Author Archives: Terry Lee Marzell

About Terry Lee Marzell

Terry Lee Marzell holds a bachelor's degree in English from Cal State Fullerton and a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Cal State San Bernardino. She also holds a certificate for Interior Design Level 1 from Mt. San Antonio College. She has been an educator in the Corona Norco Unified School District for more than 30 years.

Stephanie Marshall: Inducted into Illinois Hall of Fame

Posted on by

Stephanie Marshall, a mathematics and science educator from Chicago, Illinois, has been inducted into the Illinois Hall of Fame. Photo credit: Stephanie Marshall.

I enjoy sharing stories about exemplary educators. One of these is Stephanie Marshall, a mathematics and science educator from Chicago, Illinois. For her work in the field of education, she has been inducted into the Illinois Hall of Fame.

Stephanie was born and raised in The Bronx, New York. As a young girl, she attended East Meadow High School on Long Island, where she graduated in 1963.

Stephanie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education and Sociology from Queens College in Flushing, New York, in 1967. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum Philosophy from the University of Chicago in 1971. She completed the requirements for her Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Industrial Relations from Loyola University of Chicago in 1983. In addition, she has garnered honorary degrees from Illinois Wesleyan University, Aurora University, and North Central College.

Stephanie taught elementary and junior high in Alsip, Illinois. In addition, she taught graduate courses at National Louis University. Later in her career, she served as the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction for the Batavia Public School district 101. From 1983 to 1985, she served that school district as the Superintendent. She has also served as the President of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).

Stephanie’s career and life’s work has been dedicated to one guiding principle. “Learning must liberate the goodness and genius that resides within each child; and its design must ignite and nurture the power and creativity of the human spirit for the world,” she asserts.

For her work in the classroom, Stephanie has earned many accolades. She received the Order of Lincoln Laureate Award from the Governor of Illinois in 2005. The award is the highest honor that bestowed by the state of Illinois. In 2007, the former classroom teacher was inducted into the Illinois Hall of Fame.

To learn more about this amazing educator, see her website at Stephanie Pace Marshall.

Oregon educator Kim Roberts earns coveted DKG Award

Posted on by

Oregon educator Kim Roberts has earned the coveted Delta Kappa Gamma 2020 Oregon State Organization Award for Service to Education. Photo credit: DKG, Oregon State Organization.

Students in American schools are so fortunate to be served by so many dedicated and hardworking educators. One of these is Kim Roberts, an award-winning educator from Grant’s Pass, Oregon.

Kim works as a District Autism Consultant for the Three Rivers School District in Grant’s Pass in Josephine County. She provides staff and family members information, resources, and training to support autistic students. She is a liaison for connecting families with community agencies. In addition, she serves on the Traumatic Brain Injury team in her area. Kim has a reputation for being compassionate about her work and mindful that every situation is unique. She is careful to tailor instructional plans to meet each student’s need.

For her work, Kim has garnered the Delta Kappa Gamma 2020 Oregon State Organization Award for Service to Education. Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG) is a professional organization whose members work together to improve professional preparation, to recognize women’s work in the teaching profession, and to fund scholarships for teachers who need support to improve their professional skills.

Keisha Bell Sowell: AVID Coordinator and national soccer player

Posted on by

Keisha Bell Sowell, a former award-winning American soccer player, now works as an AVID Coordinator in Houston, Texas. Photo credit: Keisha Bell Sowell.

Many excellent classroom teachers have also earned acclaim as fine athletes. One of these is Keisha Bell Sowell, a former award-winning American soccer player who now teaches in Houston, Texas.

Keisha was born on December 20, 1979, in Spring, Texas. As a young girl, she attended Klein Oak High School in her home town. While in high school, she played soccer, playing both outside midfielder and defender. She earned All-District honors in 1996.

Once she graduated from high school, Keisha enrolled at University of Florida, where she majored in Sociology. She was a freshman when she became part of the University of Florida team that garnered the 1998 NCAA Championship. Her position was defender. That year, she served on the NCAA Championships All-Tournament Team. In 2001, she was a member of the United States National Team at the Algarve Cup competition, which was held in Portugal. By 2003, she was serving the University of Florida team as a volunteer coach.

Today, Keisha serves as the AVID Coordinator for Woodcreek Middle School in Houston, Texas. She teaches sixth, seventh, and eighth grade there. “My passion and joy is investing in kids, especially tweens and young teens,” expresses Keisha. “I embrace each day with a clean slate and hope that just a small piece of what I teach can be instilled in them and impact them for rest of their lives,” she continues.

To learn more about Keisha’s illustrious career as a college soccer player, see this information published by the University of Florida.

PA’s Christine Houlahan: Educator, veteran, and politician

Posted on by

Christine Houlahan of Pennsylvania: Educator, veteran, politician. Photo credit US Congress.

The Teach For America program has produced some very fine educators. One of these is Christine Houlahan, a high school science teacher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She also serves as a representative in the US Congress.

Christine was born on June 5, 1967, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. Her father was born to a Jewish family in Poland, and at age four, he emigrated to avoid the Holocaust. After serving as a naval aviator, he became a historian and author.

As a young woman, Christine completed the requirements for her Bachelor’s degree in Engineering at Stanford University in California in 1989. She earned her Master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Christine also served three years in the United States Air Force and 13 years in the Air Force Reserve. She retired from the military in 2004 after earning the rank of captain.

After completing her military career, Christine accepted a job in the private sector. While there, she completed 40 hours of paid community service working with young girls in a local Science, Engineering, and Technology (STEM) program. Later she enrolled in the Teach for American program. Through this program, she taught eleventh grade chemistry and other science courses at Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia.

After she left the Teach for America program, Christine joined Springboard Collaborative, a Philadelphia-based non-profit focusing on early childhood literacy in underserved populations nationwide. She served as both President and CFO/COO of that organization before leaving to focus on her political campaign.

In 2018, Christine was elected to the Democratic ticket to serve as a representative in the US Congress from Pennsylvania’s 6th District. During the one term that she served, her platform  included an emphasis on health care, campaign finance reform, and the creation of more jobs. She also stressed the importance of education, veterans’ affairs, and family issues. While in Congress, she was part of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Small Business Committee, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Christine Houlahan: Veteran, politician, and Chalkboard Champion