Carson High education students honored at Governor’s Mansion

Thirty-four juniors and seniors from Carson High School were honored at the Governor’s Mansion May 14 for their efforts in a university level introductory education course. In partnership with the College of Education at the University of Nevada, Reno, CHS offers the EDU110 course for students interested in pursuing a teaching career.

The dual credit course, provided during the school day to accommodate student schedules, first began as a club, “Educators Rising.” The school effort was designed to grow the local teaching workforce. For the 2018-19 school year, a total of 34 students were enrolled in the course and were offered college credit through UNR.

“The internship portion of the class really helped direct me into the possible subjects I may want to teach,” said Brooke Robinson, 16-year-old junior at CHS. “After teaching a few lessons, I feel better prepared for my career as a teacher.”

Throughout the year, students visit different schools to observe classrooms, partner with teacher leaders within the district to learn instructional strategies, develop and deliver lesson plans, write a research paper on a current topic in education and learn what it takes to become an educator. During the banquet, a total of 34 mentor teachers also were recognized for their efforts in providing students with an internship experience during the spring semester.

“This class has helped serve as a stepping stone and really secured my decision in becoming a teacher,” said Gloria Valdenegro Cortez, 17-year-old junior at CHS. “I’ve always known, since kindergarten, that I’ve wanted to be a teacher, and this class was always something I’ve looked forward to.”

The interest and numbers continue to grow. Last year, the program had 15 students honored at the banquet. Seeing the program more than doubled within a year, EDU110 instructors Sarah Lobsinger, TOSA/implementation specialist/math at Carson High; Jenny Chandler, American government and art history teacher at Carson High; and Cheryl Macy, English teacher at Carson High, are excited to see how many students register for the program next year.

The banquet included a slide show, presentation of certificates for each student and refreshments. Artisan Café has donated cupcakes for this event for the past two years. During the banquet, Lobsinger also provided special thanks to the UNR partners, Dr. Margaret Ferrara and Diana Lovendino.

“UNR supports our students in many ways. In fact, we will take the students to UNR for a second time this Thursday. They will visit the campus, learn about financial aid and tour the writing center. Dr. Ferrara has been there since the beginning. Thank you for your encouragement and believing that our program is something special and worth sharing with the world,” Lobsinger said.

Students honored at the banquet (last name alphabetized):

Flor Aguilar Ramirez, junior

Conner Arnold, senior

Savanna Brown, senior

Allison Camelon, junior

Fiona Carrick, senior

Julia Castillo, junior

Cameron Clark, junior

Ryan Copeland, junior

Juliana Diaz, senior

Nicholas Fischer, senior

Jane Fliegler, senior

Yaqueline Garza, junior

Hannah Grundy, junior

Micheal Hurlbert, senior

Kevin Hyatt, junior

Gwendolyn Jimenez, junior

Meagan Kiesow, junior

Miguel Angel Loza-Franco, junior

Imelda Mata Garcia, senior

Alondra Mata Izquierdo, junior

Micah Merriner, junior

Adamaris Monroy Perez, junior

Hallie Newman, junior

Adelina Pacheco, senior

Angelica Ramirez Montez, junior

Isabelle Ramos, junior

Aadra Reed, senior

Emily Richardson, junior

Jacob Richetta, senior

Brooke Robinson, junior

Areli Sanabria Solis, senior

Kimberlinn Tarantino, senior

Gloria Valdenegro Cortez, junior

Angel Valdez, senior