Month: May 2020

Each year, faculty in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) come together to select an outstanding student in their program to receive the honor of being named as their program award winner. Students selected for this award embody the very best of their program: they excel in their studies; they demonstrate leadership in classes and internships; and they have a genuine and tenacious passion for their discipline.

This year, faculty in the Sport and Recreation Studies program have selected Cheng Han Yang as the Outstanding Graduate Student in Sport and Recreation Studies. Congratulations, Cheng!

Q & A with Outstanding Graduate Student in Sport and Recreation Studies, Cheng Han Yang:

What academic accomplishment are most proud of? 

The first one is the 13-case study that I have done in Dr. Chalip’s Sports Operation, Venues, and Event Management course. 
The second one is my internship project with the Mason Recreation fitness department since my internship style was so special and I achieved more career goals than I originally planned. I was awarded the best Employee of the month in the first month I worked, then the best Employee of the semester in Fall 2019, and the best Employee of the year in 2020. 

What organizations/affiliations have you been involved with while at Mason? 

The Mason Recreation Fitness Department from 08/26/2019 to 05/13/2020.  

What are your plans after graduation? 

I have applied for the Optional Practical Training (OPT) for after-graduation and expect to work in the fitness industry especially in being a trainer position. I would like to gain more training techniques and related-fields knowledge in the U.S. 

What is your favorite memory in CEHD or your favorite part of being a CEHD student? 

As an international student, my favorite part is that CEHD provides tuition discounts for its students. I am very grateful for this. Also, the professors are very kind and always looking forward to helping students especially in my program. 

What advice do you have for fellow CEHD students (especially those that are not graduating yet)? 

Spend some time on thinking about career goals, researching information in your interested fields as well as reading information not in your interested fields, combining different information into ideas that may be useful or innovate in your interested fields, and then put those ideas into the course works/assignments to make connections between what is learned from the academic side and the real world. 
Remember to build-up networking in daily life. It really takes time to practice it no matter the skills of connecting to others or maintenance of the network with others. 

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself? 

I am an international student from Taiwan which is a really beautiful country. Contact me if you come to Taiwan, I will show you around since I am an outgoing person and like to make all kind of friends. The variety of foods in Taiwan will make you impressed. I also like scuba diving, free diving, climbing, and many exercise activities, so contact me either here in the U.S. or when you are in Taiwan.  
Find me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidyang1992/), Facebook (David Yang). 

 

 

Each year, faculty in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) come together to select an outstanding student in their program to receive the honor of being named as their program award winner. Students selected for this award embody the very best of their program: they excel in their studies; they demonstrate leadership in classes and internships; and they have a genuine and tenacious passion for their discipline.

This year, faculty in the Transformative Teaching (TT) program have selected their entire graduating Class of 2020 as Outstanding Students in Transformative Teaching. Congratulations, Transformative Teaching Class of 2020!

This Program Award is given in honor of the Transformative Teaching (TT) graduating Class of 2020, a learning community made up of twenty-two practicing K-12 teachers whose extensive knowledge, diverse experiences, multiple perspectives, and enduring commitments to teaching and learning provided fertile ground for the personal and professional growth of all members of the community. The TT Class of 2020 has weathered unprecedented storms and managed to successfully complete the master’s degree program, in many cases with exceptional effort.

The Transformative Teaching Class of 2020 graduates are:

Kimberly McCue 

Emily Keffer  

Daniel Stein 

Molly Henry 

Carolyn Fay 

Eliza Brown 

Tess Bertonneau 

Lourdes Crespo 

Cayden Betzig  

Valerie Cowan  

Kelly Deegan  

Rachel Bouallegui  

Alyson Willey 

Martosha Coaxum  

Alexandra Jewell-Sharma  

Kristen Jones  

Julie Colella  

Cheryl Dewenter  

Carrie Robertson  

Vickie Tyquiengco  

Sahar Amin  

Jennifer Kreit-Wright 

 

Each year, faculty in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) come together to select an outstanding student in their program to receive the honor of being named as their program award winner. Students selected for this award embody the very best of their program: they excel in their studies; they demonstrate leadership in classes and internships; and they have a genuine and tenacious passion for their discipline.

This year, faculty in the School of Kinesiology have selected Erica Allen as the recipient of the Janet J. Lozar Commemorative Award for the Outstanding Student in Athletic Training. Congratulations, Erica!

Q & A with Outstanding Student in Athletic Training, Erica Allen:

What academic accomplishment are most proud of? 

 I was very fortunate to have two of my research papers get selected for special opportunities. I presented on one paper at the Virginia Athletic Trainers’ Association (VATA) Student Symposium and the other paper was selected as Best Case Study in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Student Writing Contest. I am really grateful for the ATEP Faculty’s support with both of those endeavors!  

What organizations/affiliations have you been involved with while at Mason? 

As a graduate student and assigned to busy clinical sites, I wasn’t involved with Mason specific student organizations. I was however, a member of the VATA Student Affairs Committee and it was a really cool experience to meet and work with other Athletic Training students across the state of Virginia.  

What are your plans after graduation? 

 I plan to attend an Athletic Training Residency program and work as an athletic trainer in the orthopedic practice setting.  

 What is your favorite memory in CEHD or your favorite part of being a CEHD student? 

My favorite part of being a CEHD student was getting to work with and learn from all of the amazing preceptors that I had at my clinical sites. I also really enjoyed spending time with my classmates – we had a smaller class, so we really got to know each other and had a lot of fun together!  

 What advice do you have for fellow CEHD students (especially those that are not graduating yet)? 

 My advice to CEHD students is to be proactive and really engaged in your education and learning. There are a lot of the different opportunities and experiences that you can have through joining student organizations, working with faculty members, doing internships, etc. This is the time to set the foundation for your future career and there are so many incredible opportunities available to you here at Mason. So my advice is to work hard, learn lots, and have fun while taking advantage of this special time!! 

 

Each year, faculty in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) come together to select an outstanding student in their program to receive the honor of being named as their program award winner. Students selected for this award embody the very best of their program: they excel in their studies; they demonstrate leadership in classes and internships; and they have a genuine and tenacious passion for their discipline.

This year, faculty in the Early Childhood Education program have selected Victoria Huynh as the Outstanding Student in Early Childhood Education for Diverse Learners. Congratulations, Tori!

Q & A with Outstanding Student in Early Childhood Education for Diverse Learners, Tori Huynh:

What academic accomplishments are most proud of? 

Teaching is my passion and I am happy that it can be recognized through this award by the CEHD faculty, professors, and by my classmates.  

What organizations/affiliations have you been involved with while at Mason? 

I am a charter sister of Sigma Psi Zeta Sorority, Inc, involved in the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC,) and the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC).  

What are your plans after graduation? 

I am currently applying for Grades 1-3 teaching positions in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). I hope to be a first year teacher in FCPS by Fall 2020! 

What is your favorite memory in CEHD or your favorite part of being a CEHD student? 

I’ve had so many great memories as a CEHD student! They all revolve around my fellow classmates/future educators. I’ve made so many incredible friends who I know will become intentional teachers.  
Some of my favorite memories took place: 

• In Dr. Steen’s 503 class where we made face masks, played drums, created patterns with stomps, claps, dance moves, and when I made an ASMR flipgrid when I lost my voice! 
• In Daniel’s 512 class when my table started the snacks potluck, and we did reader’s theatre, and had good class discussions. 
• In Carley’s Science 516 class where we shared lesson plans such as building lava lamps, creating the solar system with toilet paper in the hall, implemented lessons at the GMU CDC, and visited the children’s lab in Fair Oaks Mall.  
• In Samita’s policy class, when my group’s final presentation was the best because it was filled with bitmojis, which I carried on to use currently in my online distance learning slides for my kindergarten class!
• In my internship placements, where I built connections with my mentor, students, and admin/staff at each school. I LOVE both placements and have been learning so so much! 
• I loved all my classes and my professors because the courses challenged me to learn and try new things and I was able to collaborate and learn from my peers. 

Of all my favorite memories, the ones I remember best are the ones where I was fully engaged in hands-on learning. I truly believe that students retain the most information and truly understand objectives through engagement.  

What advice do you have for fellow CEHD students (especially those that are not graduating yet)? 

• Have fun with the program. Get to know your professors, advisors, and other office admin. 
•  Make friends, collaborate, continue to connect with your peers after the class is over because you never know, they could be your fellow teacher friends in the school you teach at!  
• Make your lesson plans count, even if it takes a lot of time, you can use it again in real classroom instruction. 
•  Lastly, If your classes are all 4:30-7:10 or 7:20-10, make sure to bring snacks! Thanks to all my professors for letting me eat in their classes because I do my best learning when I am snacking, so do what’s best for you. I still remember my name tent for Carley’s class, (she asks you to write your name and an adjective to describe you: mine said Tori, Hungry.) Get your basic needs met! 

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself? 

I am really honored to receive this award. If any FCPS principals are reading my post and amazed at how passionate I am about teaching, please hire me 🙂 

Each year, faculty in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) come together to select an outstanding student in their program to receive the honor of being named as their program award winner. Students selected for this award embody the very best of their program: they excel in their studies; they demonstrate leadership in classes and internships; and they have a genuine and tenacious passion for their discipline.

This year, faculty in Special Education have selected Rebecca Pfister as the Outstanding Student in Special Education (Students with Disabilities who Access the Adapted Curriculum). Congratulations, Rebecca!

Q & A with Outstanding Student in Special Education (Students with Disabilities who Access the Adapted Curriculum), Rebecca Pfister:

What academic accomplishment are most proud of?  

In 2014, I wrote and published my Master’s thesis on Teenager’s Media Consumption and Perception of Mental Illness. I interviewed teenagers and spent time researching mental health. This provided insight into the mental health and disabilities sector which furthered my interest in special education. Looking back, this allowed me to realize and accept my true calling as an educator and advocate for students with disabilities. As a teacher, I want students and others to learn acceptance and acknowledge that everyone matters regardless of their disability/diagnoses.  

What are your plans after graduation? 

I plan on continuing to teach special education and advocating for children and adolescents with disabilities and mental illnesses.  

What is your favorite memory in CEHD or your favorite part of being a CEHD student? 

I have enjoyed collaborating with future and current educators both in and outside the classroom. I am constantly learning and gaining perspective on the education system from others that has allowed me to grow both professional and personally.  

What advice do you have for fellow CEHD students (especially those that are not graduating yet)?  

Be grateful for your classmates, teachers, people supporting/ encouraging you along the way; more importantly, yourself. You are worthy and loved and you have the opportunity to share your knowledge with future leaders. Go to every single class, even if it’s boring, look at it as an opportunity to improve your focus. Take responsibility for your action (i.e. not turning in a paper), because one day you won’t be the student but the teacher. The sooner you accept responsibility the sooner you will stand tall as an educator and can hold your students to the same standards of excellence that I know you can.  

My advice to people currently teaching: 

• It is easy to get caught up in negativity and drama that surrounds education. It is important to focus on the students and not let outside noise interfere in their education.  
• Ask and seek out advice. You are surround by talented educators!  
• If you are not laughing, you are not doing something right. Laughing is the best medicine (and, coffee). It is not an easy job, but if you truly love your job, it will not feel like a job. 

 Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself?  

I teach first through fifth grade in Prince William County. I teach students with autism and emotional disabilities in a self-contained classroom. My students range from nonverbal to fully functioning. I teach both the adapted (VAAP) and the general education curriculum. I also have taught a second-grade, third-grade and ninth-grade student with autism placed on homebound and taught SOL remediation after school. I have been able to expand my teaching capabilities and learn to work with a different population of students. In addition, I provide special education training for new and incoming teachers in Prince William County. I currently mentor two teachers and provide them guidance in the following areas: social skills, lesson planning and creating unit plans, data collection, organizing student material, classroom setup, and providing opportunities for observation inside my classroom. I also provide training for Teachers Administrating VAAP. I work on creating lessons, developing material and organizing/developing VAAP binders based on the student’s current academic level. 

I spent my previous career as a marketing and communications strategist for a large corporation before switching careers to a teacher of students with autism in the educational setting. I have my MA in Strategic Communication from American University and my BA in Occupational and Technical Studies (STEM) from Old Dominion University. In addition, I have several certificates in marketing, public relations and eCommerce. I now use my communication skills toward helping children.  

I absolutely love my job and every day is a new adventure. I never feel like I am working. I am excited to continue to learn and grow as a professional.