given to an advanced-degree student who demonstrates a commitment to service and leadership for the college, university and community.
Caleb recently graduated from the College of Education with a masters in mental health counseling and a certificate as an athlete development specialist. For Caleb, leadership is about inspiring others to go beyond what they thought was possible. During his time at UF, he has been involved in numerous leadership roles. Most notably among his achievements is his work with the Heavener Leadership Challenge, where he led over 300 undergraduate students and his time as a Youth Leadership Captain working with children in Haiti to develop a new experiential curriculum. He hopes to make an impact on this world by investing time and mentorship into our youth as he believes they are the next generation of leaders.
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The Outstanding Graduate Research Award recognizes a graduate student who demonstrates outstanding scholarship and strong evidence of publications, professional presentations and professional development activities in support of the College of Education’s mission.
For Nicolette, research was something she really wanted to focus on as a doctoral candidate in the department of special education, school psychology and early childhood studies. Her work with students with behavior disorders and her time as a special education teacher has fueled her desire to help teachers better serve their students. Nicolette currently holds a Master of Education and a board certification for behavioral analysis. She hopes her research will ultimately help teachers manage behavior in classrooms in order to create a more effective learning environment.
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The Outstanding Graduate Professional Practice Award recognizes a student who demonstrates excellence in professional activities related to educator preparation including pedagogy, best practices, assessment, and the translation of research to improve practice.
Mercedes is currently a doctoral candidate for counselor education and a licensed mental health counselor. Her past work counseling, teaching and mentoring children from disadvantaged backgrounds have inspired her to continue her work even further. Mercedes is interested in sharing her passion for counseling and hopes to help train future mental health counselors. With her commitment to social justice issues and serving her community, she will surely have a huge impact on the people around her.
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These awards recognize two students in the Unified Elementary ProTeach program, a student in the Unified Early Childhood program and a student in Educational Sciences for their superior accomplishments.
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Noor Aboushaar is a passionate emerging educator. This passion for education has pushed her to pursue and create opportunities for her to help others and for her to learn more about what it means to be a teacher. When Noor started school at UF, she founded the Gators for Refugee Relief organization where she helped to create lesson plans to aid in tutoring Syrian students in Jacksonville in addition to her work with other organizations to teach non-native speakers English. She is currently working toward her masters in elementary education and hopes to continue to learn throughout her career.
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Brandon Alexander unexpectedly fell in love with the science behind education and wants to use his skills to make education easier and better for others. Early in college he tutored at P.K. Yonge and he saw that some students had a harder time than others and knew that he could make education easier for all by sharing what he knew. As a former computer science major, Brandon realized that his studies would transfer over into education sciences and he discovered an interest in instructional design. Brandon wants other students to realize that there’s more than one way to become an educator and to be open to new paths.
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Alaizhia Clark is driven to helping others through education and intervention support for children who are in need. Alaizhia is a member of SFEA where she has been the professional development chair and will be the public relations specialist this upcoming year. She was also a member of the Delta Kappa Pi honor society during her undergraduate years and is currently pursuing her masters in early childhood education. After graduation, Alaizhia plans to work in a low-income school in either kindergarten or pre-k ESE to help create strong foundations for these students.
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Hannah Kastensmidt has known that she wants to be a teacher since she was in 4th grade. Having had dedicated teachers throughout her education, she hopes to give back to other students and to create an impact in their lives. Hannah has been involved with the Kappa Delta Pi, Sigma Kappa and as a COE Ambassador. From her work in these organizations she has coordinated panels featuring educators and worked with the office of advancement at the COE. Going forward Hannah hopes to champion for students and create meaningful lifelong connections.
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We have much to celebrate about the past year, but know there is much work to do aligned with our efforts to strengthen our society. Where education and reliance meet is where you will find EduGators. With students like these, we know that we are up to the task.
Congratulations to each of these scholars and thank you to all those who support them.
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