8/5/2020
Education and Outreach
Belisa Brownlee admits she never wanted to teach. At least, not until she entered law school and realized becoming a lawyer was no longer her dream. When Brownlee observed a close friend entering the teaching profession, she felt the draw of a new career. Now after teaching for 11 years, she has combined her talents with education and the law.
8/3/2020
Education and Outreach
Elizabeth Harris feels nothing but enthusiasm about arriving at school an hour early to coach her Mathletes students. “These kids all have a desire to improve their skills, and bring a positive attitude to class each day,” says Harris, a teacher at Lied STEM Academy. “When kids come to you and ask for more math, the only correct answer to that question is ‘yes.’”
7/28/2020
Education and Outreach
Solan became the second Best Actress winner of The Smith Center’s annual NVHSMTA, allowing her to compete on Broadway in the Jimmy Awards where she placed as a finalist among the country’s top young performers. Now a professional actress and vocal coach, Solan confirms these experiences significantly shaped her performing.
7/27/2020
Education and Outreach
As a young man, Robert Cuccurullo struggled with substance abuse. “It was a tough road there for a while,” says Cuccurullo. But Cuccurullo successfully overcame his substance abuse and at age 41, returned to school to receive a Bachelor of Arts in history and education.
7/20/2020
Education and Outreach
Carolyn Lara, STEM Robotics teacher at Spring Valley High School, didn’t let COVID-19 or the closure of Clark County School District (CCSD) stop her from guiding her students to learn and lead. This is one of many reasons The Smith Center honored Lara as one of the top 20 teachers for its fifth-annual Heart of Education Awards.
7/16/2020
Education and Outreach
As a band instructor, Mark Nekoba gently pushes his students to improve on their musical abilities, teaching students instruments they never thought they’d play, helping them to read music and identify parts of music. But Nekoba says his emphasis in the classroom is always to teach personal conduct above all else.
7/13/2020
Education and Outreach
Last year, teacher Claudia Ahumada hosted a special birthday party. Instead of accepting presents, she asked friends, family and community members to donate birthday gifts for low-income students at her school, Matt Kelly Elementary School.
7/8/2020
Education and Outreach
Tyler Swick says he likes the idea of breaking the mold. Since founding the music program at Henderson’s Ellis Elementary School just two years ago, Swick has successfully led “outside-the-box” thinking to grow the music club program to involve nearly a quarter of the school’s entire population in music instruction.
7/6/2020
Education and Outreach
When one of Michelle Taylor’s former kindergarten students called her in 2015, she heard fear in his voice. That’s because the young boy’s mother — both of them living in Laramie, Wyoming — was suffering a stroke. “Though his neighbors were home, and his uncle lived an hour away, he called me because of our trusting relationship,” says Taylor, a teacher at Mabel Hoggard Elementary School.
6/29/2020
Education and Outreach
Richard Pokropski has no trouble filling his days. During the school year, the teacher arrives at Centennial High School at 5:30 a.m. daily to train cadets with junior reserve officers’ training corps (JROTC). This follows with a full day of teaching Naval Science and mentoring students in pursuing college and career dreams.