Three University of Maryland College of Education alumni were honored as teacher mentors at the university’s Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars Program ceremony on November 7.
The program annually selects distinguished UMD seniors, each honoring a K-12 teacher mentor and a faculty mentor who shaped their academic path. This year, 18 seniors were selected as Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars. Before the ceremony, the teacher mentors attended a workshop with UMD faculty designed to strengthen collaboration between the university and K-12 schools.
Alexandra Atherton ’26, a government and politics and criminology and criminal justice double major, honored EdTerp Kristin Chu ’93, her fourth grade teacher at Gaithersburg Elementary School in Gaithersburg, Maryland, as her teacher mentor. At the ceremony, she recalled that constant childhood moves left her feeling “consumed by big emotions,” but her fourth grader teacher’s class was “one of the first times [she] found joy and comfort in learning.” As an aspiring counterextremism and counterterrosim researcher, Atherton said that Chu’s guidance allowed her love for learning to blossom and inspired her to seek out opportunities that challenge her.
“Her respect, care and passion for teaching not only made the classroom a safe and engaging space but also sparked a love of learning,” said Atherton. “With Ms. Chu’s support, guidance and compassion, I was able to refocus my attention and see education for what it is, a privilege.”
Chu is now a fifth grade teacher at Gaithersburg Elementary School.
Victoria Rush ’26, a marketing and operations management and business analytics major, selected EdTerp Ola Gerald M.Ed. ’19 as her teacher mentor. Gerald was Rush’s ninth grade U.S. history and 11th grade world history teacher at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland, where she taught for four years. She has since transitioned to serve as the social studies education specialist at the Federal Circuit Center for Innovation and Law at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
At the ceremony, Rush credited Gerald for inspiring her love for history and deep appreciation for “the power of education and what it truly means to connect with an educator.”
“It was such an honor to be recognized as a part of her journey,” said Gerald. “Victoria was in my first class I ever taught as a new teacher, then I taught her again during COVID as a junior. Having freshmen and then seeing them come back to visit year after year is amazing. The things I saw in them as ‘fresh faces’ always blossomed.”
Roman Lakner ’25, an information science major, chose EdTerp Glenn Stergar ’88, his sophomore and junior year IT Networking Academy (Cisco Academy) instructor at North Point High School in Waldorf, Maryland.
“Mr. Stergar’s mentorship helped me discover my passion for information technology and security through his unique teaching style, field experience and emphasis on career development,” said Lakner. “He saw the potential in me and my classmates, continuously challenging us and pushing us to obtain industry-level certifications.”
Stergar taught in Charles County Public Schools for 39 years and retired in 2022. In his role as an IT Networking Academy (Cisco Academy) instructor, Stergar diligently prepared high school students with the professional skills to pursue quality academic and professional opportunities. His encouraging presence in the classroom earned him a previous recognition as a teacher mentor by a Merrill Scholar in 2023-24.
