2013-2014 Scholars

Hello, my name is Yannique Benitez and I had a wonderful experience at Teachers College. I am also honored to have been a QUIERE scholar to help prepare culturally diverse groups of students with varied abilities. I was raised in New York City and previously worked with children in a variety of roles including as a Literacy Corps tutor to first graders while attending Syracuse University. It will be so valuable for me to gain experience with diverse groups of young children in inclusive settings to teach in an environment as multicultural and multilingual as New York City. I have a background in journalism and one hobby I enjoy is discovering new blogs on topics ranging from social policy to interior design. I am very proud to have been a part of the QUIERE Scholar program at Teachers College.

Hello, my name is Bonnie Garcia and I am proud to be part of the second cohort of QUIERE scholars. I graduated from Teachers College in 2015 where I studied Early Childhood and Special Education, with a focus in Curriculum and Teaching. After graduation, I worked as a head teacher in two toddler classrooms, yet I realized my passion and skills were better suited for a Special Education classroom. I spent this past summer working as a 1:1 aide at YAI’s Manhattan Star Academy.  While in that position, I gained an interest in learning more about using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in a Special Education classroom. I am currently taking on a head teacher maternity leave position in a Pre-school ABA classroom in West New York, New Jersey. Next year, I am planning to obtain a post-graduate certificate in ABA while also preparing for the BCBA exam.  My professional interests include using the BCBA training to implement effective strategies in my classroom or to become a behaviorist to assist other teachers. I am excited to learn more about Applied Behavior Analysis and to create a friendly classroom environment for all of my students.

Hi, my name is Hazel Garcia and I am thrilled to have been selected to be a QUIERE scholar. For my undergraduate studies, I attended Temple University where I majored in Elementary/ Early Childhood Education with a minor in Spanish. I greatly enjoy working with diverse children in inclusive settings. I am happy to have been a QUIERE scholar because it provided with the opportunity to work in an urban environments, and allowed me to apply my experiences and everything that I have learned in order to provide my students with a diverse and inclusive learning environment. An interesting hobby of mine is crossfit. I think that eating healthy and being fit are very important!

Hello, my name is Ayanna Haskell and I am proud to be a QUIERE scholar. I attended UNC-Greensboro in North Carolina where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies. While at UNC-G, I worked in an inclusive child care program on campus. My goal as a professional is to provide high quality education to all children including those with diverse backgrounds and special needs. I goal is to teach children based on their learning style (similar to the ideas of Gardener’s Theory of Intelligence) because we as teachers know, not all children learn the same. I am fortunate to have been a QUIERE scholar because the program was a catalyst in allowing me to collaborate with other professionals, research appropriate classroom practices and get in-classroom experience to reach my goals as a professional.

My name is Carmen Lee and I am honored to have been chosen as a QUIERE scholar for Teachers College. I obtained my BA in Psychology from Binghamton University and have 4 years of experience working in the counseling field. My commitment to early childhood education stems from my various tutoring experiences with young students from underserved communities. Their incredible resilience and positivity against their challenges inspired my aims to better my practice as an early childhood educator for children from multicultural backgrounds. I believe in not only helping children excel academically, but that we must also instill an early understanding of community love, tolerance, and responsibility to ensure a better society in our future. In addition to my passion for teaching, I love taking mini-adventures in NYC, and going through travel advice books to plan future journeys in faraway countries.

Hello, my name is Erin Shannon and before beginning the QUIERE program, I taught pre-kindergarten children at Corpus Christi School in Manhattan. From my work with these children, I was inspired to continue my education at Teachers College and was very excited to join the QUIERE Program. I am passionate about teaching diverse learners especially in urban settings. I have studied Music Education and Horn Performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and taken Early Childhood Education courses at Fordham University.  Outside of the classroom, I enjoy playing horn in various community orchestras in New York City and riding my bike.

My name is Brenda Soriano. I have been working with children ages 2.7 to 5 years old for about 17 years. At the moment, I’m leading a classroom of three years. In the classroom out of 13 children that are enrolled, four children receive speech therapy, two receive play therapy, and three receive occupational therapy. I believe in inclusive classrooms, and that is why I prefer these settings to work in. I cannot finish this biography without mentioning Dr. Recchia’s way of teaching while I was at Teachers College. The way she respects and approaches students in the classroom really kept my attention. Also, watching videos of Dr. Recchia working with children and families inspired me to continue my interest in children who need extra help in the classroom. Professionally, I will always admire my educational director, Marilyn. Marilyn has and continues to teach me that there is no better value in working with children than a teacher seeing how proud and confident a child is once they overcome their obstacles.

My name is Lauryn Taylor. I am very happy to have been chosen as a QUIERE Scholar. I completed my Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Kindergarten Education at Penn State University. Following Penn State University, I attended Sacred Heart University where I completed a Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in literacy. I currently enjoy teaching diverse students including those with special needs. Being a QUIERE scholar has encouraged my belief that students and their families deserve the best education. As a scholar and a teacher, I commit my time and love to providing these children and families with the best education.

My name is Amaris J. Cordero Tejada and I am very pleased to have been chosen as a QUIERE scholar through Columbia University Teacher's College. I graduated from Arcadia University in Glenside, PA with a BA in Sociology, and I minored in Women's Studies. I began working with children ages 4 - 8 in 2009 when I became a Summer Camp Counselor and a Volunteer through The Educational Alliance. Being a QUIERE scholar has kept me passionate about working with young children from diverse populations, so much so that I am currently in a doctoral program! My favorite hobby is dancing.

My name is Linda Tran and I graduated from Teachers College in February 2015. I am a part of the 2013 cohort of QUIERE scholars. Since graduating, I have been working full time as a Special Education Itinerant Teacher throughout the city. In the near future, I hope to work more closely with children on the Autism Spectrum and work towards a BCBA certification. My long-term professional and academic goals include going back to school for a doctoral program related to Special Education, as I am confident that QUIERE has prepared me well for this path.