Axalta, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, and the Philadelphia Eagles honored 10 Delaware Valley teachers for their commitment to students, school and community.
Eva Porter, a ninth and 12th grade teacher at Cristo Rey High School and one of the 10 honorees, was selected as the 2019 Axalta All-Pro Teacher of the Year. Each of the 10 Axalta All-Pro Teachers received a donation toward continuing STEM initiatives, a personalized Eagles jersey and football, four tickets to an Eagles home game and an automatic nomination for the 2019 “Axalta All-Pro Teacher of the Year.” The 2019 teachers were honored by Axalta, the Philadelphia Eagles and past recipients at the Axalta All-Pro Teachers Awards Ceremony.
The fifth-annual Axalta All-Pro Teachers program, which kicked off earlier this year on National Teacher Appreciation Day, received hundreds of nominations from which 10 educators were chosen for their exceptional drive, innovative teaching methods and use of STEM education in the classroom.
“Axalta recognizes teachers for the foundational role they play in educating and inspiring future scientists, doctors, engineers and mathematicians to work hard and achieve their goals,” said Robert Ferris, Axalta’s vice president of corporate affairs. “We are proud to partner with the Philadelphia Eagles for our fifth-consecutive year of celebrating the outstanding teachers in the greater Philadelphia area who work tirelessly to provide their students with the best STEM education opportunities.”
As the 2019 Axalta All-Pro Teacher of the Year, Ms. Porter will receive additional funding and an Eagles-themed school pep rally to be held for the entire school before the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Eva was nominated by Cristo Rey Principal Flannery O’Connor who explained, “Overall, Mrs. Porter’s innovative teaching strategies improve student achievement in STEM fields, foster interest in STEM careers and increase the number of students who pursue STEM degrees in college. Rather than lecturing students about the subject matter, she provides them with opportunities to draw their own conclusions and increase their knowledge in STEM through trial and error, hands-on experiences and group work through her project-based learning curriculums, modeling real-life STEM fields.”
“We are grateful for the dedicated group of educators from the Philadelphia area who work each and every day to motivate their students and integrate the latest STEM technologies into their curriculum, so students can excel,” said Catherine Carlson Eagles Senior Vice President of Strategy and Revenue. “2019 marks the five-year anniversary of our partnership with Axalta, and we are proud to once again support a program that honors exceptional teachers from the Philadelphia area.”
The 2019 Axalta All-Pro Teachers are:
• Mark Samilenko, ninth and 10th grade teacher at Penncrest High School, Media, PA
• Leeanne Fox-Jones, sixth grade teacher at Julia R. Masterman School, Philadelphia, PA
• Emily Adeshigbin, K-eighth grade teacher at Thomas Mifflin School, Philadelphia, PA
• Greg Schanne, seventh grade teacher at Independence Charter School, Philadelphia, PA
• Cathy Justin, sixth grade teacher at Cinnaminson Middle School, Cinnaminson, NJ
• John Arent, sixth grade teacher at Gunning Bedford Middle School, New Castle, DE
• Aaron Righter, multi-grade teacher at Millville Senior High School, Millville, NJ
• Chris Goldberg, Ninth – 12th grade teacher at Norwood School, Norwood, PA
• Janene Hasan, seventh and eighth grade teacher at Southwark School, Philadelphia, PA
• Eva Porter, ninth and 12th grade teacher at Cristo Rey High School, Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia Eagles and Axalta annually celebrate outstanding fifth through 12th grade school teachers throughout the Greater Philadelphia region specializing in STEM education as part of the All-Pro Teachers Program. Axalta congratulates all of the 2019 Axalta All-Pro Teachers and encourages students and schools throughout the Delaware Valley to learn more about the Axalta All-Pro Teacher program here.
