Vote for Montgomery County Elementary Finalists

Sarah Elyse Askin

“I teach because I make a difference,” says Sarah Elyse Askin. “I teach because I care about children. I teach because I want children to understand that there are many facets to being successful that extend far beyond the four walls of a school. I teach because I am creative, motivated, and organized.”

Askin, a 1st-grade teacher at Burning Tree Elementary School in Montgomery County, received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education with a Science Concentration and Endorsement from Indiana University. She is winding up work on her master’s in School Counseling at Johns Hopkins University. She’s been teaching for five years.

While she can’t imagine doing anything other than teaching, when pushed Askin says she’d be a whitewater rafting guide. “I think I’d love being outside all day long helping people navigate the ins and outs of dangerous rapids,” she says.

Advocate. That’s the best advice Askin has received as a teacher. “Always advocate for each and every one of your students,” she says. “Stand up for your students and get them what they need. You are their voice. Also, learn to multitask. If you can’t multitask, this job isn’t for you.”

Advice she would offer prospective teachers: “Ask yourself why you are going into this field. If it’s because you get summers ‘off’ and you get to leave work at 4 p.m. every day – think again. This is a thankless job, and it requires a big warm heart, patience, and endless love and compassion for children.”

It was Karen McPhaul, a 5th-grade teacher at Cold Spring Elementary School, who most influenced Askin. “She taught me patience, perseverance, and the importance of believing in yourself, no matter what,” she says.

It is her parents who she most admires. “They have instilled in me the morals and values that make me a valuable teacher,” she says.

About Maria del Socorro Garcia

“I believe that despite children's differences in predispositions and skills, all children can learn, says Maria del Socorro Garcia. “All children have the right to learn in a safe, positive environment that allows them to take risks and share their diverse talents so that they are celebrated and nurtured. Students should be supported as they build a sense of responsibility in actively seeking knowledge.”

Garcia teaches all subjects as part of the Spanish Immersion program at Rock Creek Forest Elementary School in Montgomery County. She holds a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a M.A. in Teaching, Elementary Education from Johns Hopkins University.

Her favorite moment as a teacher “is listening as students discuss and evaluate information, and being greeted from all children in school, even if I have no idea who they are. Apparently they know who I am,” she says.

It was a high school English teacher, in her sophomore year, who most influenced Garcia. “She always told me I could do better and made me redo my work. She reminded me to take pride in what I do,” she says.

The best advice Garcia has received in her two years as a teacher is to: “Set your expectations high and your students will reach that,” she says. Advice she would give to a prospective teacher: “Remember you always have an audience, and they learn by being modeled to.”

The person Garcia most admires is her mother. “She raised six step children and 11 of her and my father's own children and always found time to show how much she loves us all. How did she do that?” she says.

About Laura Grabowski

What Laura Grabowski looks forward to each year is the last day of school. “but not because of summer vacation,” she says. “That day is my favorite because I look each child in the eye and know that I did everything I could to help him or her succeed that year and that I did everything I could to help prepare him/her for 5th grade.”

A 4th-grade teacher at Fairland Elementary School in Montgomery County, Grabowski received her undergraduate degree in English from William McDaniel College and her Master’s in Education from Johns Hopkins University. After five years in the classroom, Grabowski enjoys “seeing that spark, the one that lights up a child’s face when he understands something new.”

If Grabowski weren’t a teacher, she’d be “a singing comedian – just ask my class, I’m always practicing,” she says. “Never give up,” she advises prospective teachers. “The challenges are always followed by the successes.”

The teacher who has most influenced Grabowski is Dawn Hester, her mentor, who inspired Grabowski “with her unending patience, masterful conversation, and meaningful teaching,” she says.

To this day, Peter Rabbit remains her favorite book. “Because it was the first book that I memorized as a child,” she says, “and also because my 3 year old daughter, Gracie, can now ’read’ it to me.”

About Brigid Anne McGuire

Brigid Anne McGuire teaches “for the joy of working with youngsters,” she says. If she weren’t teaching, McGuire would be “working with children in some other capacity.”

McGuire, who has spent 16 years in the classroom, teaches 2nd grade at Sequoyah Elementary School in Montgomery County. While there have been many favorite moments during her career, she does recollect “when a youngster pretended his pants were on fire,” she says. “You had to be there for this one.”

McGuire received her B.S. from the University of Maryland and her master’s equivalency. The teacher who has most influenced her is her sister, Noel Bettinger. “She was my first teacher (in real life), and later, through her own example as a classroom teacher, she showed me so many important ways to respect children and their learning,” says McGuire.

The best advice she has received: “Listen to your children.” Advice she would offer someone thinking of becoming a teacher: “Make certain that you enjoy spending time with children.”

It is her husband, Scott Loomis, who she admires most. “He is a “self-made” person who is loyal, kind, patient, and has an amazing work ethic,” she says.

Harry and the Lady Next Door by Gene Zion is her favorite children’s book. “I learned to read with ‘Harry’ books,” she says. “Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss is also a favorite. Horton is just a wonderful role model for us all.”

About Ross Mills

“I like to work with kids because they are endlessly enthusiastic and very, very funny,” says Ross Mills, a 3rd grade teacher at Bannockburn Elementary School in Montgomery County. The best piece of advice he’s received during his 15 years as a classroom teacher is, “Don't try to do it all. But do what you're good at as much as you can.” Words he lives by.

For those thinking of becoming a teacher, Mills has his own advice: “Love your students and school community, because it's worth it to work this hard if you're doing it for people you love,” he says. His 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Margaret Hanlon, has influenced Mills’ teaching. “She was fascinated by the world, which made us fascinated about what we did in school. Plus every day was a fresh start for every student. I miss her.”

Mills’ favorite moment in the classroom came while watching a student with learning disabilities “read his story - with difficulty - to the class and then watching them spontaneously break into applause for him because they knew how brave he was, and then - watching him smile,” he says. “That's as good as it gets for me.”

Mills received a B.S. from the University of Maryland, College Park, and has done graduate course work at Walden University.

Had Mills not been a teacher, he would have become a librarian. “I love the quiet ambiance of libraries. And I like to recommend books to people,” he says. His favorite read? The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo “because it's about the power of forgiveness.”

About Randy Ornstein

“The opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child is a privilege and a responsibility I cherish,” says Randy Ornstein, a 3rd-grade teacher at Candlewood Elementary School in Montgomery County. This 26-year classroom veteran received her B.A. in Education from The State University of New York at Cortland and has obtained 90 graduate credits in Education from various universities.

As a teacher, there is nothing Ornstein enjoys more than “seeing the excitement a student feels from reaching a goal he or she thought was beyond reach,” she says. The best teaching advice she’s received it to “take the time to create a classroom environment that makes kids feel cared about and respected.” And advice she’d give to someone interested in education as a career is to “care about your students the way you would want someone else to care about your own son or daughter.”

The teacher who has been most influential in Ornstein’s life was her 5th-grade teacher, Mrs. Wright. “[She] set high expectations in a loving way and made me want to be just like her,” says Ornstein. There are many – “too many to single out just one,” she says – people whom Ornstein admires. The common thread in her admiration is that each one has “given of themselves and asked little in return.”

One of her favorite books is The People Where Rich People Sit. “It makes the reader think about what is really important to them,” she says.

About Cheryl Sellitti

Cheryl Sellitti loves children and, after 20 years, still adheres to advice she was given early in her career: “Relax. Enjoy the moment. Laugh with the kids,” she says.

As a teacher in the Center for the Highly Gifted at Cold Spring Elementary School, Sellitti employs lessons learned from her high school Latin teacher, Mr. Driscoll, who “individualized the curriculum for me. He inspired me,” she says.

Sellitti particularly enjoys “visiting with former students and basking their achievements,” she says. “Two of my students married one another!”

The advice she offers to those thinking of becoming a teacher is to be prepared to work hard. “Take your cues from your students. Respect them always and reward them frequently,” she says.

Were she not a teacher, Sellitti would be a writer or a comparative linguist. “I love words,” she says.

Sellitti’s father, who, at 81, still works full time as a lawyer, is the person she admires most. “He is active, bright, fast and funny,” she says.

A voracious reader, Sellitti’s favorite book tends to be the one she’s just read. “That happens to be Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow. It is rich in quirkiness, strong character development, and priceless nuggets of New York City history."

About Ruben Serafini

“It’s a thrill to watch kids learn, grow, interact and become more independent,” says Ruben Serafini, a 4th-grade teacher at Kensington Parkwood Elementary School in Montgomery County. If he weren't a teacher, Serafini would be “coaching and training soccer teams with a small business on the side.”

Serafini received his undergraduate degree in Consumer Economics from the University of Maryland. His graduate degree is in Elementary Education from Johns Hopkins University. He has taught for nine years.

His favorite classroom moment occurs “every time a student says, ‘Oh, now I get it,” he says. Another memory is “when I had disc surgery on my neck three years ago and 4th grade students and parents came to my house and planted flowers and mulched.”

The best advice Serafini has received as a teacher is to stay organized. The advice he offers prospective teachers is: “Ask yourself, ‘Why?’ Your answer should be, ‘Because I love kids.’”

The teacher who most influenced him is Dr. Pittenger, who taught an American Literature class at Montgomery College 11 years ago. [He was] an inspiring professor who taught me how to really read,” says Serafini.

It is his wife who Serafini most admires... “for her patience. She has supported me unconditionally throughout my teaching career, which has proven to be both more demanding and more rewarding than expected,” he says.

His favorite book? Love That Dog by Sharron Creech. “Simple presentation, touching story and meaningful message,” says Serafini.

About Josie Stoches

Josie Stoches begins every school year awaiting the inevitable. “My favorite moment is always the first time that one of my students makes an important breakthrough. It could be academically, learning to spell their name; socially, making a first friend; or emotionally, talking out a problem. It is such a wonderful feeling to see the look in their eyes when they realize that they have succeeded with something that was difficult for them,” she says.

Stoches, a kindergarten teacher, received her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland and her master’s equivalent through Montgomery County Public Schools. “I teach because nothing could be more rewarding. It is so awesome to think that you could have an influence on how children feel about school and their education as a whole,” she says.

When it comes to advice, the best piece she’s been given is: “Don’t worry, June will come,” she says. Advice Stoches gives to those thinking about becoming a teacher: “Practice your poker face; you’re going to need it.”

It was Mrs. Bartley, Stoches’ 3rd-grade teacher, who was the teacher who influenced her most. “She made me feel so special and so smart,” says Stoches, “I will never forget her.”

The person Stoches admires most, however, is her mother, Sandy Pomeroy. “She worked full-time, opened two successful businesses, made homemade dinners from scratch each night, and still managed to always put her children first,” she says. “My mom was a great role model for me and I hope to be like her when I am a mom someday.”

The Anne of Green Gables series is Stoches’ favorite “because my dad used to read a chapter every night to my sister and me. Those are some of my favorite childhood memories,” she says.

About Sophia Wang

“Reading aloud to my class is my favorite part of the day. I know I’ve done a good job (reading with expression and conveying the mood of the story) when my class applauds at the end of a book,” says Sophia Wang. “That moment is priceless!”

This 15-year classroom veteran teaches 4th-grade math at Bells Mills Elementary School. In previous years, she’s taught all subjects for grades 1 through 4. Wang received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Maryland and her M.Ed. from The George Washington University.

Wang offers this advice to prospective teachers: “Teaching has its ups and downs -- like a roller coaster ride. Sometimes, things are very hectic and other times of the year are more calm,” she says. “Enjoy the ride!”

If she weren’t a teacher, Wang would work for the Food Network. “I would love to attend culinary school and then host my own show. I’d really love a show that combines travel, being a restaurant critic, and cooking my own dishes,” she says.

Wang’s mother has played an important role in her life. “She left her home in Taiwan and came to this country without speaking any English. After marrying my Dad, they decided to stay here in the U.S. and raise a family. Her family remained in Taiwan for many years and she really didn’t have any support system in this country. She stayed home to raise four daughters and learned to read, write and speak English as my sisters and I learned it in school. My mom is the kindest person I know and I love and respect her very much,” she says.