iSchool alumna and current middle school teacher, Dr. Casey Yu, was recently nominated for the Glenn-Howell award. The Glenn-Howell award is presented to a public-school educator who makes a significant impact in the lives of minority students. Dr. Yu was nominated by faculty at Cobb Middle School in Tallahassee, Florida, where she teaches elective technology courses and advises the student yearbook. She and nominees from other schools will go on to complete an interview with members of the Leon County School District who will choose the final recipient of the award.

Dr. Yu began her teaching career as a Teaching Assistant for Professor Ebe Randeree in FSU’s iSchool. “His camaraderie with students in class and method of keeping up to date with the fast-changing pace of technology served as a standard by which I strive to teach my students,” she says. She went on to have more hands-on teaching experiences throughout her doctoral assistantships where she created curriculum and worked one-on-one with a diverse group of students at the collegiate level. She also spent time teaching computer science in the School of Business at North South University in Dhaka, Bangladesh, an experience that she says helped prepare her for her role at Cobb.

“One of my passions in my personal and professional career has been to serve as a positive role model and an educator for underrepresented students. Receiving this award from my colleagues means the world to me,” Dr. Yu says. “Being nominated as a finalist is a huge honor and I strive to continue to work my best on behalf of the students at Cobb.”