Jenna Lewaren is a graduate student in George Mason University’s Mathematics Specialist Leadership Program. While working toward her degree, Jenna also teaches at Fields Road Elementary School, where she recently received their Rising Star Award for 2025-2026. Keep reading to learn more about her experience and for advice she has for prospective and current students.
What does receiving this award mean to you?
“I feel honored. I work with such amazing teachers and educators that I feel honored to be the recipient of this award. The first few years in this career can be extremely difficult as you are figuring out your teaching style, pedagogy, and gathering/preparing all the materials you need to meet the needs of your students. At times it can feel like a lot and often times it feels like not enough. When I found out I had even been nominated for this award, there was a sense of imposter syndrome that kicked in and I started to question if I even deserved a recognition such as this. Receiving the award validated all the hard work, the late nights, and the courage it took to try something new in the hopes that it improves my practices. It also means that I need to continue to take risks and continue to learn from others so I can be a better teacher for my students now and in the future.”
How has our Math Specialist Leadership Program prepared you for your career?
“Every single class I have taken at George Mason and in the Math Specialist Leadership Program has left me with something I can immediately implement into my practice. This program, the professors, and my classmates have pushed me out of my comfort zone as a teacher and taught me that I can do and try new things in the classroom. My first class in the program was with Professor Kate Roscioli and she always talked about our Math toolbox. This toolbox was intended to be a place where we could store links and resources to come back to when needed. Not only is that toolbox overflowing, but my mental math toolbox is continuing to expand with knowledge and ideas that push me to be a better teacher.”
What advice would you give to prospective and current students?
“Be open to learn from others. It is so easy in life to think we have it all figured out or to form these concrete opinions that we view as facts. But there is so much that can be learned from others, you just have to be open minded enough to listen. Go into every conversation and learning opportunity with the idea that what you “know” could be challenged or changed, and know that is a good thing.”