Anthony Tedaldi ‘10C, ‘14G
St. John’s Alumnus Receives Second Prestigious Fellowship
After receiving a prestigious Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship in 2014, Anthony Tedaldi ’10C, ’14G went on to distinguish himself once again as a rising leader in education: he was chosen by the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) this spring to join its 2016 cohort of teaching fellows.
“Thousands of people applied,” said Mr. Tedaldi, who earned the KSTF award along with 33 other early-career math and science teachers. “When I got the phone call that I was selected, I felt like I was a winning contestant on American Idol. It was one of the best days of my life.”
The KSTF Teaching Fellows Program awards five-year teaching fellowships to exceptional young men and women, empowering them to become prominent agents of educational improvement. Reaching thousands of students each year, the fellows assume leadership roles to improve mathematics and science education in the classroom while striving to strengthen the teaching profession nationwide.
According to the foundation, nearly 80 percent of jobs created in the next decade will require STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) proficiency that current K‒12 students aren’t achieving.
“Students lose interest in STEM subjects because they don’t realize they’re actually doing science every day,” Mr. Tedaldi said. “When they get up in the morning, they choose their clothes, they select things that look and feel good, and that fit well. They need to become excited by well-trained teachers who can explain how even getting dressed for the day is actually a scientific method.”
As part of the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship, Mr. Tedaldi received full tuition remission to earn a M.A. in Educational Studies from the University of Michigan in 2015. In addition, he made a three-year commitment to teach STEM subjects at a high-need secondary school.
“The Woodrow Wilson Fellowship aligned with my beliefs that high-need students deserve great educators,” Tedaldi said. Today, he teaches at Belleville High School, in the Ann Arbor, MI, area. “I’ve learned so much from my students. They’ve helped me understand life from a different perspective.”
Because KSTF stipulates that applicants should be currently teaching STEM subjects, Mr. Tedaldi can continue to work at Belleville. “The two fellowships dovetail nicely,” he noted, “and that’s what gave me the inspiration to apply.”
KSTF teaching fellows gain access to comprehensive benefits for five years, including summer stipends, funds for professional development, grants for teaching materials, mentoring and support from experienced teachers and teacher educators, and membership in a community of more than 300 like-minded peers in 40 states.
The Brooklyn, NY, native credits his SJU education with his continued success. “I only applied to one college because I wanted to be at St. John’s,” he said. “My professors here simply embodied greatness. They challenged me, made me think, and made me the type of teacher I am today.”
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