2012-13 Award Recipients
We are pleased to announce the 2012–13 award honorees in the Middle States region.
The AP® Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated significant involvement with the AP Program, including AP coordinators, administrators, counselors, Pre-AP® teachers and AP teachers.
Our 2012-13 recipients:
Charles Sampson, Superintendent of Schools, Freehold Regional High School District, N.J.
Charles Sampson has maintained his steadfast devotion to academic rigor since assuming the role of superintendent of New Jersey’s largest high school district. His high expectations of students, his commitment to equity and access, and his focus on measurable benchmarks for improvement have strengthened the AP program across the district, which serves 12,000 students in six high schools. His commitment to excellence and refusal to accept the status quo resulted in the district’s recognition as an AP Honor Roll district in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, he championed the establishment of the district’s AP Summer Bridge program, which prepared an additional 350 students for success in their first AP courses.
Kathy Schaffer, English Teacher and AP Coordinator, Garrison Forest School, Owings Mills, Md.
Kathy Schaffer demonstrates an unwavering commitment to the successful implementation of the AP program at the Garrison Forest School. She assumed the position of AP Coordinator after a former colleague passed away. To ensure that the students’ opportunity for participation and success in the AP program was not compromised by these tragic circumstances, Kathy stepped in to provide program leadership. She manages all aspects of the program, promotes professional development and continues to serve as an English teacher and academic and class advisor. This teacher is a true leader and a primary contributor to student achievement at her school.
The William U. Harris Award of Excellence recognizes an individual from a College Board member institution who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership skills in the field of education; a record of service that has inspired, prepared and connected young people to college; and a genuine commitment to mentoring education leaders in an environment that supports their development and growth.
Our 2012-13 honoree:
Michael Bell, Art Department Chair and AP Art Teacher, Southern High School, Harwood, Md.
When Michael Bell began working at Southern High School in 1994, the art department consisted of two full-time teachers. Since then, thanks to his influence on the arts in the school and community, the department has grown to five members. Because of his arts advocacy, students have access to a variety of rigorous art courses. The most telling examples of his accomplishments are the triumphs of his students. In both 2010 and 2011, the National Art Education Association (NAEA) honored one of Michael’s high school students with its National Rising Star award, given to only one student in the country each year. Michael has won several prestigious awards and is an accomplished artist in his own right. His many achievements include recognition as the Maryland Art Education Association Teacher of the Year (2002) and the Anne Arundel County Teacher of the Year (2005). In addition, he has been commissioned to paint several notable portraits, including actors from The Sopranos and CSI: Miami.
The Bernard P. Ireland Recognition Award recognizes an individual with a commitment to improving humanity through education, who demonstrates a record of service to young people in the easing of the transition from high school to college, and who distinguishes him- or herself as a change agent in his or her constituency.
Our 2012-13 honoree:
William Schilling, Director (Retired), Student Financial Aid, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.
Bill Schilling has dedicated over 40 years to the student financial aid department at the University of Pennsylvania. He has held numerous leadership roles in the field of financial aid, including serving on the Department of Education’s National Appeals Panel, the Ad Hoc Committee on Financial Aid and the PASFAA Government Relations Committee. He has also served as a member of the College Board Task Force on College Access for Students from Low-Income Backgrounds, chaired the College Scholarship Service Assembly and serves as a College Board Trustee. His many achievements serve as testament to his accomplished career and his devotion to ensuring that a college education is accessible to all students. He has been a champion for the use of need-based financial aid as crucial in providing students who would not otherwise be able to afford it with an opportunity to attend college.