2012-2013 Scholars

Hi everyone! My name is Karen Hu and I am happy to have been a QUIERE scholar in TC's Early Elementary Education Dual Certification Program. Prior to this, I graduated from CUNY Queens College with my degree in English Literature and Psychology. I am passionate about my commitment toward young children, especially within diverse and inclusive settings. I believe that all students deserve an equitable opportunity to education, and I know that being a part of QUIERE has taught me the necessary steps to advocate for this philosophy. To better myself as a bilingual, I take cooking lessons from my grandma to learn all of her Chinese recipes, practice the language, and spend time with her.

Hello, my name is Jeanny Jorge. I am a self-motivated, determined, and passionate person who feels very strongly about children’s education and the work teachers do as we guide and support them throughout their lives. I believe every child should have access to an equitable education. I was born and raised in New York City and attended the public school system. I myself was that child that came from a low-income, immigrant family, who was an English language learner that needed the resources and help to succeed in my education. I am thankful for the passionate and dedicated teachers that crossed my path in my educational journey and helped me reach my fullest potential. I am proud to be part of the QUIERE project, a project in which I truly believe in. My goal is to continue my work as an early childhood special education teacher, while working with young children with disabilities from low- income, immigrant, and bilingual families. Prior to Teachers College, I studied at City College of New York and majored in Early Childhood Education. For years, I have worked with toddlers and pre-school children in different school settings. In my spare time, I enjoy doing yoga, painting, and spending time with my daughter.

Peter Kim graduated Teachers College in May 2015 with a dual certification in early childhood education and special education. His academic interests center around educational technology and project based learning. He is currently a third grade ICT special education teacher at Heketi Community Charter School and worked as a kindergarten ICT teacher for the past 2 years at the same school. He has served on the school's Teacher Leadership Committee as the chair for two years where he assisted in teacher retention and benefits and represented teachers at monthly board meetings. He is the co-program coordinator for Mighty Milers, a youth initiative through New York Road Runners, the school's first after school athletics program. This year, Peter plans on assisting the school's development manager with a Carnegie Hall Program which brings jazz into the school. He enjoys exploring institutional entrepreneurship through youth programs and partnerships with teachers and colleagues.

My name is Stephanie Kott, and I am a member of the first QUIERE cohort (2012 – 2013).  For the first two years after graduating with a B.S. from Stonehill College, I taught pre-school and kindergarten at a bilingual school in Honduras. My experience living and teaching in this rural community not only led me to a passion for teaching, but also to Teachers College and QUIERE, where I saw myself and my professional goals reflected in its mission to provide an equitable and quality education to every student. In my professional teaching career, I enjoy working in bilingual settings and to teaching not only meaningfully, but also collaboratively with families.  I aspire to embrace diversity within the classroom and to commit myself to working with all children in a variety of inclusive settings.

My name is Jennifer Lopez and am a member of the 2012-2013 cohort. I believe early childhood is the foundation in which students build their natural curiosities into a love for learning. QUIERE, for me, signifies opportunity for equitable education. As a graduated QUIERE scholar, I look forward to creating a safe, trusting, and inclusive community which engages students in learning. Having the potential to provide all students access to a quality education is what motivates me to fulfill my own education. I graduated from Cornell University in 2012 and am thrilled to join TC Alumni. In my down time, I practice yoga for fitness and relaxation. I love Latin dancing and choreography. One day I hope to take up ballet.

Hola, my name is Karina Malik and I was chosen as a 2012-2013 QUIERE scholar. This was an amazing experience for me because of my commitment to social justice within the public school system. I currently enjoy working in inclusive bilingual settings because I believe that inclusive classrooms have the ability to recognize the range of human differences and similarities. Before attending Teachers College I received my Bachelors in Speech Pathology at Queens College.

Hello my name is Yandra Mordan. I feel honored to have been chosen as a 2012-2013 QUIERE scholar. I applied to QUIERE because I have worked for many years with four year olds in an inclusive and culturally diverse setting, and a setting in which most families are low income and 90 percent are bilingual. The QUIERE project was the perfect match for me as student and teacher because of the population that QUIERE wants to address. My professional goals are to further enhance my professional practice by developing the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively reach the needs of children by fostering children’s growth in all areas of development. I truly believe all children deserve a quality education. One of my hobbies is riding my bicycle. It helps me release stress and stay healthy. This helps bring the best of me to the children with whom I work!

Hello! My name is Elizabeth Reis and I am honored to have been chosen as a 2012-2013 QUIERE scholar. Prior to Teachers College, I attended Eckerd College, a small Liberal Arts School in Saint Petersburg, Florida where I studied Environmental Studies and Communication. While in college, I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to travel to over ten different countries, and begin forming a multicultural perspective that sees human differences as assets rather than deficits. I also spent my early childhood living in Indonesia where I saw first hand the reality of poverty. This became a constant motivator for me to try and mitigate human inequities in some way during my formative and now adult years. Ten years from now, I would like to start my own inclusive Outdoor Experiential Learning school, where the child's interest drives the curriculum, learning is fun and approachable, and the ethic of lifelong learning is instilled in each student.