Top UMW Graduates Awarded Teacher of the Year Honor

Several recent graduates from the University of Mary Washington’s College of Education have been recognized with “Teacher of the Year” awards in local school districts. Carleigh Rahn ’22, Mallory Karnei ’22, and Ivelisse Maddalena ’22 have all received top teacher honors in Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania and Stafford counties, respectively.

Rahn transformed her classroom into an “escape room” to engage students in a unit on exploration, while Karnei utilized the SkyView Lite app to teach about planets. Maddalena assigned a drawing activity to illustrate the concept that anyone can be a scientist.

Dean Pete Kelly of the College of Education expressed pride in the accomplishments of these graduates, noting their dedication to becoming excellent teachers. The College of Education at UMW provides a clinically based curriculum, experienced faculty, and strong K-12 partnerships to prepare students for success in the field.

Founded in 1908, Mary Washington has a long history as a teachers college and offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in education. The list of UMW alumni who received Teacher of the Year awards in 2024 includes Courtney Beavon, Toby Campbell, Sabrina Christiansen, John Giannini, Sofia Hobbs, Kiarnan Kaleshefski, Zachary Schuster, Katie Vukmanic, and more.

The university encourages anyone aware of additional honorees to reach out via email to news@umw.edu. This recognition highlights the impact of UMW graduates in shaping the future of education in their communities.