Trinity Student Natalie Stephenson Wins Prestigious Teaching Award
Natalie Stephenson, a student in Trinity’s School of Education and a language arts teacher at Kenmoor Middle School in Landover, Maryland, has been selected to receive The Washington Post’s 2008 Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award for Prince George’s County. The Agnes Meyer Award is presented annually to one teacher from each Washington metropolitan area school district. The winners were honored during a reception at The Washington Post on May 1.
Stephenson, who will receive her master of science in administration at Trinity’s 2008 Commencement on May 18, has been working for Prince George’s County Public Schools since 1992. She has contributed to her position as a language arts instructor, teaching in summer school, writing curriculum, and acting as a teacher mentor in the International Teachers and Job-Alike Mentors’ programs. She is also an adjunct instructor in English at Montgomery College in Rockville.
“This is a wonderful way to conclude my master’s program at Trinity,” said Stephenson. “Now I have both this award and graduation to celebrate.”
Stephenson earned a bachelor of arts and a master of education in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
She has taken on many leadership roles in her school and community, and is currently an administrative intern and school-based management team chair. With a special interest in Talented and Gifted education, she has acted as staff liaison for the Prince George’s Talented and Gifted Parent Teacher Association at Kenmoor since 2006, and was named Outstanding Talented and Gifted Educator by the organization in 2007. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and fosters partnerships between the organization and the school, as well as with local businesses.
“Natalie Stephenson is an exceptional educator and human being,” said Kenmoor Middle School principal Maha Fadli. “She personifies our school’s primary instructional philosophy of caring to make a difference in every child’s life. I continue to be inspired by the humanity she invests in her interaction with students, staff and community members.”
The Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Awards were established to recognize dedicated teachers who have shown initiative, creativity and professionalism. Winners are nominated by members of the community and selected by their individual school systems.