Milken Educator Awards

Ohio Milken Educator Marissa McCarthy utilizes project-based learning to make math meaningful to her students and draws experience from working as a math and science tutor in high school. Read how her students benefit from a "thinking classroom” in her spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/marissa-mccarthy-oh-spotlight

As a newly minted Missouri winner, social studies teacher Meghan Menchella plans to further her studies with an educational specialist degree in K-12 educational leadership and administration. Read how she encourages students to be community leaders that think critically and demonstrate curiosity in her spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/meghan-menchella-mo-spotlight

West Virginia Milken Educator Ashley Wilkins sets high expectations for her English language arts students. Role models like her AP English Language teacher, Michelle Wolfe (WV '21), inspired her to become an educator. Read how she implements the same standards that reinforced her ability to connect with literature in her own classroom: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/ashley-wilkins-wv-spotlight

West Virginia Department of Education

North Carolina Milken Educator Ainsley VanBuskirk is a lifelong learner committed to challenging herself and trying new things. Previously a shy and reserved student, she understands the hesitancy and fear that comes with classroom participation. Now, she empowers her first graders to explore new concepts by creating an environment where they feel safe to do so. Learn more in her spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/ainsley-vanbuskirk-nc-spotlight

NC Public Schools

Louisiana Milken Educator Christine Bayard keeps students engaged in her classroom with strategic games like “mathketball,” where teams work through rigorous math problems to earn prizes and bragging rights. Read how she helps students build math fluency in her spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/christine-bayard-la-spotlight.

Louisiana Department of Education

When she was a student, Washington, D.C., Milken Educator Kelly Maranchuck developed the nickname “Count Kelly” in AP U.S. History because teachers could always count on her for answers. This fueled Kelly’s confidence and made her feel valued in the classroom. Read how she focuses on cultivating a safe space and building authentic relationships with her own students in her spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/kelly-maranchuck-dc-spotlight

BASIS DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Having access to several inspirational mentors helped New York Milken Award Winner Kimberly Alexander Carlo forge her own path as a science educator. Read how she builds relationships and mentors students at Lewiston-Porter Middle School in her spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/kimberly-alexander-carlo-ny-spotlight.

New York State Education Department

Raised by former educators, Virginia Milken Educator Travis Dodds’ early exposure to the realities of the career helped guide him to the classroom. Now a science teacher at his alma mater, he connects with students while being reminded of the joys, challenges and various mindsets high school students have.

Read how Travis helps students find relevancy and interest in their learning in his spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/travis-dodds-va-spotlight.

Virginia Department of Education - VDOE

California Milken Educator Alexis Arias has found her calling in alternative education. She encourages her students who may not have always had positive experiences at school by addressing the root of their misconceptions about education and helping them realize that their power lies in resilience. Read how Alexis advocates for alternative education systems and the students within them in her spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/alexis-arias-ca-spotlight.

Desert Sands Unified School District California Department of Education

Louisiana Milken Educator Derrick Winn is a visible leader both in and out of the classroom. Derrick sees the positive impact that active involvement has on relationship building with students, parents and the community at large. Read his spotlight interview to learn more about his creative and hands-on learning approach at Crestworth Elementary School: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/derrick-winn-la-spotlight

Louisiana Department of Education

From a young age, Asia Cunningham understood the impact of family engagement on student success. Read how she advocates for her students as principal of Pearsontown Elementary: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/asia-cunningham-nc-spotlight

“This job is about helping others to reach their goals and pushing them to their fullest potential.” Arkansas Milken Educator Andrew Harrison attributes his success to role models like his father, uncles, grandfathers and football coaches who preached the importance of hard work and perseverance. Now when faced with challenges, Andrew goes the extra mile to be successful. Read his spotlight interview to see how he builds rapport with his students to help them reach new heights: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/andrew-harrison-ar-spotlight

Arkansas Department of Education

South Carolina Milken Educator Amanda Fair-Coles values having a looped classroom where she not only nurtures relationships with students and their families, but also strengthens her teaching tactics. Read how she modifies the curriculum to individual students’ needs in her spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/amanda-fair-coles-sc-spotlight

South Carolina Department of Education

Working as a Culturally Linguistically Diverse teacher holds great meaning for Colorado Milken Educator Caleb Flores, who comes from a family of immigrants in pursuit of the American dream. Read about the classroom strategies he implements to set his students on the path to success in his spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/caleb-flores-co-spotlight

Colorado Department of Education

Milken Educator Leslie McIntosh is a in Syracuse, Nebraska, where she grew up, attended school and saw her own mother serve the community as an educator. Now, an English and language arts teacher at Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca Middle School, she too, is serving the community that raised her. Read how she sets high goals and models perseverance to raise ELA proficiency in her fifth grade classroom here: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/leslie-mcintosh-ne-spotlight

Nebraska Department of Education

Kansas social studies teacher Alex Lahasky hopes his students strive to be kind, thoughtful and civic-minded while applying the critical thinking, perspective-taking and empathy skills he models in his classroom. Read how he enhances AP U.S. history students' communication and practical interview skills in his spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/alex-lahasky-ks-spotlight

Mississippi Milken Educator Krissy Long (MS ‘23) is committed to creating a safe space in her classroom while also fostering self-confidence, growth and accountability in her students. Read about her approach to teaching math and science concepts in her spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/krissy-long-ms-spotlight

Neshoba County School District Mississippi Department of Education

Inspired by his parents who served as educators in their local community, Rory Inouye witnessed the impact teachers had on their students and the meaningful relationships they formed as a result. Now a Milken Award recipient, he hopes to motivate young people to pursue education as a career.

Learn more about Rory and his approach to student-led learning in his spotlight interview: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/rory-inouye-hi-spotlight.

“Don’t be afraid to share yourself with your students. I’ve found that students are much more willing to learn and go further in the classroom if they can relate to you in some way.” Nebraska Milken Educator Jacob Eitzen describes the importance of connecting with his students on a personal level. Read why it works in his math classroom at Bellevue West High School: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/jacob-eitzen-ne-spotlight

Bellevue West High School

From an early age, winner Korri Cunningham (AL ’23) grew up believing educators were superheroes who inspired her love for learning. Now, a teacher herself, she builds strong relationships with her students and inspires a curiosity for learning about diverse global experiences. Read about the student response to her Milken Award surprise and her approach to the IB curriculum at John Herbert Phillips Academy in her spotlight interview. https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/korri-cunningham-al-spotlight

Birmingham City Schools Alabama Department of Education

At the 2024 Milken Educator Awards Forum, recipients from the class of 2023 envisioned new ways to be leaders in their communities and beyond. We asked participants to share their reflections—what resonated with them and how the Forum inspired them to use their voices as changemakers in education.

Here are some of the reactions from those who attended: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/reactions-2024-forum

educator Shelley Terry (MA ‘23) hopes to pass down her love for literature and stories like “The Great Gatsby” to her students at Plymouth North High School in MA. She is living her dream as an English and Language Arts teacher by using the same stories her teachers once shared with her as a student.

Read Shelley's spotlight interview to learn how she brings characters to life in her classroom: https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/connections/articles/view/shelley-terry-ma-spotlight

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education