NBCT Presenters

Sharon Dudley is a blind National Board Certified Teacher who currently teaches kindergarten at Rogers Heights Elementary School in Prince George’s County. She has over 25 years of teaching experience and four teaching certifications. Sharon has mentored other NBCT candidates, all of who achieved certification on their first attempts.

Maya Lars has enjoyed numerous roles with Prince George’s County Public Schools including classroom teacher, Reading Recovery teacher, school test coordinator, instructional lead teacher, national board mentor teacher, continuing professional development facilitator, and reading specialist. She received her National Board Certification in Early and Middle Childhood Literacy- RELA in 2008 and renewed in 2017.

Mrs. Denise Austin is a National Board Certified Teacher currently serving in her second year as an Assistant Principal at Rogers Heights Elementary. She has almost 30 years of teaching experience at the Elementary level as a classroom teacher, ESOL teacher, and department chairperson. She has also provided district-wide and school-wide professional development and taught University and Continuing Professional Development courses. Her motto is, “I AM NOT A TEACHER, BUT AN AWAKENER.”—ROBERT FROST.

Dr. Rainya P. Miller currently serves as the National Board Certified Teacher Coordinator for Prince George’s County Public Schools. She has taught in Prince George’s for 26 years in the capacity of Head Start Educator, Preschool Educator, Kindergarten Educator, First Grade Educator and Continuing Professional Development Liaison to MSDE. Rainya has served as a PGCEA Board of Director Member at Large, Professional Development and Leadership Committee Co-Chair, MSEA Leadership and Development Committee Member, MSEA Strategic Planning Committee Member, Endorsement team member, and Government Relations member. She has lobbied on Annapolis, marched for Education and continues to be a advocate for school change and professional reform.

Katria Kuzmowycz is an elementary school Vocal and General Music teacher at Kenilworth Elementary School in Bowie, MD. Katria received her National Board Certification in Early/Middle Childhood Music in 2015. Additionally, she earned an Orff-Schulwerk Level I Certificate from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 2014. She is passionate about teaching the whole child and using the Orff methodology, which uses chants, rhymes, drama, movement, and literature to teach music, simulating a child’s world of play. She has presented workshops for the county’s music department and local Orff-Schulwerk chapters.

Emily Chavez is a National Board Certified Teacher in English as a New Language. She has a graduate certificate in Bilingual Special Education and a Master of Arts degree in English Language Teaching. She is currently pursuing her Doctoral Studies in Educational Management. She is an Elementary ESOL teacher with more than 25 years of teaching experience.

Elzora Watkins is a graduate of Pennsylvania State and Johns Hopkins Universities. She is currently working on her doctorate in Mathematics Education at Morgan State University. Elzora achieved National Boards Certification in Young Adult Mathematics in 2006 and 2016. She is currently a high school numeracy coach in Prince George’s County Public School.

Belle-ange Mbayu is a graduate from George Washington University. She achieved her National Board Certification in Early Adolescence Mathematics in 2010 and renewed in 2019. Belle- Ange Mbayu taught in Prince George's County Public Schools for 16 years and is currently a middle school Numeracy Coach. She mentors National Board candidates. Mrs. Mbayu received the Greenbelt ACE (Advisory Committee on Education) award in 2016 .

Richard Lasken is an ESOL teacher at a K-6 elementary school who specializes in working with newcomers....or students who are new to the United States arriving without English. He has also explored the cultures his students come from, having spent time in over 60 countries. He has taught for PGCPS for 20 years, serving the first six years as a special educator.

Senetria Blocker is a National Board Certified Teacher with over 30 years of experience as an educator. Currently, she is an OPLL Mentor Teacher working with novice PGCPS Educators. In addition to mentoring Ms. Blocker serves as a Continuing Professional Development, serves as an Arbinger facilitator, National Board mentor, and cohort leader. She also an adjunct professor at Prince George's Community College.

Tyra Jenkins is 22 year veteran in the Prince George’s County Public School System. During her tenure as an educator, she has taught English Language Arts for grades 9-12, Drama 1 and 2, Speech 1, Research Skills, and SAT Prep English. Tyra is not a stranger to hard work! Tyra enjoys supporting teachers, working collaboratively with others to enhance her skills, and learning and sharing new strategies that will actively engage students. Her work as a teacher leader includes but is not limited to serving as the English Department teacher coordinator, G3 Teacher Leader, visionary and facilitator for the G3 New Teacher Support Academy at her high school, and collaborator with the Instructional Lead Team.

Thomas Pierre is a National Board Certified Music Teacher in Prince George's County Public Schools, holds Orff Schulwerk Music Educator certification, and is a 2020 CMA Music Teachers of Excellence National Award recipient. Other awards include: DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Teaching, The Kennedy Center Changing Education Through the Arts Certificate of Study, The Maryland Music Educators Association Outstanding Music Educator, and quarterfinalist for the 2019 GRAMMY Music Educator Award. Mr. Pierre has led workshops on a national, state and local level providing support to children and adults that aid in closing the achievement gap in urban education through arts education and arts integration.

Talitha Simeona-Stewart currently serves as a mentor teacher for the Office Professional Learning and Leadership. She served as a Middle School RELA teacher, Department Chair, Professional Development Lead Teacher, Intel Teach for the Future Master Teacher and Instructor for the Continuing Professional Development Department. She has also served on the Teaching Diverse Students Initiative Literacy Advisory Board for the Teaching Tolerance Project.

Grand Pacheco is currently a Special Education Resource Teacher and the Department Chairperson at International High School at Largo. He is a National Board Certified Teacher in Exceptional Needs and has taught students with varying disabilities from Pre-K to 12th Grade. He has served as a grade-level team leader, presenter, and National Board mentor.

Heather Anglin is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University, McDaniel College, Walden University and the University of the West Indies. She received her National Board Certification in Early Adolescent Science in 2009 and was recertified in 2018.She currently holds an EdS in Teacher Leadership and is a Doctoral candidate in STEM education at Morgan State University, as well as a current nominee for Middle Level Science Teachers Association (MLSTA) Board of Directors. She also teaches seventh grade science.

Mbulwa Musyoki is Math Special Educator at Prince George’s County Public Schools. She received her Master’s in Special Education- Emotional Impairment at Eastern Michigan University. She is dual identified in Math & Reading and is a NBCT Exceptional Needs Specialist. She is currently working on her Administrator 1 Certification & regularly attends and presents in local, state and national conferences.

Mrs. Maricel Bustos is an IEP Chairperson at Gaywood Elementary. In 2012, she achieved her National Board Certification in the area of Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood Through Young Adulthood. She joined PGCPS in 2014 with decades of teaching experience.

Dr. Rose Mary Bunag is a Consulting Teacher from the Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) Program of the Office of Employee Performance, Division of HR. She has more than 30 years of teaching experience inclusive of public education and higher education. In 2012, she achieved her National Board Certification in the area of Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood Through Young Adulthood.

Jessica McNeal is a graduate of Kent State University majoring in Early Childhood Education, and she has a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a second Master’s Degree in Teacher Leadership. She received her National Board Certification in 2011 as an Early Childhood Generalist. She has worked for Prince George’s County Public Schools for the last 16 years as a kindergarten teacher, English Language Learning Teacher, and currently serves as a Peer Assistance and Review Consulting Teacher for the Office of Employee Performance. In this capacity, she mentors nontenured educators to improve their pedagogy in their classrooms.

Sarah Barias is a visionary leader as she plays the role of Reading Specialist of Panorama Elementary School. She graduated her Doctoral Degree in Educational Management in July 2018 at Philippine Women’s University. She achieved her National Board Certification in 2014 in the area of Literacy: Reading-Language Arts for Early and Middle Childhood. Aside from being the Reading Specialist, she mentors new teachers, conducts professional development workshops, and plans with the Leadership team in the school. She has worked for Prince George’s County Public Schools for 15 years.

Roxanne Dela Cerna has been an educator for 33 years with a Master degree in Mathematics. She is currently connected at Lamont ES as a 3rd Grade teacher and the Grade Level Chairperson. She handles Robotics Coding after school programs for 4th and 5th Grade students. She serves as a mentor teacher for new teachers at Lamont ES. She received her NBCT last 2017 in Early Childhood Generalist.

Jennifer Palo has several FIRSTs attached to her as an educator of 12 years at Thomas Stone ES. She was the first National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT) passer in 2017, certified in Exceptional Needs. She was the first Christa McAuliffe Finalist in 2016; the first Teacher of The Year (TOTY) Finalist in 2018; and, the first Certified Teacher Leader sponsored by G3 grant in May 2021. She is proud to bring pride to a Title 1 school with 85% poverty and 70% English Language Learners rate. She said that what she does is bring greatness from doing ordinary things extraordinarily!

Montessa Lee currently works as a mentor teacher with the Office of Professional Learning and Leadership. She is a nationally board-certified teacher, with an expertise in teaching students with exceptional needs. Throughout her tenure with Prince George’s County Public Schools, Montessa has been a department chair and served as a special education teacher in an elementary resource position and a middle school autism program. Montessa currently coaches and develops talent in educators new to the profession as a mentor teacher.

Andrea Burrell is a passionate and driven educator of 20 years. Throughout her career, she has held several leadership roles in Prince George's County Public Schools. She is currently a Special Education Instructional Specialist with Prince George's County Public Schools who creates, plans, facilitates, coaches, and monitors the professional learning of district personnel charged with educating students with disabilities. Andrea is also a certified Social-Emotional Learning Facilitator and yoga instructor who is passionate about others' well-being.

Samantha Bardoe is a graduate of Barnard College and Syracuse University. She received her National Board Certification in Early Childhood in 2018 and was a 2019 Washington Post Teacher of the Year Finalist.

Jessica Olfus certified as a NBCT in 2018 in English as New Language. She has attended and worked at Prince George's County Public Schools for the past twenty three years. Go Wildcats! She currently works at Beltsville Academy as an ESOL teacher and was once an ESOL student herself. Mrs. Olfus juggles a husband, 3 sons and mentoring NBCT candidates & University of MD teacher candidates.

Joy Bradley is an accomplished Kindergarten Teacher. She teaches at Beltsville Academy and currently serves in a leadership position as the Grade Level Chair. Mrs. Bradley certified as a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Childhood Generalist in 2017. She mentors teachers seeking National Board Certification and leads professional developments in Social Emotional Learning, Technology Innovations and Accomplished Teaching.

Emma Mateo is a mom to 3 sweet kids. She loves to read, sing, organize and do home interior designing. She is currently celebrating her 20th year as a special educator. She is now assigned to a co-taught Pre-K Early Childhood Program in PGCPS. She is completing her Masters degree in SPED with emphasis on Developmental Disabilities & Autism in UMD. She renewed her NB certification in 2018. She has been blessed to be one of the Arkansas’ State Teacher of the Year finalists in 2016.

Adebisi Babayemi M. Ed. is a graduate of Croydon College (UK), University of Leeds(UK), and Coppin State University. She started her career with PGCPS as a Special Educator serving 3-6th grade students. She now teaches ESOL students in 3rd-6th grade. Bisi received an Exceptional Needs Specialist Certification in 2015.

Caren McCalla, M. Ed. is a graduate of Howard University and Bowie State University. Started her career in education as an elementary classroom teacher. She has served in PGCPS as an elementary, middle and currently high school School Counselor at the Academy of Health Sciences @ Prince George’s Community College. She received her Initial Certification in 2008 and Renewal in 2018 in Early Childhood Young Adult School Counseling.

Alma Estavillo, M. Ed. is a graduate of Philippine Normal University. In the USA, she started teaching as an Exchange Special Education teacher from K-12 in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, NC, in 2006. Alma moved to PGCPS in 2011 as an Early Childhood Special Educator until now. She is also an active University of Maryland & Adventist Washington University student teacher mentor. She received the Exceptional Needs Specialist Certification in 2016.

Cherry Sibulo, M. Ed. is a graduate of University of Nueva Caceres, Philippines. She’s been in the private and public schools in the Philippines and moved to Prince George’s County Public Schools in 2007 as an elementary school teacher. She became a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Childhood in 2016 and a mentor teacher.