Carson City area students honored as Future Educators at Nevada Governor’s Mansion

CARSON CITY — Thirty-four juniors and seniors from Carson High School were honored at Nevada Governor’s Mansion last Tuesday evening 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 EDU 110 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 2018-2019 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 were also 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, EDU 110 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 last week.

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

Located in Nevada’s capital, Carson City School District offers public education to approximately 7,600 students throughout Carson City. The district includes 6 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 alternative high school and 1 comprehensive high school. Carson City School District boasts many successes including impressive graduation rates, strict safety measures, programs for gifted students and advanced-placement classes, among several others. In a joint venture with Western Nevada College, the Carson City School District Jump Start College program allows students to complete their senior year of high school and freshman year of college simultaneously. For more information, visit carsoncityschools.com.