Seton Hall Students Win NJ Distinguished Student Teacher Awards

The College of Education and Human Services at Seton Hall University is proud to announce that recent graduates Matthew Crilly of Wanaque, NJ, Megan Baumley of South Brunswick, NJ, and Luke LaChac of Sparta, NJ are recipients of the prestigious New Jersey Distinguished Student Teacher Award.

This annual award publicly recognizes the year’s 15 top graduates of teacher education programs in New Jersey’s colleges and universities. The recipients are selected by an esteemed panel of New Jersey educators.

“The selection of three Seton Hall graduates as part of the top 15 state distinguished student teachers is a testament to the high quality of students and faculty involved in our teacher education programs,” said Dean of the College of Education and Human Services Grace May.

“The combination of rigorous coursework and extensive clinical experiences, beginning in sophomore year, prepare our teacher candidates to serve all learners. We are extremely proud of Megan, Matt, and Luke,” she said.

Matthew Crilly graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education, with certifications in Elementary Education K-6, Social Studies K-12, and Teacher of Students with Disabilities K-12. Crilly completed his student teaching in a fourth grade inclusion classroom at Hamilton Intermediate School in Harrison, NJ. where he previously completed his 72 hour internship.

“Throughout both experiences, I was able to teach whole class and small group lessons that were designed to meet the diverse learning strengths and weaknesses of the students,” said Crilly.

Crilly was recently hired by the Harrison School District to teach, starting in the fall of 2015.

Megan Baumley graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education. Baumley was a student teacher at Monmouth Junction School in the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick, NJ.

“I was in a third grade inclusion classroom and loved it so much. It was a phenomenal experience. I couldn’t have asked for a better school, teacher, or class to be placed with,” said Baumley, “My students taught me something new each and every day.”

Baumley is planning to attend grad school in the fall.

Luke LaChac graduated with degrees in Secondary Education and History and a New Jersey Teaching Computer Technologies Certificate. LaChac was a student teacher in an eighth grade classroom at Columbia Middle School in Berkeley Heights, NJ.

“The experience itself was what I could make of it,” said LaChac. “With my cooperating teacher, the staff, and the students there, I was given more opportunities than I could imagine and seized every one of them.”

LaChac was a teacher chaperone and leader for the school’s ski club, peer leadership, and guitar club. LaChac will be teaching seventh grade Social Studies at Bernardsville Middle School starting in the fall of 2015.