Interns Honored by NAAC for Outstanding Contributions to the Classroom

With a Ph.D. in biology, experience teaching biochemistry at Northwestern University, and a desire to teach high school anatomy-physiology, Greg Wallace explored many teacher certification programs in the Chicago area. He was thrilled to discover a program that recognized the unique experience he could bring to the classroom and was specifically tailored to suit the needs of a skilled career changer -- the alternative certification program at Benedictine University. This was, in his words, a “program that really understood my situation – I was a highly skilled scientist who wanted to share my passion and training with budding scientists.”

Wallace was recently recognized by the National Association for Alternative Certification (NAAC) as one of three winners of the association’s annual scholarships for outstanding interns. The two other winners were Barbara Baganz of Fort Worth and Willy Flores of Dallas, Texas. They each received a $1,000 scholarship, a complimentary registration to NAAC ‘s annual conference, and travel support to attend the professional gathering.

Every year, tens of thousands of new educators are prepared through hundreds of nontraditional teacher preparation programs addressing local needs for outstanding teachers in their community. NAAC hosts a national competition to select three highly effective new interns and recognize their important contributions to their schools and their students’ success. Read more about 2011 scholarship winners Greg Wallace, Barbara Baganz and Willy Flores.