TEACHER AWARD FINALISTS SELECTED

Three educators have been selected as finalists from among 25 nominees for the Prince William County Teacher of the Year. The teachers are Michael Ahern, Gar-Field High School; Susan Bonekemper, Penn Elementary School; and Dawn Rutland, New Dominion Alternative School. The finalists were selected based on their ability to instill in students a desire to learn and achieve, understanding of the individual needs of students, thorough knowledge and ability to share that knowledge, cooperative relationships, and outstanding leadership. The teachers are also finalists for the Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award. The winner will be announced in mid-April.

 

At Gar-Field, Michael Ahern teaches chemistry for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate (IB) Program and Pre-IB, and introductory chemistry. He received a Staff Recognition Team award for his work for the IB Program at Gar-Field and IB Middle Years Program at Godwin Middle School. In 2001 and again in 2003, Ahern was named Virginia Governor’s School Outstanding Educator.

Ahern served as a Commissioned Officer for the United States Army for twenty-six years before retiring in 1996 to join Gar-Field High School’s staff. During his active duty years he was an assistant chemistry professor at West Point and a staff leader and instructor for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Ahern received many honors including a Legion of Merit, four Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, and a Parachutist Badge and was the author/co-author of six scientific articles in U.S. and international journals.

A graduate of John Carroll University with a B.S. in Chemistry, Ahern received a Master of Science in Organic Chemistry from Pennsylvania State University.

 

Susan Bonekemper earned a B.S. in Elementary and Library Science from Millerville State University. She completed her graduate studies at Eastern Connecticut State University where she earned a M.S. in Early Childhood Education.

Bonekemper began her career teaching kindergarten for Blooming Glen Elementary School in Pennsylvania. Before she joined Prince William County Public Schools in 1976, she taught kindergarten, first and second grade, and was a Head Start teacher for school systems in Connecticut and Virginia. During her tenure with the school division she has taught kindergarten and first grade for Rockledge, Lake Ridge, McAuliffe, and Penn elementary schools. A 1988 nominee for the Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award, Bonekemper received the 2000 Phi Delta Kappa award for beyond-the-classroom student-oriented dedication. In 2003, she received the Excellence Medallion for achieving excellence in implementing the school division’s culture.

 

Dawn Rutland, a self-contained, sixth and seventh grade teacher at New Dominion Alternative School, started substitute teaching for the school division in 1994. A year later, she was hired and taught at Stonewall Middle School until 1999 when she started working in her present position. Rutland was recognized by the School Board for her role as assistant sponsor for the King’s Dominion Math and Science Day 2004 Middle School Competition. She also received a Staff Recognition Award for Outstanding Team Performance and a Virginia Learn and Serve Certificate of Recognition for numerous service hours in support of the community.

Rutland received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from LaSalle University and completed a Certificate of Alternative Education from George Mason University. Last year, she attended the SOAR to SUCCESS Reading Intervention Institute.