For the past three years, Andre has taught at Frederick Douglass Academy, a co-educational public school for grades 6-12 located in West Harlem, New York City. In fact, the school is Andre’s own alma mater. He graduated from the institution in 2011. In addition to his work in the classroom, Andre has worked for the past seven years as an Assistant Coach of the Varsity Boys’ Basketball Team. In this role, he  has been able to use his experience as a former captain and excellent player at Fredrick Douglas Academy to help guide his scholar athletes.

And as if this were not enough, the honored educator has also served as an instructor of the Special Olympics for 15 years. He has worked as a mentor at LaVelle’s School of the Blind in the Bronx, where he combats bullying. And he has been a Big Brother for the past 11 years.

Andre earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Saint Mary, a Catholic University located in Leavenworth, Kansas, in 2016. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Teaching from the City College of New York in 2023.

This year, the Big Apple Award was presented to 49 exceptional New York City teachers. Each one was nominated by their principal for work in the profession that inspires students, models great teaching, and enriches school communities. The recipients were chosen through a rigorous selection process that included community nominations, principal recommendations, classroom visits, an interview, and a review by a board of judges. To learn more about the program and this year’s recipients, click on this link to Big Apple Awards.