University of Connecticut alumna, Kiana Foster-Mauro, received the 2024 Connecticut Teacher of the Year award and recently submitted her application for National Teacher of the Year.
Foster-Mauro graduated from UConn with a bachelor of science in elementary education in 2020, and her masters in curriculum and instruction in 2021. Currently, she is a fourth grade teacher at Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School in New London.
In her third year of teaching, Foster-Mauro received the prestigious state award. She explained her process of applying for the award, which began in her school district when she was selected as District Teacher of the Year at the end of last school year. Over the summer, she worked on her application for State Teacher of the Year, which included additional essay questions and letters of recommendation.
In the early fall, she was named as one of the 16 semifinalists, out of nearly 100 teachers applicants, and went to Hartford for an interview with the council. Once she passed that round, she was notified that she was a finalist, which meant site visits for her classroom evaluations. A week later, she said she was notified that she had been selected and had to keep it a secret until the state officially announced the award.
“We are grateful to have a hardworking educator like Ms. Foster-Mauro teaching in our public schools,” Gov. Lamont said in a press release. “She embodies the qualities needed to prepare students for success throughout their lives.”
Foster-Mauro said she always knew she wanted to be a teacher and has always loved being in environments where learning is celebrated. She added that her favorite part about teaching is the kids she is able to see everyday.
“The kids are really the best part and why I do what I do every single time, to see the joy in their faces and a determination and their care for others,” Foster-Mauro said. “And their desire to learn and then seeing those moments where the lightbulb goes off and the magic and learning really starts for them. That’s what I love about it.”
The kids are really the best part and why I do what I do every single time, to see the joy in their faces and a determination and their care for others. And their desire to learn and then seeing those moments where the lightbulb goes off and the magic and learning really starts for them. That’s what I love about it.
Kiana Foster-Mauro, recipient the 2024 Connecticut Teacher of the Year award
She explained how she was honored to receive the award, and credits her success to her educational journey at UConn.
“The experiences I was able to have through UConn, the courses that I was able to take, the professors I learned from, and then even my peers [who] taught me some of the best lessons and working alongside them,” Foster-Mauro said.
She added that the first-year experience course she took with advisors Dominique Battle-Lawson and Mia Hines shaped her experiences with UConn Neag School of Education, allowing her to get involved right away as a freshman. Both advisors also introduced her to the Leadership in Diversity (LID), a student-led organization, which she said changed the course of her career and her experiences at UConn.
“With LID I was able to really advocate for things in education that I was passionate about, specifically around diversifying in the field of education, both in terms of what we teach, the curriculum and making sure all students and all identities and important topics are represented within that,” Foster-Mauro said.
She also said she was able to obtain a lot of knowledge and experience when she went to study abroad in Costa Rica through Neag, which allowed her to step out of her comfort zone.
“I was for the first time in a space where I was not speaking the dominant language,” Foster-Mauro said, “And so that was another experience that kind of pushed me to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, which I think is really important in this career…because everyday is a new challenge.”
She said she has taken what she has learned at UConn, and applied it to the work she is doing in her district, such as her involvement in her district’s Equity Leadership Team, and her work nationally as a member of the National Association for Multicultural Education.
“We are beyond thrilled to highlight and honor Ms. Foster-Mauro,” Dr. Cynthia Ritchie, superintendent of New London Public Schools, said in the state press release. “She is an exemplary teacher, role-model for our students, and an integral part of the New London Public School community who ignited a passion for learning among all.”
The Connecticut Teacher of the Year is decided each year by the Connecticut Teacher of the Year Council, a group of former receipts and representatives from educational organizations, businesses and the community. Each state is a part of the Council of Chief State School Officers, which oversees the entire program and chooses the National Teacher of the Year.
Foster-Mauro recently submitted her application for National Teacher of the Year, representing Connecticut as one of 55 applicants nationally. Looking toward the future, Foster-Mauro plans to go back to school to get her doctorate connecting education with human rights.
“I love the kids that I work with. I love my colleagues. So I am really grateful to be able to be part of this community here and doing the work that I do,” she said.