Wall resident named Monmouth County Educator of the Year

WALL TOWNSHIP — Sara Mazzone, an English teacher and Wall Township resident, was named Monmouth County’s Educator of the Year by the state department of education (NJDOE) last week.

The state selected a teacher from all 21 counties last week, with an in-person ceremony at The College of New Jersey on Aug. 7. Mazzone attended, along with Red Bank Regional High School Superintendent Louis Moore and her high school’s principal, Julius Clark.

“There are so many incredible educators across the state who are doing amazing things with and for their students each and every day, many of whom are never recognized formally with any title or award,” Mazzone told The Coast Star. “I’m humbled and honored to be chosen to represent our great county this year, and I’m excited to network with fellow educators across the state and bring back opportunities for my fellow colleagues and students at Red Bank Regional.”

Mazzone said she has been dedicated to teaching her entire life. She graduated from Wall High School in 2004, earned a bachelor’s degree in English and education from Monmouth University, a master’s degree in English and a doctorate in educational leadership from Rowan University.

Growing up in Wall Township as the daughter of a plumber and engineer, Mazzone said, she used both parents’ skill sets to pursue her love for reading and writing, as well as motivation from her grandmother.

“‘School is your job,’ that’s what my grandmother would say to me when she would send me off to school in the mornings as a child.  Education was always a top priority in our home, and my family served as my first teachers, sometimes in unconventional ways. My grandmother instilled in me a love of reading, and my parents encouraged my passion for the visual arts,” she said. “I learned from an early age the power of interdisciplinarity, how skills were transferable to other aspects of our lives. I learned the value of committing oneself to learning and to not judge someone’s perceived skills based on narrowly defined roles or job titles.”

Mazzone said, “In high school, my AP English teacher, Robyn Dyba, and my art teacher, Mychelle Kendrick, not only encouraged both my love of the written and visual arts, but also showed me how I could incorporate both of my passions into my future career. Mrs. Dyba encouraged me to discuss and analyze the visual and spatial elements in written texts, and Ms. Kendrick showed me the inherent power of storytelling through images. The classroom was an exciting and engaging place…where my creativity was embraced and my different skills and interests were welcomed.”

This is an excerpt of the print article. For more on this story, read The Coast Star —on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.

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