Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell
Teacher Michelle Young appears on The Bachelor, The Bachelorette
Former elementary school teacher Michelle Young has become prominent in the public eye for her appearances on both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Photo Credit: Bachelor Nation
Many fine classroom teachers also find themselves prominent in the public eye for their appearances on television. One of these is Michelle Anne Young, a former elementary school teacher who has appeared on both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.
Michelle was born in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, on June 3, 1993. She was raised in the nearby town of Woodbury, where she attended public schools. As a high school student, Michelle was a star basketball player at Woodbury High. In fact, she was named the Most Valuable Player by the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Team, and she became a finalist for Minnesota’s Miss Basketball.
After her high school graduation, Michelle attended Bradley University on an athletic scholarship. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Bradley in 2015. While there, she played Division 1 basketball and was named a Two-Time First-Team MVC Scholar-Athlete.
Michelle inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position as a fourth grade teacher at Normandale Hills Elementary School in Bloomington, Minnesota. In her last teaching position, she taught fifth grade at Echo Park Elementary School in Burnsville, Minnesota.
The popular teacher earned nationwide attention in 2021 for her appearances on reality television. During her appearances, Michelle shared her experiences teaching during the pandemic and during the protests following the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. “I’m able to go to work and know that I’m making a difference,” she asserted. “Some days it doesn’t feel like that when you get home,” she continued. “It’s been a very difficult year for my students, especially my students of color,” she concluded.
In 2021, Michelle appeared in the 25th season of the reality show The Bachelor, where she rose to runner-up position. That same year, she became a contestant on the 18th season of the reality show The Bachelorette. She also appeared on episodes of the talk shows Live with Kelly and Ryan, Entertainment Tonight, three broadcasts of Good Morning America, and as a presenter at the American Music Awards.
After these appearances, which Michelle described as exhausting, she announced she was taking a break from the classroom for at least one year. But some day, she says, she may return to the profession.
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New Jersey STEM teacher Helen Corveleyn earns accolades
Elementary STEM teacher Helen Corveleyn of Hopewell, New Jersey, has earned many accolades for her innovative environmental projects involving young students. Photo Credit: Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space
I always enjoy sharing stories about innovative STEM educators who have earned recognition for their innovative work with young people, and today’s featured teacher, Helen Corveleyn, is one of the most inspiring.
Helen is a STEM coordinator at Hopewell Elementary School located in Hopewell, New Jersey. She has also taught seventh grade Life Sciences at Montgomery Middle School in Skillman, New Jersey.
This amazing educator is passionate about promoting elementary STEM education. She inaugurated her school’s Green Team, where she leads her young students to become careful stewards of the planet, providing many opportunities for them to practice environmentally safe habits. For example, she introduced a ban on plastic in the school’s cafeteria, and she introduced a hydroponic garden to grow organic produce for the school lunches. In fact, the garden project earned her school a Best in New Jersey Farm to School Award in 2018. In addition, Helen runs the Nature Harmony Project, an initiative which blends STEM and the arts with social and emotional learning in an outdoor education setting.
Helen’s dedication to environmental awareness expands beyond the elementary school. She helped her community inaugurate a townwide Earth Week to promote environmental justice issues. She serves as a Board Trustee of both the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space and the Hunterdon Somerset Mercer County STEM Ecosystem. And, as if all that were not enough, she has taught Environmental Leadership to graduate students at The College of New Jersey and Conservation Biology to adult students at Miami University of Ohio.
For her work as an educator, Helen has earned many accolades. She was honored as the I can STEM NJ Role Model by the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network in 2021. She earned a coveted PAEMST (Presidential Award for Education in Mathematics and Science Teaching) in 2020, and that same year she was named New Jersey County Teacher of the Year. In 2019, she garnered a Governor’s Educator of the Year.
Helen’s career as an educator spans 13 years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy from Marist College. She earned her Master’s degree, summa cum laude, in Conservation Biology from Miami University of Ohio. She completed international field work with Project Dragonfly, which included studying island bio-geography and whale sharks in Baja, Mexico. She also studied orangutans and sustainable palm oil in Borneo, Malaysia. Finally, she created a multimedia-based conservation campaign to support the Belize Zoo and Maya Forest Corridor.
You can read more about this amazing educator at centraljersey.com.
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California teacher Maria Lopez worked to secure the right to vote for women
Dedicated English as a Second Language teacher Maria Lopez worked diligently towards securing the right to vote for women in California. Photo Credit: National Women’s History Museum
There are many dedicated women educators who worked tirelessly to secure the right to vote for women. One of these was Maria Lopez, an English teacher from Southern California.
Maria Guadalupe Evangelina de Lopez was born in Los Angeles in 1881, at Casa Vieja, her family home in the San Gabriel. Her father, who worked as a blacksmith, was an immigrant from Mexico.
As a young girl, Maria graduated from Pasadena High School in 1897. She then enrolled at the Los Angeles State Normal School, which would later become UCLA. There she studied to be a teacher. Once she earned her teaching certificate, Maria accepted a position at Los Angeles High School, where she taught English as a Second Language. She also worked as a translator. During her years as a professional educator, Maria earned a reputation for being a devoted teacher, working diligently to educate the general public about California culture and to promote Spanish-language instruction. In 1902, Maria became part of the faculty at the University of California, becoming possibly the youngest instructor on staff there at the time.
In addition to teaching at the university, Maria became active in the local Votes for Women Club, and in 1911, she was elected President of the College Equal Suffrage League. She translated information about the suffrage movement into Spanish in order to marshal support for the movement in the Hispanic community. She traveled throughout Southern California, distributing suffrage posters and literature and giving speeches, all in Spanish. In addition, she wrote a persuasive opinion piece published in the Los Angeles Herald on Aug. 20, 1911, which advanced the argument that California could not call itself a democracy while disenfranchising half its citizens. Happily, California passed a suffrage proposition on Oct. 10, 1911, becoming the sixth state in the nation to grant the right to vote to women, nine years before the passage of the 19th Amendment.
During World War I, Maria left her teaching position to support the war effort. She relocated to New York City, where she took courses in auto mechanics and flying. Then she traveled to France, where she served as an ambulance driver. While there, the hospital where Maria and three other women were stationed was bombarded by enemy fire, and the four worked all night carrying wounded soldiers to safety. The French government honored the four for their bravery in 1918.
Maria passed away on Nov. 20, 1977, in Orange, California. She is buried at San Gabriel Christian Church in Los Angeles.
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Carolyn Kielma named Connecticut’s 2023 Teacher of the Year
Science teacher Carolyn Kielma has been selected Connecticut’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, and she. has been named one of five finalists for National Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: University of New Haven
I always enjoy casting a spotlight on outstanding educators who have been recognized for their work in the classroom. Today we celebrate Carolyn Kielma, a science teacher from Bristol, Connecticut. She has been named her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, and she has also been named one of five finalists for National Teacher of the Year.
Carolyn inaugurated her career as a science educator at West Haven High School, where she taught for five years. She currently teaches at Bristol Eastern High School, where she has worked for the past 15 years. She teaches courses in biology, anatomy and physiology, environmental science, and biotechnology and technology. She is also the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) coordinator on her campus. In this role, the honored educator works hard to close the achievement gap by providing opportunities that prepare all students for college readiness and success in a global society.
In addition to these professional responsibilities, Carolyn coordinates STEMonday, a monthly science, technology, engineering and mathematics challenge which connects and builds relationships between elementary and high school students. Furthermore, in 2020 Carolyn garnered a grant from Fund for Teachers to study wolves, bears, and elk at the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center and in Yellowstone National Park. Then she prepares virtual lessons to share what she has learned with her urban students. And as if all this were not enough, she provides professional development for fellow educators in her district, and she travels nationwide to train teachers in engagement strategies that promote equity and inclusion.
Carolyn says she has always known she would become a teacher. “This was the career I was born to do,” she declares. “I love to be able to help young people realize their worth, discover their strengths and weaknesses, and become better humans,” she continues. “What is most meaningful to me is the connections I am able to make with my students that reach far beyond the classroom walls. I get to help make better humans who can contribute in a positive way to our society. I get to see them grow and develop throughout their high school career and long after,” she concludes.
Carolyn earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania in 1998. She earned her Master’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of New Haven in Connecticut in 2002.
To read more about Carolyn Kielma, see this article about her published by the University of New Haven.
