NYSACTE Secondary Fellowship Program
The NYSACTE Fellowship Program will be open to all career and technical education educators who want to improve their leadership skills while learning more about career and technical education in NYS. The program provides an opportunity for participants to learn from one another while exploring the various CTE delivery models within the state and becoming more involved in CTE professional organizations at the state level.
This program represents an opportunity for extended professional development and will allow NYSACTE affiliate organizations the opportunity to take a more active role in shaping future career and technical education leaders.
Purpose:
- To bring CTE educators together to develop their leadership skills and further their involvement in CTE professional organizations
- To provide CTE educators an opportunity to become familiar with the variety of content areas and delivery models in NYS in order to better understand the strengths and challenges of CTE in NYS
- Provide professional development opportunities in order to share and build best practices in CTE
- Support activities that increase leadership characteristics and provide leadership opportunities for career-technical educators by contributing to NYSACTE.
Fellows participate in monthly zoom meetings and complete a series of tasks/assignments known as the program of work throughout the fellowship year. The program of work will begin in October and will conclude in August each year.
The time commitment for the fellowship program is approximately 52 hours. This includes attending the monthly zoom meetings and completing the program of work. It does not include attending PD. CTLE hours can be awarded if needed.
NYSACTE Fellows receive a $300.00 stipend for participating in the program.
Ida Marra, Dr. Alison Matthews, and Cynthia Thomas are currently serving as the co-coordinators of the NYSACTE Fellowship Program.
Applications are due on June 21, 2024. Applications will be reviewed by the Fellowship Coordinators, NYSACTE President and affiliate organization President. Applicants will primarily be selected based on the quality of their responses and the strength of their letter of recommendation. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by June 30.
Click here to apply: NYSACTE Fellowship Program 2024
If you have questions about the fellowship program please email Dr. Alison Matthews at matthewsa@harborfieldscsd.org.
2023-24 Fellows
Ceren Brunell
Ms. Brunell serves as a CTE Educator, Coordinator, and WBL Coordinator for NYC Department of Education. She chose to serve as a CTE educator because she firmly believes that Career Technical Education is our solution to ending poverty, increasing our GDP, and growing our country with a skilled workforce. Since she started her career as an educator; she experienced and witnessed the success CTE education brings to students as they become the best employees and leaders of the future. She would like to continue her career serving from a leadership level to build, improve, and excel in CTE programs and educators all around the NYS. She believes that our students need more technical centers, and high-quality CTE programs to discover their talent and learn trades that will prosper them, their communities, and our country.
Maureen Danzig
Maureen Danzig is currently a Work Based Learning Coordinator with Rockland BOCES. Mrs. Danzig has a BS in Technology from Kean University, an MA in Special Education from Long Island University, a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from SUNY New Paltz, and a Certificate in WBL from Buffalo State University. Prior to entering the education field, Mrs. Danzig worked in the Commercial Printing Industry. Joining CTE has made her career journey come full circle. She is thrilled to be a part of CTE and work with students to realize their potential and aid in their future career goals.
Mrs. Danzig is a 2016 EDDY Award recipient from Rockland County School Boards Association, a Board Lifetime Achievement recipient from NYSSBA, a 2021 Champion of Education Award recipient from Senator Reichlin-Melnick, and a 2021 Commitment to Excellence award recipient from Rockland BOCES.
Mrs. Danzig resides in Rockland County with her husband and is the proud parent of two amazing children and the perfect dog.
Susan D’Angelo
Susan D’Angelo is the Business Teacher at Penn Yan Academy in Penn Yan NY. She grew up in Central NY and after earning her B.S. in Business from Siena College, moved to Boston where she spent several years working across various business sectors including e-commerce, marketing, and retail. During that time, she earned her MBA at Boston College and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Organizational Learning and Development.
She is new to the field of education and is excited to bring her expertise and prior work experience to the classroom. The opportunity to be part of this program is very exciting and she looks forward to networking with colleagues and gaining a more in-depth knowledge of the NYS CTE program and how to best bring new best practices to our students.
She is now living in Canandaigua, NY in the Finger Lakes.
Rachel Higbee
Rachel Higbee comes to the CTE world with 20 years of experience in the nursing world. She has done almost everything, from flying in a helicopter as a Flight Nurse to working her way up the ladder in a long-term care facility and becoming the Assistant Director of Nursing. She came back to the CTE world in 2018 to take over the Secondary Nurse Aide program at her alumni Wayne Technical and Career Center. At that time enrollment was way down, but she knew that this program could be so much more as there are so many opportunities for students in the secondary world that could and should be offered.
Over the next few years, she did a complete overhaul thus creating a one-of-a-kind program. Upon completing this two-year program, students potentially graduate with Patient Care Assistant, CPR, First Aide, OSHA 10, Home Health Aide, Certified Nurse Assistant, 120 hours of hands-on experience, and college credit as Bio 110 and English 101 are built into the senior year. After seniors have successfully passed their NA exam, they are then eligible to start the newest edition which is Patient Care Technician which is offered through the National HealthCareer Association. This allows students in-class acute care experience such as phlebotomy and obtaining EKGs.
Although it may seem like a lot, her students certainly don’t as her program has a 100% passing rate to date! She was also asked last year and again this year to speak at the National Consortium for Health Science Education regarding her program as well! On her off-time Rachel is an active member and President-Elect of the New Your State Health Science Educators Association (NYSHSEA) as well as a loving mother to her two beautiful children, a wife to a very supportive and understanding husband, and a fierce friend.
Rachel stands by her classroom mission statement; she is definitely taking the students of today and creating the medical professionals and team members of tomorrow.
Joni Makowiec
Joni has been in education since September of 1994. She spent the first 14 years of her career as a teacher before making the move into administration. As an administrator, she has held the roles of Assistant Principal, District Curriculum Coordinator, Director of Special Education, and her current role as Staff Development Coordinator for CTE and P-TECH within the Greater Southern Tier BOCES organization. During each step of her career, she has strived to continue to educate herself on the best practices to enrich the staff she works with, which will in turn have an impact on student learning.
CTE is a new component of education for her, and she is seeking opportunities like the Fellowship Program to grow her skill set. She can’t think of a better way to learn than by having the chance to work alongside fellow CTE educators! Through this experience, she will be able to provide the 85+ CTE educators in her region with the best practices and new information she learns.
The Fellowship program will also allow her to be involved in CTE professional organizations. These organizations will be another avenue for her to build her knowledge to provide the best support to teachers on the Greater Southern Tier BOCES campuses.
Kelynne Oristel
Kelynne Oristel is a highly experienced nurse and dedicated educator with over 20 years of exceptional service in the healthcare industry. Her remarkable journey has taken her from the bustling streets of Brooklyn, New York, to becoming a prominent figure in nursing education. With a profound commitment to nurturing future nursing professionals, Kelynne’s tireless efforts have significantly contributed to breaking down barriers and empowering students to overcome challenges on their path to career readiness.
Born and raised in the vibrant borough of Brooklyn, Kelynne’s early life experiences provided her with a firsthand understanding of the unique challenges urban students face in pursuing post-secondary education and embarking on successful careers. Armed with a deep sense of empathy and an unwavering determination to make a difference, she set out on a mission to address these challenges head-on.
Currently serving as the Nurse Administrator of the nursing programs at Clara Barton, Kelynne has proven herself as a visionary leader who understands the pulse of nursing education. With a legacy spanning 15 years in higher education, Kelynne’s teaching prowess has touched the lives of countless students. Her dynamic approach to pedagogy has not only imparted essential nursing skills but has also inspired the next generation of nursing professionals to strive for excellence.
Recognizing the need for change and diversity in her teaching career, Kelynne transitioned to teaching in a secondary nursing program. This move allowed her to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world nursing practice, enabling her to foster a deep understanding of the challenges students face as they navigate the transition to practical healthcare settings. Kelynne’s commitment to the nursing profession’s growth is underscored by her recognition of the prevailing nursing shortage and her unwavering dedication to addressing it.
Kelynne’s unique perspective and rich experiences have led her to identify a vital aspect of nursing education: the emotional intelligence of secondary students learning to care for adults in real-world scenarios. Her current research interest delves into this essential facet, aiming to enhance the emotional resilience and empathy of nursing students. By equipping these students with the necessary skills to handle the complexities of patient care, Kelynne is actively contributing to the evolution of nursing education and, subsequently, the quality of patient outcomes.
Travis Owens
Mr. Owens is a technology education teacher, currently teaching computer science at the 5th and 6th grade level. He has previously taught across the 4-12 levels over the past 16 years. He has been a coach, club, and class advisor, and currently works part-time as a basketball official, driver education instructor, and motorcoach driver. He resides in Westmoreland, NY with his wife and two little girls.
The NYSACTE Fellowship Program is sponsored by CTE Technical Assistance Center of NYS.
