Two University of Maryland College of Education alums were honored as teacher mentors at the university’s Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars Program ceremony on November 1. The program selects outstanding UMD seniors every year, and in turn, each of the scholars chooses to recognize one K–12 teacher mentor and one faculty mentor who have profoundly shaped the student’s life and academic career. This year, 18 seniors were chosen as Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars.
Yuri Kim ’25, a hearing and speech sciences major and linguistics minor, chose to honor EdTerp Bryan Goehring ’90, her seventh grade biology teacher at Takoma Park Middle School, as her teacher mentor. At the ceremony, she recalled how he branded biology exams “celebrations of learning” and constructed elaborate forensics “crime scenes” as hands-on learning opportunities for students. Kim, who aspires to be an audiologist (a clinician focused on hearing and balance disorders), said that as her biology teacher and advisor for Difference Makers, the school’s service learning club, Goehring sparked her interest in life sciences as well as her passion for service.
“[Mr. Goehring] encouraged me to run for president of the club because he saw potential in me. Being president of this club absolutely changed the trajectory of my life: I learned so much about serving the school [and] local community and leading an organization. And through his example, I learned about kindness, sincerity and compassion,” said Kim. “I still use his advice and his example to lead organizations that further the causes I am passionate about.”
Goehring, who has been teaching for 34 years and now teaches seventh and eighth grade science at St. Ignatius Loyola Academy in Baltimore, remarked, “[Yuri] was impacting the lives of others in middle school so I was not surprised at her success. I was humbled that she wanted to recognize me as a person who helped her along the way. I have had a very magical career because of students like Yuri. … My life is better because of them.”
EdTerp Avi Silber M.A. ’12 was selected as a teacher mentor by Lora Abuobaid ’25, a chemistry major and health, humanities, and medicine minor.
Silber was Abuobaid’s honors chemistry and advanced molecular biology teacher at Northwest High School in Germantown, Maryland. He also coordinated Northwest’s Academy of Biotechnology, where Abuobaid served as an officer.
At the Merrill Scholars Program ceremony, Abuobaid, who plans to become a physician, recalled, “[Mr. Silber’s] passion for chemistry was infectious, and his teaching style was engaging and fun. He incorporated songs and hands-on activities that I still remember today. Mr. Silber also mentored me, assisting with internship searches and providing me with networking and leadership opportunities.”
“It was an incredible honor to be picked by Lora,” said Silber, who has been teaching for 13 years and currently teaches music technology, molecular biotechnology and honors chemistry at Northwest. “Each class is kind of like an experiment, where we change the SOP [standard operating procedure] ever so slightly in changing the curriculum or tools we use. But getting to know the students long term and see where they end up is like a longitudinal study, and that’s the coolest ever.”
Named for the university supporter and Washington-area publisher, the Merrill Presidential Scholars Program highlights the importance of mentorship and provides stipends to the teachers and faculty. The program also brings teachers and faculty together in a workshop that leads to stronger collaboration between the university and K–12 schools. The Merrill Presidential Scholars Program builds a community of scholars, faculty members and K–12 teachers who recognize and celebrate the importance of teaching and mentoring the next generation.
Top photo: Philip Merrill Presidential Scholar Yuri Kim '25 (second from left) with (from left to right) teacher mentor EdTerp Bryan Goehring '90, faculty mentor Sarah Sohns and UMD President Darryll J. Pines
Bottom photo: Philip Merrill Presidential Scholar Lora Abuobaid '25 (second from left) with (from left to right) teacher mentor EdTerp Avi Silber M.A. ’12, faculty mentor Kimberly Paczolt and UMD President Darryll J. Pines
