Desi Nesmith, 2000 Alma Exley Scholarship recipient, was the keynote speaker at a dinner reception hosted by the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut on October 27, 2009.

Two other previous recipients, Miguel Cardona (1998), and Giulietta Romero (2007), also attended the event celebrating diversity in education by recognizing and supporting students of color pursuing a career in education. Mr. Cardona is principal of Hanover Elementary School, Meriden, and Ms. Romero is a kindergarten teacher at Robinson Elementary School, Manchester.

Attendees included students at the Neag School as well as students from the Teacher Preparation Academy at Bulkeley High School in Hartford.

Mr. Nesmith, principal of SAND Elementary School in Hartford, urged the students to benefit from the experience and support of their teachers and academic advisors. And he advised them to remain open to new experiences and opportunities in their education and career, even though they may not seem relevant at the time. He recounted experiences from his years at UConn and early in his career that enabled him to grow and mature as an educator.

He began his career as a fifth grade teacher at Mayberry Elementary School in East Hartford, where he was named Teacher of the Year. He also served as Teacher in Residence at the State Department of Education and Intervention Specialist in the Hartford Public Schools before being appointed principal in the summer of 2009.

Dr. Thomas DeFranco, dean of the Neag School, who hosted the event, underlined the need for more teachers of color by pointing out that while students of color comprise 39 percent of public school students under 18 in Connecticut, persons of color account for only 7 percent of the teaching profession statewide.

Posted October 28, 2009

Desi Nesmith, 2000 recipient of an Alma Exley Scholarship, has received the first Promising Young Professional Award from the Neag School of Education Alumni Society of the University of Connecticut.

Mr. Nesmith began his career as a fifth grade teacher in East Hartford in 2002 and was named principal of America’s Choice at SAND School in Hartford, Conn., in 2009.

Former Neag Dean Richard Schwab said that “Desi is one of the most talented graduates that we had during my tenure as dean.”

Mr. Nesmith holds B.S., M.A. and post-graduate degrees from UConn. He was named a New England Scholar in 2001. He was selected as Teacher of the Year in 2006 at the Mayberry Elementary School. In 2007 he was honored by the Connecticut State Board of Education for contributions to the profession of teaching. In 2009 he was presented with the CAEOP (Connecticut Association of Educational Opportunity Programs) Award for his outstanding educational, community and personal success. And he was the keynote speaker at the 2009 Neag School diversity celebration.

Posted October 14, 2009

Ollie-Rubiah Williams, who was honored as an Alma Exley Scholar in 2001, has been named Teacher of the Year for her school for the 2008-2009 academic year.

She is a teacher at the Farmington Valley Diagnostic Center, Avon, Conn., which is operated by the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC).

Ms. Williams, who grew up in Windsor, Conn., holds a bachelor’s degree from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pa., and a master’s degree from Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, Conn.

She is the second Alma Exley Scholar to be named a Teacher of the Year. Desi Nesmith, a scholarship recipient in 2000, previously was named Teacher of the Year for Mayberry Elementary School in East Hartford, Conn. He current serves as principal of SAND Elementary School in Hartford.