Marisa Medvetz Santos, an AICE English language teacher at Seminole Ridge High School, has been recognized by Cambridge University as the regional winner for North America in the 2024 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards.
Santos was chosen out of 15,000 nominations from 141 countries. She is now one of nine finalists around the globe competing for the top spot. You can cast your vote between now and May 6 at https://dedicatedteacher.cambridge.org.
Santos has taught at Seminole Ridge since 2011, and according to nomination, “Mrs. Santos has been a dedicated AICE English language teacher since 2015. During COVID-19, not only was she, like many teachers, forced to adapt and find ways to reach students electronically, but being a resident of Florida, she was one of the first educators sent back into classrooms. She was pregnant at the time and struggling through a high-risk pregnancy in the midst of a pandemic. Even so, she went above and beyond for her students in hybrid learning. She spent time out of the classroom making engaging instructional videos to reach students learning from home, and she kept the energy and excitement alive for students in the classroom. Each year, students hope to be placed in her class because they know they will get the instruction and support to be successful on their AICE exam and beyond.”
The Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards are a global competition in which people can nominate a current primary or secondary teacher for something wonderful they have done. A selected panel of judges decide on regional winners, who will all appear on a thank-you page at the beginning of new Cambridge University Press & Assessment international education books. They will also win a class set of books of their choice, as well as promotion throughout the year. The public then votes for the overall winner of the Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards.
