The educators who played an extraordinary role in the education and development of the Class of 2014 Flinn Scholars were honored by their students during the Flinn Scholars Recognition Dinner May 3 at the Arizona Biltmore.
The 20 high-school seniors selected for the 2014 merit-based scholarship to an Arizona public university, along with 17 Flinn Scholars graduating from college this year, were also recognized during the annual event.
Each new Flinn Scholar spoke briefly about their Distinguished Educator, who joined them on stage and were presented a plaque. The teachers taught a variety of subjects, from chemistry and biotechnology to theology, Western Civilization, and English. They included Academic Decathlon coaches and a Scholar’s fifth-grade teacher.
Scholars spoke about the educators’ impact both within and outside the classroom.
“As my four-year mentor and Academic Decathlon coach, Mrs. (Carla) Ingraham taught me everything from giving firm handshakes to being a personable and vocal leader. My success can be directly attributed to her guidance,” said Class of 2014 Flinn Scholar Jimmy Xu about his English teacher and Academic Decathlon coach at Hamilton High School in Chandler.
Ingraham was one of five teachers at the dinner also honored in past years by Flinn Scholars. The other repeat Distinguished Educators were Shelley Bunch of Prescott High School, Brad Kaufman of Red Mountain High School, Debbie Nipar of Hamilton High School, and Jeri Wade of Desert Vista High School. Bunch and Nipar have each been recognized three times.
2014 Distinguished Educators
CHRIS ALLEN
English, Sabino High School, Tucson
Scholar: Graham Place
MARY CATHERINE BOATRIGHT
Professional Internship and Gifted Coordinator, Mountain Pointe High School, Phoenix
Scholar: Vaishnavi Koka
PERRI BRUBAKER
Fifth Grade, Coronado Elementary School, Nogales
Scholar: Ian Barton
SHELLEY BUNCH
AP World History, Prescott High School
Scholar: Naomi Worob
MARSHA COBURN
English, Hamilton High School, Chandler
Scholar: Lindsey Chew
JOHN CRAIG
AP Government, AP Human Geography, Casa Grande Union High School
Scholar: Delilah Cassidy
DON DURKEE
Theology, Saint Mary’s Catholic High School, Phoenix
Scholar: Tristen Vaughn
ROBERT L. HELSEL
U.S. History, Comparative Government, Model UN, Mountain View High School, Mesa
Scholar: Jaylia Yan
CARLA INGRAHAM
English, Academic Decathlon, Hamilton High School, Chandler
Scholar: Jimmy Xu
NICHOLAS IRVINE
AP Environmental Science, Northland Preparatory Academy, Flagstaff
Scholar: Aidan Schneider
BRAD KAUFMAN
Academic Decathlon, Economics, Red Mountain High School, Mesa
Scholar: Alexander Buckley
MARNI LANDRY
Biotechnology, Paradise Valley High School, Phoenix
Scholar: Apoorva Bhaskara
DEBBIE NIPAR
Honors Science Research, Hamilton High School, Chandler
Scholar: Viputheshwar Sitaraman
RICHARD PETERSON
AP/Honors Chemistry, Chaparral High School, Scottsdale
Scholar: Leah Kaplan
SUELLEN ROEDIGER
AP Art History, University High School, Tucson
Scholar: Carly Snyder
TONY ROSENBERGER
English, River Valley High School, Mohave Valley
Scholar: Angela Siebrecht
DANIEL SULLIVAN
Humane Letters, Chandler Preparatory Academy
Scholar: Nisha Parasher
JERI WADE
AP Calculus, Desert Vista High School, Phoenix
Scholar: Hailey Dickson
MIKE WARD
Western Civilization, Brophy College Preparatory
Scholar: Justin Frere
MARK D. ZELLMER
European History, Comparative Government, BASIS Tucson North
Scholar: Maddie Pickens
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