Celebrating School of Education Alumni on World Teachers' Day
Featuring four School of Education alumni who are making a difference in their own classrooms
October 5, 2022
World Teachers’ Day, established in 1994, is observed annually on Oct. 5. It focuses on appreciating, assessing and improving the educators of the world and to provide an opportunity to consider issues related to teachers and teaching. In celebration of World Teachers’ Day, here are four recent School of Education alumni who strive to make a difference in their own classrooms.
Gregory Dharman, Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) + Credential ’21 Dharman is a math and engineering teacher at South Lake Middle School in Irvine Unified School District. He is also an assistant football coach, a robotics coach, and serves on multiple committees for teachers. A current focus for Dharman is to provide extra support to students who are struggling with mental health issues or learning disabilities to help them reach their fullest potential and feel more comfortable in school. His favorite part of this role is providing extra support to students who struggle in math. One of his greatest professional achievements was his nomination for the Outstanding Alumni Teacher Award by the School of Education in Spring 2022. |
Dimitri Kaviani, MAT ’21
Kaviani is in his second year of teaching physics at his alma mater, Woodbridge High School, also part of IUSD. Kaviani graduated from UCI with a bachelor of science in chemical engineering with a minor in materials science engineering in 2018. He worked as a plumbing design engineer for two years before realizing his passion for teaching. He returned to UCI and completed the MAT program in 2021. One of Kaviani’s greatest achievements was being chosen by the Knowles Teacher Initiative as a member of its 2021 cohort of Teaching Fellows and is currently participating in the intensive and cohesive five-year program that supports early-career high school teachers. Through the program, Knowles Fellows have access to grants for expenses associated with purchasing classroom materials, engaging in professional development, and spearheading leadership activities that have an impact beyond their own classrooms. Fellows also benefit from access to mentoring and coaching from experienced teachers and teacher educators, and membership in a nationwide community of nearly 450 teachers who are committed to improving education.
Annmarie Ngo, B.S. + Credential (UCI CalTeach) ’21
Ngo teaches a ninth grade biology and sustainability course called “Living Earth” and an introduction to science class for English learners at all grade levels to support their scientific skills and literacy in English. It is her second year of teaching at IUSD’s Portola High School. Supporting her students at their after-school events has been one of her goals. Last year, she was able to support almost every single one of her students that were involved in an extracurricular activity by attending sports games, concerts, musicals, and art showcases. Ngo also strives to create more culturally responsive, anti-racist curriculum. She is an Institute for Teachers of Color (ITOC) Committed to Racial Justice Fellow for this school year. ITOC is a community building, professional development space for teachers of color to explore the racial climate of their schools and its impact on their students, receive leadership training to navigate these realities, and strategize how to create racially transformative classrooms and schools. She credits the CalTeach program for shaping who she is as a teacher, as the program taught her to reimagine teaching through an anti-racist and humanizing lens.
Kaviani is in his second year of teaching physics at his alma mater, Woodbridge High School, also part of IUSD. Kaviani graduated from UCI with a bachelor of science in chemical engineering with a minor in materials science engineering in 2018. He worked as a plumbing design engineer for two years before realizing his passion for teaching. He returned to UCI and completed the MAT program in 2021. One of Kaviani’s greatest achievements was being chosen by the Knowles Teacher Initiative as a member of its 2021 cohort of Teaching Fellows and is currently participating in the intensive and cohesive five-year program that supports early-career high school teachers. Through the program, Knowles Fellows have access to grants for expenses associated with purchasing classroom materials, engaging in professional development, and spearheading leadership activities that have an impact beyond their own classrooms. Fellows also benefit from access to mentoring and coaching from experienced teachers and teacher educators, and membership in a nationwide community of nearly 450 teachers who are committed to improving education.
Annmarie Ngo, B.S. + Credential (UCI CalTeach) ’21
Ngo teaches a ninth grade biology and sustainability course called “Living Earth” and an introduction to science class for English learners at all grade levels to support their scientific skills and literacy in English. It is her second year of teaching at IUSD’s Portola High School. Supporting her students at their after-school events has been one of her goals. Last year, she was able to support almost every single one of her students that were involved in an extracurricular activity by attending sports games, concerts, musicals, and art showcases. Ngo also strives to create more culturally responsive, anti-racist curriculum. She is an Institute for Teachers of Color (ITOC) Committed to Racial Justice Fellow for this school year. ITOC is a community building, professional development space for teachers of color to explore the racial climate of their schools and its impact on their students, receive leadership training to navigate these realities, and strategize how to create racially transformative classrooms and schools. She credits the CalTeach program for shaping who she is as a teacher, as the program taught her to reimagine teaching through an anti-racist and humanizing lens.
Alondra Perez, MAT ’22
Perez is a first-year third grade dual immersion teacher at Ralph A. Gates Elementary School in Saddleback Unified School District. Passionate about promoting bilingualism, her goal is to ensure that students understand the importance and uniqueness of being bilingual/multilingual. During her undergraduate education at UCI, she worked under Professor Mark Warschauer to research how computer science can support multilingual learners. She also served as a peer counselor for the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project, where she advocated for student rights and supported underrepresented students on their journey to higher education. Perez was the president of the Bilingual Teacher Student Association, where she guided and supported students interested in becoming dual immersion teachers. After completing her undergraduate work, she continued her passion of bilingualism by enrolling in the MAT program as a dual immersion student teacher. |