Archived Student and Alumni News

2009 Department of Defense (DoD) and Blacks in Government (BIG) Military Meritorious Service Award: Lt Col Judith Mathewson, Ph.D. Candidate in Counseling at the Orlando Site. On August 25th, 2009 Lt Colonel Judith Mathewson was honored for her 23-year career as both an active duty and drill-status Guard Member which has spanned from Alaska to Florida and to over 1,500 graduates of equal opportunity training throughout the country.

Read Judith's story

Broward County Public Schools' Teacher of the Year for 2010: Tony Dutra, graduate student in the PhD in Leadership and Education, Specialization in Educational Technology. Wanting to encourage his students to question and explore, Dutra has used 1999 science-fiction film "The Matrix" as a theme this past year with his eight-grade class. Mr. Dutra and his dynamic approach to teaching are profiled in the Barry Magazine, Spring 2009.

Sylvia Laurent, M.S. in Montessori Education, 2002, Director /Owner of Miami Shores Montessori:
Prior to enrolling in Barry University's M.S. program in Montessori Elementary Education, Sylvia Laurent resided in Texas where she earned American Montessori Internationale (AMI) certification and taught 6-9 year olds. Her success in Barry's program led to an offer to serve as an adjunct professor at Barry and to her establishment, in 2005, of the Miami Shores Montessori School, which she owns and directs. Laurent's school holds accreditation by American Montessori Society to instruct children aged 18 months to 9 years. With 15 years teaching experience, Laurent is a member of the American Montessori Society and the international association of professional educators, Phi Delta Kappa. To learn more about Sylvia Laurent and her school visit www.MiamiShoresMontessori.com

Archdiocese of Miami's Principal of the Year: Elena Ortiz, M.S. in Elementary Education, January 2009. "Ortiz's initiation of several service programs at Nativity made her this year's choice," notes Marlene Quaroni in the January 9th Florida Catholic. Ortiz implemented innovative academic programming and demonstrated leadership in service projects such as the school's efforts to pass the Manatee Protection Law and support the Everglades Restoration Project. Click here for the Florida Catholic article on Principal Ortiz and Nativity School in Hollywood.

Florida Department of Education's 2008 Principal Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership:Douglas Rodriguez, BA in History; Educational Leadership Certificate. In October 2008, Mr. Rodriguez was honored by the state for his work as principal at Ronald W. Reagan-Doral Senior High School in Miami-Dade; his leadership has played a key role in Reagan-Doral maintaining an "A" rating. Find out more about Mr. Rodriguez.

President of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (then Manatee Community College), April 2008: Dr. Lars Hafner, PhD in Leadership and Education, Specialization in Higher Education Administration. Dr. Hafner is a 22-year veteran in higher education, during which time he initiated several successful partnerships between colleges and universities. Find out more about Dr. Hafner.

Alan Koesten, M.S. In Montessori Education, 2007, Principal of Marware Montessori Academy, Hollywood, Florida: Alan Koesten has been teaching for 17 years, most recently teaching grades 2-5 at the Broward County Magnet School--Virginia Shuman Young Montessori Elementary.  He is currently serving as Principal of Marware Montessori Academy in Hollywood and as an adjunct professor in the Montessori Teacher Education Program at Barry.  Kelsten has conducted several reaccreditation visits for the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE), with which he has taken on-site evaluation team (OSET) training. He has an Elementary I-II credential from the American Montessori Society (AMS) and holds State of Florida certification in Elementary Education, Gifted Education, and ESOL Education.  Koesten has been twice nominated for the Disney American Teacher Award. He is a member of the American Montessori Society (AMS), American Montessori Internationale (AMI), Phi Delta Kappa (international association of professional educators), and Kappa Delta Pi (the international honor society in education).  He is currently working on a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at Barry and plans to graduate in May 2012. 

Three Barry School of Education graduates earned top honors in their profession, October 2007. Two alumni were named teacher of the Year and one Outstanding Principal of the Year. Espousing the principle, "When our students fail, we, as teachers, too, have failed," Jean Paul Jebian noted, "We always want them to succeed, achieve, and believe." Jebian was honored as Teacher of the Year by G. Holmes Braddock Senior High School in Miami. Elease Golden, with 20 years in Exceptional Student Education, was named Teacher of the Year at Joella C. Goode Elementary School in Miami Lakes. Golden noted, "My passion is teaching students with unique challenges and helping them reach their highest potential." Reva Vangates, MS in Educational Leadership, Principal of Henry W. Mack/West Little River Elementary School, received the Principal Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership at the 4th annual Commissioners' Summit for Principals.