Stephany Gabriel Vicente is enrolled in Lehman College majoring in Spanish and minoring in Middle & High School Education. She is on track to graduate in May of 2023. As a first-generation college student, Stephany chose Lehman College because it offered her many avenues to pursue her professional goals and expand her knowledge base.

However, as a Latina, a speaker of English as a second language, from a low-income family, and a first-generation student many obstacles stood in her way. Stephany discovered that speaking Dominican Spanish could be considered a detriment when applying for jobs in her own area of study for being a variant dialect cataloged in the United States and even Latin America as Spanish for peasants. Based on this, she and her colleagues started a research project called “Hierarchy of Spanish”. They are investigating why there are so few Dominican professors teaching Spanish in Bronx universities even though they make up the largest group of Latinos -- 40% in NYC.

In 2021 Stephany was awarded MHSE’s Pigott Scholarship. This scholarship is helping Stephany to graduate with less debt. Stephany has honed her personal and professional goals through her relationships with faculty and classmates in addition to the many opportunities she has been afforded as a student at Lehman College. Stephany has learned that “hard work pays off.”

Fun Facts about Stephany

• Favorite Streaming Service: Netflix
• Favorite NYC Attraction: The New York Botanical Garden

Qwandell Joseph graduated in Spring 2020 from Lehman College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Middle and High School Education. Qwandell received his associate’s degree from the Borough of Manhattan Community College prior to matriculating at Lehman College. One of Qwandell’s biggest motivators to attend Lehman College was NYC Men Teach. Qwandell was a participant in NYC Men Teach at BMCC and Lehman College, where he gained access to a network of support.

In the Middle & High School Education minor, Qwandell networked with various staff and faculty members who helped him to learn the foundations of creating lesson plans, understanding classroom environments, and discussing new ways of motivating and inspiring students. He cites his experience at Lehman College as making him more “open-minded, observant, and confident in and outside of the classroom. All the skills he learned through my methods courses are now permanently utilized in my teaching and professional approaches in the schools.” Qwandell is currently an English Teacher at Dewitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, his alma mater. He has also returned to Lehman to pursue his master' s degree in English Education.

Fun Facts about Qwandell:

• Favorite TV Show: The original "Charmed" television series.
• Favorite Streaming Service: Hulu

The Evalyn and Stephen Milman Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships for Innovation in Teaching are intended to recognize educator candidates who have demonstrated excellent academic performance and strong dispositions for being outstanding educators, and/or have already demonstrated leadership skills in a discipline (e.g., Early Childhood Education, Counseling Education, or Science Education). Esther Asibuo Ramos, Aimee Grace Embaba and Jennifer Roesch are 2020-2021 Milman Scholars. Read More

Ellie Williamson completed her M.S.Ed. in Science Education in 2009 at Lehman College. In the Fall of 2021, Ellie Williamson is joining Cohort 21(beginning fall 2021) in the  Urban Education Ph.D. Program at The Graduate Center, CUNY. Ellie is a passionate secondary science educator. She has been teaching science for over 22 years. Currently, she teaches Living Environment and AP Biology at the Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction in Manhattan where she also leads and supports the science department. Ellie works collaboratively to mentor and support in-service and preservice teachers, and has also collaborated with research scholars. Having received her Master’s degree in Science Education at Lehman College, Ellie continued being active in the Lehman College community by serving as an adjunct lecturer working with science teachers under the guidance of Dr. Jack Henning and Dr. Wesley Pitts. Ellie is looking forward to continuing to work dynamically in the Urban Education Program with Dr. Pitts as his advisee. Her research interests are in the areas of science teacher education and professional trajectories and science learning in urban classrooms. Additionally, she participated as a presenter at Lehman College’s STEM Teacher Mini-Conference. Highlights of her career also include being a recipient of the Shell Science Educator Award and leading professional development in the Math for America community and the New York Master Teacher Program. Ellie is a recipient of the highly competitive Graduate Center Fellowship recognizing her academic and leadership achievements. Ellie is the author of A Jamaican-born Science Educator Reflects on Success Attainability which appears in the edited book A Paradise to Regain (2019) edited by Harushimana, Alfred and Davis (Myers Education Press).

Fun Facts about Ellie:

• Favorite Team: New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and the Dallas Cowboys
• Favorite NYC Attraction: The American Museum of Natural History

Jonathan Paladini completed his M.S.Ed. in Science Education with a Biology concentration in 2020.

Jonathan chose Lehman College because it offered him a pathway to become a teacher while not taking on exorbitant debt. He didn’t initially realize all of the opportunities that would come along with that decision. While at Lehman, Jonathan had two defining experiences. The first was his experience in the LUTE-STEM program. Being accepted in that program gave him the opportunity to obtain real-world teaching experiences while providing financial support to complete his degree. Jonathan credits this program with helping him to prepare for the demands of his new teaching career.

As a Lehman student, Jonathan was also able to be a part of a disaster relief team visiting Puerto Rico. The team helped to rebuild homes damaged by previous hurricanes. The experience was a character-building experience for him

Jonathan is currently a Living Environment teacher for grades 7th and 8th. Developing healthy relationships with students and seeing them pass the regents exam has been the most rewarding aspect of his teaching career to date.

Fun Facts about Jonathan:

• Favorite Book: "Endure" by Alex Hutchinson
• Favorite Movie: "The Matrix

Nelson Caro completed both his Bachelor of Arts in Earth Science in 2016 and his M.S.Ed. in Science Education (Earth Science NYS Initial Teacher Certification) in 2017 at Lehman College. Nelson is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in School Building Leadership at Lehman College.

Nelson was born and raised in the Bronx. He describes Lehman College as a special place where he has made lifelong connections. The courses he took with Dr. Pitts and Dr. Bayne prepared him to start his career in the NYC Department of Education. Dr Pitts’s research and capstone project courses prepared him for the online teaching environment precipitated by Covid-19. Dr. Bayne’s courses also prepared him to teach in a socially equitable classroom. Dr. Bayne and Dr. Pitts also prepared Nelson to teach with the latest research-based practices in the classroom.

In 2017, Nelson received the Ronald Ellis Award in Graduate Science Education. He was also a NOYCE Teacher Scholar at Lehman College which prepared him to serve secondary science students who are English language learners in New York City. Through the real-world clinical internships he experienced at Lehman College he was able to enter the workforce equipped to meet the needs of his students in the classroom.

Nelson is currently the lead grades 6-12 science teacher at Esperanza Preparatory Academy in the Bronx. He is also a Model Teacher for the NYC Department of Education at Esperanza. In the future, Nelson sees himself as an educator administrator supporting science teachers with new methods to support their students.

Fun Facts about Nelson:

• Favorite TV Show: "The Untouchables"
• Favorite NYC attraction: The Statue of Liberty, especially when viewed from a sailboat on the East River.

Linda Oppong Tawiah completed both her B.Sc. in Botany and M.Phil. in Plant Biodiversity at the University of Ghana. She recently completed her M.Sc. in Science Education at Lehman College and is on her way to being a Living Environment teacher at a middle school in the Bronx.

Linda was born in Ghana, West Africa but spent her formative years in Nigeria, where her father was a Computer Science lecturer. She has always looked up to her teachers and strongly believes they have contributed to the person she has become. The guidance, support, encouragement, and professionalism of the lecturers in the Science Education program at Lehman College are beyond compare. Professor Wesley Pitts, Dr. Immaculee Harushimana, Dr. Gillian Bayne, Dr. and Mr. Covotsos, and Professor J. Sasiela work with their students to ensure their success during the program and after graduation.

Linda looks forward to being a successful Biology teacher and a pillar of support and a guide to all her students, just as Dr. Immaculee Harushimana is to hers.

Fun facts about Linda:

• Favorite sports teams: New York Mets and Chelsea Football Club
• Favorite NYC attraction: American Museum of Natural History
• Hobbies: cooking, sewing, crafting and traveling

Andrea Beltre completed both her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish in 2018 and her Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish in 2021 at Lehman College.

Andrea first visited Lehman College when her high school commencement exercises were held at Lehman in 2005. Seeing the campus spurred her excitement to continue her education at Lehman College. However, parenting and family responsibilities delayed her education. Later, due to her perseverance and hard work Andrea was able to complete both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Lehman College. Despite being a busy Mom, Andrea took advantage of on-campus resources including the IT center and cafeteria. In those spaces, she was able to build lasting relationships with peers. Andrea also experienced incredible support from faculty who were energized and committed to not leaving any student behind.

Andrea uses the same perseverance she used to complete her education in her career as a teacher. Lehman College changed the way she viewed education. She now believes that every student deserves a quality education. Andrea is currently a teacher at the North Bronx School of Empowerment. She continues to attend workshops to provide the best education to her students. She sees herself pursuing a PhD in the next 5 years. She knows that she can change lives.

Fun Facts about Andrea

• Favorite Team: The New York Yankees
• Favorite Movie: "Fifty First Dates"

Jocelyne Limou Tuheu graduated in Spring 2020 from Lehman College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Middle and High School Education. In the Middle & High School Education minor, Jocelyne learned to become a self-starter. However, her favorite part of the program was working with her classmates to complete group work and class presentations. She enjoyed online courses which helped her to achieve a better work/life balance.

Additionally, Jocelyne made great strides in her communication skills throughout her program. Jocelyne shared that Dr. Deckman’s organization and advising helped her to structure her course load in order to complete her program on time. She sees herself becoming an excellent teacher in the next five years.

Fun Facts about Jocelyne:

Favorite Streaming Service: Netflix
Favorite NYC Attraction: The New York City Subway

Stephanie Garcia is currently enrolled in the Master of Mathematics 5-9 program at Lehman College. Stephanie describes her courses as honoring different perspectives and identities and as place where she has been given the tools she needs to succeed. Additionally, she notes that her peers have made the learning process more enjoyable and that the instructors create meaningful and memorable activities. In fact, they all learn so much from one another. Stephanie describes her course work as being grounded in research-based strategies. Stephanie indicates that these strategies can be used in her pedagogy to bring new perspectives and challenge the current structures to create more enriching activities. She has developed a passion to be a more reflective and responsive educator.

The most important thing Stephanie has learned so far at Lehman College is that we are stronger together. She has learned so much about herself through her academic and relational experiences in Lehman. Stephanie currently teaches 8th grade mathematics and aspires to become an instructional coach. I have such a passion for the teaching of mathematics in a way that allows every student to participate. Stephanie is scheduled to graduate in May of 2021.

Fun Facts about Stephanie:

• Favorite Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
• Favorite TV Show: "Lilo and Stitch"