The College of Education at Illinois State University will host the first annual Illinois State University Teacher of the Year awards program on Friday, April 14. Fifteen semi-finalists will be recognized in three categories: Teacher of the Year, Legacy Teacher Award, and Laboratory Schools Teacher of the Year.
Teacher of the Year
Bonnie Pollock ‘13, M.S. ‘16, of Bentonville, Arkansas, earned her Bachelor of Science in elementary education and Spanish and a master’s degree in teaching and learning from Illinois State. She has earned multiple honors in the states where she has taught such as 2018-19 Scoggins Middle School teacher of the year in Texas and the 2020-21 and 2021-22 Walmart Logistics Martin Luther King Jr. Dream Teacher in Arkansas. At her current school in Bentonville Public Schools, she facilitated a student-led writing club that has consisted of nine students winning local, state, or international writing contests.
Legacy Teacher Award
Dr. Michael Soares ‘95, M.S. ‘04, Ph.D. ’18, of Pontiac earned his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctorate all in English education and studies. He currently teaches English at Pontiac Township High school. In his 26 years of teaching, his proudest accomplishment is inspiring former students to earn degrees in English education and become his colleagues. Outside of teaching English, he has a passion for conservation and ecology in which he implemented a student-led project called Operation Endangered Species that rescued alligator snapping turtles by rehabilitating them in Illinois classrooms to be released into the wild. He also takes his conservation projects globally to places like Istanbul and Turkey.
Laboratory Schools Teacher of the Year
Dr. Kevin Thompson, M.S. ‘02, Ed.D. ‘07, of Normal earned his Master of Science in mathematics and doctorate in mathematics education at Illinois State. He currently serves as the Mathematics Department chair at University High School. His contributions outside the classroom include the creation of a weeklong teacher conference for a district of elementary and high school teachers outside of Nairobi, Kenya. Thompson is proud of his career as an AP calculus teacher mentoring over 500 students, some of whom have gone on to successful career fields such as NASA.
Teacher of the Year Finalists
Nicholas Hostert ’03, of Palatine earned his Bachelor of Arts from Illinois State in art education. He is currently an art teacher at Palatine High School and is a National Board Certified Teacher. He has served multiple leadership roles including president, Illinois delegate, and liaison of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative for the Illinois Art Education Association. Since 2019, he has chaired a committee that developed a resource featuring over 1,000 BIPOC artists for educators to use in developing a curriculum.
Andrea Mear ‘06, of Pingree Grove earned her Bachelor of Arts in English education from Illinois State. When she learned that most of her students were struggling with reading, she returned to school to earn her master’s degrees along with her LBS1 and ESL. She has demonstrated her mission for ensuring literary access to students by turning her classroom into a library, creating after-school programs, producing secondary theater productions, coordinating literacy nights, supporting biliteracy and bilateral instruction, teaching classes and workshops for teachers, and writing for organizations like IRC.
Lauren Sheehan ‘07, of Oak Lawn earned her Bachelor of Science in special education from Illinois State. Outside the classroom, she serves as a volunteer for GiGi’s playhouse, global ambassador for Vascular Birthmarks Foundation, and volunteer for the Special Olympics. She dedicates her instructional time to ensuring that students have access to literacy instruction. Using her passion for sharing knowledge, she has presented at state and national conferences and webinars, participated in summer mentorship programs, and become a member of the lesson plan development team for DLM texts.
Patricia Valente ‘05, M.S. ‘16, of Rantoul earned her bachelor’s degree in education and a Master of Science in P-12 educational administration from Illinois State. She is the bilingual coordinator and instructional coach in Rantoul City Schools. She has served as a leader and member on the Rantoul City School’s Bilingual Parent Advisory Council, ISBE Multilingual Department, Illinois Advisory Council on Bilingual Education, Conexiones Latinos in Bloomington-Normal, and Mutlicultural Leadership Institute. In collaboration with universities and professionals, she has co-published various articles in Language Arts and helped write four chapters in Brain Science for Principals: What Administrators Need to Know.
Legacy Teacher Award Finalists
Julie Hinman, M.S. ‘96, of Normal earned her Master of Science in art education at Illinois State. She is an art teacher and department chair at Normal Community West High School. In her years as an art educator, she has created numerous programs such as Wildcat Creation Studio, where students work on graphic design projects for local clients, and Snapcats, where students fulfill photography needs for clients and the district. She is also the creator of the Entrepreneurs Program which allows high school seniors to create startups to solve local and global problems and pitch them at the Sweet Rewards Showcase.
Delores Lloyd ‘96, M.S. ‘00, of Rantoul earned her Bachelor of Arts in early childhood education and Master of Science in education in reading from Illinois State. Over 25 years she has experienced the roles of teacher, assistant principal, district coordinator, and principal. She currently teaches in Rantoul City Schools. She has worked in collaboration with organizations to plan and implement workshops for kindergarten and elementary student readiness literacy and math initiatives. She has also implemented numerous programs for students such as IMAGINE STEM, Sisters in Science, and Girls on the Run.
Shari Stahl ‘87, M.S ‘96, of Springfield earned her Bachelor of Science in special education for the blind and visually impaired and Master of Science in special education from Illinois State. In her 34 years as an itinerant teacher for the blind or visually impaired, she has and continues to serve a diverse population of students in 14 school districts in four counties. To help teachers incorporate technology into the classroom, she established the Vision Teachers and COMS With Tablets Facebook group. Taking her passion globally, she sent 20 boxes of Braille instructional material and Braille editions for children’s novels to a school for the blind in Nairobi, Kenya.
Lisa Tomlin ‘90, M.S. ‘98, of Normal earned her Bachelor of Science in biological sciences education and Master of Science in special education at Illinois State. Teaching at Normal West High School since its opening in 1995, she has served as a leader in the community by establishing the school’s student council and being part of the building leadership team. In and outside the classroom she focuses on improving science education for all students. She helped develop a cadaver dissection academy for gifted students in McLean County to experience a college level dissection and learn from education professionals.
Laboratory Schools Teacher of the Year Finalists
Courtney Boznos ‘08, M.S. ‘16, of Normal earned her Bachelor of Science in middle level education and Master of Science in teaching and learning from Illinois State. Boznos is a middle school teacher at Thomas Metcalf Laboratory School. In her 15 years in the classroom, she has dedicated her career to professional growth and implementing innovative practices for both her and her students. Outside the classroom, Boznos has engaged in numerous events and workshops across the country such as the National Geographic Geo-Inquiry Institute in Wyoming. She currently serves on the PITSCO Education Task force and the Metcalf Science Curriculum Task Force.
Dr. Vickie Graziano ‘98, Ed.D. ‘17, of Normal earned her Bachelor of Science in mathematics education and Doctor of Education from Illinois State. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and teaches math at University High School. In addition to mentoring high school students, she shares her legacy by guiding teacher-candidates as an adjunct instructor and clinical coordinator. Outside the classroom she co-hosted a podcast sharing stories and issues in education called Chalkboard Rockstars and presented at conferences including the 2022 Illinois Council of Teachers of Education.
Cassandra Mattoon ‘97, M.S. ‘12, of Normal earned her Bachelor of Science in early childhood education and Master of Science in curriculum and instruction from Illinois State. She is currently participating in the principal preparation program with expectation to graduate in May 2024. Outside her role as a preschool teacher at Thomas Metcalf Laboratory School, she has partnered with professors to present and publish research in mathematics and literacy. She is also the co-author of a book on reading aloud with early learners titled Book Talk: Growing into Early Literacy.
Maggy Proctor ‘09, M.S. ‘14, of Normal earned her Bachelor of Science in biological sciences education and Master of Science in teaching and learning at Illinois State. In addition to her high school students, she works with teacher-candidates and interns as part of a program that gives future teachers a hands-on teaching experience. She also designed and leads the mentorship for new teachers at University High School to discuss expectations and best practices. Over her 14 years of teaching, she has mentored numerous student teachers giving them a supportive environment to build their teaching skills.
