Charles County educators honored by SMECO
Eight Charles County Public School teachers were recently named the 2022 Outstanding Teacher Honorees by Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative.
The annual awards program recognizes teachers for outstanding achievements in science, technology, engineering and math.
The teachers honored for mathematics are Lauren Bonn of Milton M. Somers Middle School, Melissa Bridegum of Mary B. Neal Elementary School and Jennifer Hoiler of Henry E. Lackey High School.
The teachers honored for science are Michelle Fryer Dommel of Berry Elementary School, Charles Newcomb of Westlake High School and Erin Rhoades of Milton M. Somers Middle School.
Honored for STEM are Stephanie Vinson of Benjamin Stoddert Middle School and Brian Wells of Westlake.
Teachers were nominated by staff, students, principals, educators, community members or administrators and were evaluated by a panel of judges. The teachers were chosen for their inspiration to students and their ability to motivate them to become innovators.
SMECO said the teachers are “employees who are essential to the continued success of tech-driven businesses because they bring valuable mathematics, science, and technology skills to the workplace.”
Now in his 11th year with CCPS, Bonn’s motivation is making sure that her
students are equipped academically and socially to aid in their overall growth as respectful and hard-working members of society. She enjoys getting to know her students and creating an environment for learning that they desire to be a part of.
“It’s incredible to see the change from the beginning of the year to the end of the year,” she said in a news release.
A 13-year educator, Bridegum said her longevity as an educator is her drive to create a safe space for her students. The second-grade teacher said she wanted to “create an environment where every student felt they had a voice, could take risks, and could feel they had the ability to learn. I love watching the growth that happens over the course of a year with a student.”
Hoiler, who teaches grades 9-12 algebra, pre-calculus and AP statistics, has been an educator for nine years.
“Knowing that I have positively impacted a students’ life in some way and made
learning fun is what motivates me as a
teacher,” she said.
A fourth-year science teacher for grades 3-5, Fryer said she loves helping students “fall in love with science” and added her motivating factor “is seeing how excited the students get when they make the connections from science in the abstract to science that impacts themselves.”
Newcomb currently teaches science and said that despite his 21-year career he still has “new experiences inside and outside of the classroom” and added he loves watching his students grow.
“What motivates me as an educator is being a positive influence on children and helping students to grow as individuals,” he said. “Teaching mostly freshman allows me to watch the students mature and become young leaders throughout their time in school.”
A sixth-grade science teacher for the past four years, Rhoades she values the impact that she has on her students in their everyday interactions.
“I love sharing with students how the
world around them works, how it impacts them, and how they, in turn, impact the world,” she said. “I have been given the precious opportunity to be a part of other people’s life stories.”
Now in her fifth year, Vinson teaches computer science, and holds fast to the philosophy of pushing her students past their limits to help them reach their fullest potential.
“What I love most about being an educator, is the opportunity to encourage students to push passed their perceived limitations and exposing them to the wonderful world of technology in a new and fun way,” she said.
Now in his 11th year, Wells teaches AP computer science, geometry and algebra II math and Project Lead the Way engineering classes at Westlake. He is also a VEX and MESA Robotics coach, the golf coach and girls indoor and outdoor track and field coach who said his determination is seeing his students and athletes excel after high school.