West Orange Math Teacher Gets MIT Award

West Orange, NJ – West Orange High School Mathematics teacher Dara Brevard has received the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Inspirational Teacher Award for 2016.

According to a school news release, Brevard was nominated for the award by Isabel Kaspriskie, 2015 WOHS valedictorian, who is completing her freshman year at MIT and majoring in chemical engineering.

“I had [Brevard] for Honors Algebra II my sophomore year, and the fact that the lessons she taught me inside and outside of the classroom still influence my life on a daily basis shows just how great of a teacher I consider her to be,” Kaspriskie said.

“Many people find her classes tough, but she is fair, caring, and available to her students,” Kaspriskie added. “Her emphasis of perseverance and hard work is the most important lesson she teaches. She was and is still one of my role models, and I am thrilled that a person I admire so greatly is recognized.”

As part of her award recognition, Brevard will have access to resources from MIT, school officials stated.

“It’s an honor to receive this award,” Brevard said. “Isabel was an exceptional student who had many exceptional teachers. I am humbled that I inspire her so much. Each day I step into my classroom, my goal is to help students gain the tenacity, fortitude, and ethics they need to be successful not only in math, but in life. I challenge them because I want to help them reach their fullest potential. I truly love all of my students and am thankful to be a small part of their lives.”

Brevard isn’t the only local teacher to bring home the award. In 2013, Michael "Doc" Lawrence, longtime physics teacher at West Orange High School who retired in 2014 also received the MIT Inspirational Teacher Award.

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Photo courtesy of West Orange Public Schools