Three members of our Clarkson TESOL community received prestigious awards for their achievements at the NYS TESOL Conference on November 3-4. All three award recipients were nominated by their professors, Karen Gregory and Gretchen Oliver, in recognition of their excellence as educators of linguistically and culturally diverse students.
Valerie Lakestream, a Class of 2022 graduate of the CAS TESOL program, received the NYS TESOL Administrator of the Year award. Valerie is the Director of ELL and Bilingual Programs in the Port Chester School District was awarded for her innovation, dedication, and advocacy as a district leader.
Kate Flynn, Class of 2024 MAT-ESOL candidate, received the NYS TESOL James E. Weaver award for excellence as a TESOL graduate student. Kate is an ENL teacher in the Cohoes City School District, where she teaches grade 6-8.
Gabriela Orozco, Class of 2024 MAT-ESOL candidate, received the NYS TESOL Full Circle Award. This award recognizes a graduate student who began as an English learner in American schools and is now becoming an ENL teacher. Gabriela arrived at Port Chester Middle School from Peru as a 12 year old and is now teaching English learners at Port Chester Middle School herself.