Nova Southeastern University Celebrates Teachers During Teacher Appreciation Week

FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. – As part of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 7 -13), which is being celebrated locally from May 1- 5, Nova Southeastern University (NSU)  is celebrating teachers across the country for their dedication to their students and their commitment to education.

NSU is home to the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education (FCE), which since 1972 has educated thousands of teachers.  FCE offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees in various education specialties.  Most recently, the College was ranked 84^th among the nation’s best for its graduate education online programs out of approximately 200 by U.S News & World Report.

“Teachers have such a significant impact on our children’s lives,” said Kimberly Durham, Psy.D., interim dean at NSU’s Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. “We celebrate them for their dedication, their influence and for the knowledge they impart to their students.”

Examples of some exemplary teachers that are FCE students and alumni include:

Eleanna Hurst

Eleanna Hurst is a third-grade teacher at Collins Elementary School in Dania Beach in Broward County.  She received her Master of Science in Elementary Curriculum and Instruction from FCE in 2006.  Hurst was named 2018 “Teacher of the Year” by Broward County Public Schools. “I am sometimes the only person that may encourage students to become anything that they want to be; teaching offers the opportunity to be that spark to so many students,” she said.

Kyle Jeter

Kyle Jeter has been a Physics and Astronomy teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida in Broward County for the past 23 years. He received his Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning from FCE. Jeter was named 2017 “Teacher of the Year” by Broward County Public Schools.  “The best thing about teaching is when a student tells you that you have impacted their life,” he says.

Milagros Sowers

Milagros “Mille” Sowers is a Teacher Leader at East Lee County High School in Lee County. She is a current NSU graduate student pursuing her specialist degree in Educational Leadership at FCE.  Sowers has been teaching for 14 years and this year won Lee County’s “Golden Apple” award for going above and beyond in the classroom. “My students keep me going, they make me laugh, and they inspire me every day,” she says.

Dr. Evangeline Aguirre

Evangeline Aguirre, Ed.D., is a teacher at Palm Beach Central High School in Palm Beach County. She received her Doctorate degree in Instructional Leadership from FCE. She was recently named Palm Beach County’s 2017 “Teacher of the Year”. Dr. Aguirre has been teaching for 25 years and currently teaches Intensive Reading to non-native English speaking students in grades 9-12. “There’s so many reasons I like teaching. It’s an extremely fulfilling profession,” she says.

Dr. Nathasia Mark

Nathasia Mark, Ed.D., has been a teacher for 11 years at South Dade Senior High School. Dr. Mark taught 12th grade Language Arts for many years and now teaches Language Arts to 9th graders.  She received both her Masters in Special Education and her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from FCE. “It amazes me to see my students grow into their full potential. For me, that’s what teaching is all about,” she says.

In addition, NSU has several special events planned this month to recognize teachers from regional campuses in their local communities across the state.

Eleanna Hurst and Dr. Aguirre were recently featured on WLRN radio’s Topical Currents program. To listen to the interview, click HERE.

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information about NSU and realizingpotential.nova.edu for more information on the largest fundraising campaign in NSU history.

Contact Information:
Vera Mandilovitch
954-262-5309 (office) | 954-882-3570 (cell)
vmandilovitch@nova.edu