2020 NYS TESOL Award Recipients

Student Art Contest

This award recognizes outstanding student artwork to be used for the annual conference program. The winning student  is honored along with their teacher at the NYS TESOL Annual Conference. Submissions must be a piece of original 2-dimensional artwork in any medium, fitting the conference theme. All of the Student Art Contest entries can be viewed by clicking  HERE.

Nissagui Genico

Student, Mamaroneck High School

Sonal Patel-Sheth

Teacher, Mamaroneck High School

Student Digital Story Contest

This award recognizes outstanding piece of student digital storytelling to be used for the annual conference program. The winning students (in 3 categories) are honored along with their teachers at the NYS TESOL Annual Conference. Submissions must be a piece of original work in digital media, fitting the conference theme.

Grades 6-8 Winner

Grades 9-12 Winner

Adult Winner

Baraka Doukoure

Student, St. Hope Leadership Academy

Xiaobin Lin

Student, Franklin D. Roosevelt High School

Saki Sonoda

Student, NYPL Adult English Language and Literacy program

Frederic Bernal Lim

ELL Coordinator and Coach, 

St. Hope Leadership Academy

Leighton Suen

Teacher, Franklin D. Roosevelt High School

Ivana Ferguson

Teacher, NYPL Adult English Language and Literacy program

Teacher Materials Grant

The Teacher Materials Grants Program provides funding for projects or experiences which directly enrich students‘ language, academic, and cultural learning experiences. ESL/ENL learners may be of any age or level. Three grants are awarded, and winners are honored at the NYS TESOL 50th Annual Conference.

Grades K-12

Adult Ed

Higher Ed

Madelyn Torres

ENL Chairperson/Teacher for the Lynbrook, NY Public Schools

Peggy O'Hanlon

ESOL Coordinator, Port Washington Public Library

Mark Romig

ESL Teacher at The English Language Center at CUNY LaGuardia

Outstanding Teacher Award

This award honors a teacher who motivates and encourages students as well as engaging them in productive and challenging learning with effective lesson strategies, fair evaluation techniques, and community involvement.

James A. Lydon Distinguished Service Award

This award honors a NYS TESOL member who goes beyond fulfilling the responsibilities of an office and represents service in a variety of capacities, demonstrating a distinguished service record to the organization.

Brigitte Pittarelli

ENL Teacher, Binghamton City School District

Lubie Alatriste

Professor and English and Applied Linguistics ESOL Coordinator, New York City College of Technology, CUNY 



James E. Weaver Award

This award recognizes a teacher who epitomizes the professional and personal integrity and commitment that James E. Weaver so strongly personified.

Baecher Teacher Leadership Award

This award recognizes a teacher leader who makes contributions beyond the classroom  (at the school, district, regional level) to support the academic and social well-being of English learners in New York state.

Kelly Aldinger 

Clarkson University and Okte Elementary School in Shenendehowa Central Schools

Christine Passarelli

PS 22, NYC Department of Education

Recognition Award

This award recognizes officials who have acted as friends and allies to further the profession of TESOL and facilitate and foster the English-language acquisition of NYS students.

Katherine Rodriguez-Agüero

NYC DOE Queens Instructional Coordinator D24

Carlos B. Sánchez

Executive Director, Hudson Valley RBERN at SWBOCES in Harrison, NY

Lifetime Achievement Award

This award honors a member of NYS TESOL who has shown dedication to the profession of TESOL, and the advancement of English Language Learnersand who is now retiring or making a transition from their long, distinguished career in ESOL teaching.

Dr. Rosa E. Lien

Director for the ENL/Bilingual Programs, 

Central Islip School District

Mary Ann Daugherty

ENL Teacher, Vestal Hills Elementary 

Student Awards Committee: Greg Kilpatrick, Mary Sandoval, Danielle Cerbone, Yanira Stoker, Joanna Fogarassi, Shannon Hilliker, Annabelle Afanador-Vega and Viviana Sitz

Educator Awards Committee: Helaine Marshall, Stephanie Chiu, Shannon Hilliker and Laura Dohner