Catskill High School English 11 teacher Samantha (Grober) Garcia received the Early Career Scholarship Award from the New York State English Council (NYSEC) last month.
The award is presented to five New York State who have been teaching for five years or less. Recipients are nominated by a NYSEC member and are recognized for their excellence in content delivery, use of innovative teaching strategies, and/or leadership within their school district. Nominees must also receive a letter of recommendation from the person who nominated them or a school district administrator.
"It's truly an honor," said Mrs. Garcia. "I have always wanted to teach reading and writing. I've only been in this career for three years, so to have any accomplishment acknowledged at all was an incredible honor. It has given me great confidence moving forward, and I think it has inspired me to continue trying new things with my students," she said.
She is currently in her third year teaching at Catskill High School and before her current role she was a teaching assistant at SUNY New Paltz while earning her second masters degree in English education.
Outside of the classroom, she is also involved with the Hudson Valley Writing Project through SUNY New Paltz, where she leads professional development seminars for other teachers who want to strengthen their teaching and writing practices.
"We are so very proud of Mrs. Garcia for receiving this honor," said Catskill High School Principal James DiDonna. "She is dedicated to her craft as an English teacher and goes above and beyond for our students, both professionally and personally."
The Scholarship includes a full registration to this year's NYSEC conference, where recipients are honored, as well as a one-year membership to NYSEC.
Congratulations to Mrs. Garcia!