Eastside College Preparatory School Teacher Honored as 'Symetra Hero in the Classroom'

Symetra, Wells Fargo and the San Francisco 49ers honored Eastside College Preparatory School teacher Marianne Chowning-Dray as a “Symetra Hero in the Classroom” on Oct. 28, 2014 during a surprise classroom presentation. Chowning-Dray teaches high school mathematics at the East Palo Alto school for grades 6–12.

“Marianne Chowning-Dray joined Eastside several years ago to further develop our high school math program. Thanks to her experience and expertise, we were able to add a higher level of math at each grade level. In fact, adding Marianne to our faculty was the single most important move we’ve made to better prepare our students for competitive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) majors in college,” said Chris Bischof, the founder and current principal of Eastside College Preparatory School. “More importantly, Marianne has helped students thrive in our math classes at Eastside. Her passion for the subject has helped her students develop a love for math.” Bischof nominated Chowning-Dray for the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom® award.

“Marianne is one of the finest teachers I have ever met and has become a wonderful mentor to many of our faculty members. One of the things I appreciate most about her is her passion for teaching math. She is always thinking about her profession and seeking ways to improve her teaching,” said Bischof. “Marianne exemplifies that we should always try to continue to learn and improve what we do regardless of how well we may already do it. She is a role model for Eastside’s students and teachers.”

Chowning-Dray is one of 16 K–12 teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area who will be honored for educational excellence in the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom program during the 2014 NFL season. Teachers are recognized in front of their students and peers at surprise in-school presentations, and they receive a $1,000 donation for classroom books and supplies. In addition, they receive tickets to a 49ers home game and a special pre-game experience at Levi’s Stadium. Chowning-Dray will be recognized at the Nov. 2 game against the St. Louis Rams.

Teachers may be nominated by their principal, district staff, student or student’s parent. The winners are selected based on their ability to make a real difference in students’ lives; to go above and beyond in their day-to-day responsibilities; and to help students build life skills.

More information about Symetra Heroes in the Classroom is available at www.SymetraHeroes.com/49ers.

About Symetra
Symetra Financial Corporation (NYSE: SYA) is a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Wash. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent agents and advisors. For more information, visit www.symetra.com.