Naperville Central graduate Drew Snyder, an English teacher at Darlington High School in South Carolina, was recently named Darlington County School District’s “2013 Outstanding First Year Teacher.”
The Award recognizes teachers who show exceptional promise in their first year of teaching. Snyder is also a graduate of Indiana University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education, Language Arts.
“As any teacher will probably tell you, it was former teachers that have inspired me to be where I am today.” Snyder said in an email.
“At Elmwood elementary, I had Mrs. Feret who pushed me to never stop questioning and thinking. Lincoln Junior High brought me Mr. Schmitt, who showed me that humor and empathy can change the world. My 4 years as a Redhawk at Naperville Central allowed me to meet Mrs. Dohm – the only person to ever help me enjoy math class. From freshman year to graduation, there was Ms. Jahnke, my Latin teacher. She showed me that a classroom can become a family. DJ Alstadt was a mentor and an amazing musician I enjoyed working with in band. To all those teachers and to all the teachers of district 203, thank you.”
Snyder also offers advice for recent and future Naperville graduates, “I joined Teach for America right out of college at Indiana University. Instead of returning home to teach, I decided to go where I was most needed. That brought me to South Carolina where I’ve been able to explore new parts of the country and meet incredible new people.”
“Drew is a teacher of outstanding character and ability. Her performance in the classroom is consistently superior,” said Dr. Greg Harrison, principal of Darlington High School. “Drew has been a great role model for fellow teachers and students, as well as a tremendous asset to our school. She, without a doubt, is one of the strongest first year teachers that I’ve observed over the past few years! Darlington High School is a better school because she is on our team…”
As the Outstanding First Year Teacher, Snyder will be a member of the Darlington County Leadership Council and the Darlington County Teacher Forum. She will have multiple networking and teacher leadership opportunities throughout the upcoming year.
