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2 suburban educators receive presidential award

Two suburban educators have been honored with the national Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Among the 108 winners announced Wednesday by President Barack Obama were Darshan Jain, director of mathematics at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, and former Cary-Grove High School physics instructor Rebecca Vieyra.

Jain said the award is a reflection of great colleagues and students he's been around at Stevenson.

"I'm deeply honored and humbled," he said. "It's well beyond anything I would have expected or imagined."

Stevenson High spokesman Jim Conrey praised Jain for the achievement and said it was well deserved.

"Darshan is very passionate about mathematics," Conrey said. "He lives and breathes it."

It's not the first time Jain has received a high honor for his teaching. In 2010, he was one of 10 Chicago-area teachers to receive the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Jain, a former project engineer from Hawthorn Woods, has been at Stevenson since 2004. He received his master's degree from the University of Illinois-Chicago the same year.

Before becoming an administrator, Jain was known for creating a classroom atmosphere that engages students in something more than just learning math facts. He was lauded by Golden Apple judges for recognizing a need for mutual camaraderie in his classroom.

Vieyra, 29, is serving as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C.

"I'm flattered and honored to have received it," she said of the presidential honor. "It's not just about the award. It's about the high standards."

Vieyra taught juniors and seniors at Cary-Grove for six years. She took a professional leave of absence after being accepted for the fellowship.

At NASA, her role is to provide consultation on educational topics, help develop educational ideas and assist in outreach.

"The idea is to get federal experience so we can see education policy in action," she said.

Though it wasn't planned, Vieyra resigned her teaching job at Cary-Grove in May to become the new K-12 program manager for the American Association of Physics Teachers near Washington, D.C.

"This is sort of the dream job I had never dreamed about because it didn't exist," she said. "It was important for me to expand my classroom ... to really impact students through other high schoolteachers."

This year's Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching has representatives from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity school. A panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians and educators select the winners after initial state-level elimination process.

Winners will receive a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion. They also will be invited to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony along with visits with members of Obama's administration.

"These teachers are shaping America's success through their passion for math and science," Obama said in a statement. "Their leadership and commitment empower our children to think critically and creatively about science, technology, engineering, and math. The work these teachers are doing in our classrooms today will help ensure that America stays on the cutting edge tomorrow."

Science and mathematics teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade are eligible for the award.

Former Cary-Grove High School physics instructor Rebecca Vieyra has won a national Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
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