National Federation of the Blind Celebrates Teachers of Tomorrow
2024-25 Cohort of Innovative Program Kicks off at NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland (September 24, 2024): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is proud to introduce the members of the 2024-25 cohort of the NFB Teachers of Tomorrow Program. The goal of the program is to help teachers of blind students gain a real connection to the lived experiences of blind people through the National Federation of the Blind, the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans, and to help them recognize the incredible value that blind mentors provide for these teachers and for their students. The program is free to participants thanks to a partnership between the National Federation of the Blind and the Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation. Over the next several months, the teachers will engage in virtual and in-person activities focused on topics including the tools and techniques used by blind people in everyday life, the best strategies for teaching Braille, and how to help blind students succeed in STEM subjects.
“Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because it is low expectations that create obstacles between blind people and our dreams,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “This program is helping teachers of blind students to raise expectations and encourage their students to dream big, as well as connecting them and their students with a network of blind people who can provide mentorship and support. We look forward to collaborating with this new cohort of teachers and to seeing the positive effects they will have on blind children and youth, their families, and the education system.”
Meet the members of the new Teachers of Tomorrow cohort in their own words:
Wendy Bailey
I live in Princeton, West Virginia. I work for the West Virginia Outreach Center for the Deaf and Blind as a K-12 Outreach Specialist for Blind/Low Vision. I provide training, mentoring, and other services to West Virginia school districts that serve students who are blind or have low vision. I love my job, and one of my biggest passions is helping individuals build and develop important independent life skills through the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC). In my spare time, I like to travel and go hiking.
Genevieve Barnes
Hello! I am sighted and live in Indianapolis, Indiana. I was born and raised in the United Kingdom. I moved to the States for college and spent nine years teaching in Uganda. I am a passionate Unified English Braille (UEB) Braillist and a rusty ASL signer! My current caseload of blind students ranges from age sixteen to sixty-one. I look forward to meeting the other members of the cohort!
Helen Benton
Hi y’all! I’m so excited to be a part of this program. I’ve worked at the Texas School for the Blind for eight years now; I am grateful to work in a field where I get to learn new skills each year. I live in Austin with my husband and two dogs. An unusual fact about me is that I was born on a Friday the thirteenth, so I’ve always considered it a very lucky day and number.
Krista Bischoff
I am a TVI and a special education teacher in Boaz, Alabama. I taught special education for thirteen years. I obtained my master's degree in differentiated instruction with a concentration in vision impairments in December 2023. I am excited to collaborate with fellow VI professionals and gain further insight into how I can best provide meaningful instruction for my students with vision impairments. I am a self-proclaimed anglophile who loves all things British (history, music, TV, food, and tea!) and I have recently returned from a three-week tour of the United Kingdom.
Cassidy Boyer
I am currently a TVI working at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I have had seven pets at one time. I look forward to meeting everyone.
Brian Breen
I teach music, theatre, special education, English and language arts, and Braille at the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired where I’ve worked for one year. I am nationally certified in UEB. Prior to that, I taught at Collier High School in New Jersey, an alternative school for adolescents with behavioral health issues. I believe in tailoring projects for particular groups of students, then setting high but achievable goals, such as an impressive performance at the South Central Association of Schools for the Blind (SCASB). I am also a professional musician, composer, actor, and director, and I wrote and produced an original musical for the New York Fringe Festival. In my spare time, I like to swim, hike, practice yoga and read.
Theresa Brenum
I am a TVI in upstate New York. I graduated from Northern Colorado in 2023, and I play ice hockey.
Paola Cartagena
Mi nombre es Paola N Cartagena Rivera, tengo 29 años y vivo en la isla de Puerto Rico. Actualmente soy maestra de impedimento visual donde llevo 4 años. Disfruto pasar tiempo con mi familia, me gustan los juegos de mesa como los rompecabezas y la música como el piano y cantar. Soy una persona alegre, sencilla, tranquila y amistosa.
My name is Paola N Cartagena Rivera, I am 29 years old and I live on the island of Puerto Rico. I am currently a visual impairment teacher where I have been for four years. I enjoy spending time with my family. I like board games like puzzles and music like piano and singing. I am a cheerful, simple, calm and friendly person.
Auna Godinez-Magana
My name is Auna Godinez, and I am joining the Teacher of Tomorrow program from Sacramento, California! I am studying at San Francisco State University and will be hired on as TVI intern this upcoming academic year. My free time is spent outdoors with my lovely fiancé and amazing chihuahua! I love backpacking, and the longest journey I've completed was over seven hundred miles across the South Island of New Zealand on the Te Araroa Trail.
Manda Johnson
I am from Pulaski, Virginia. I am currently a special education teacher studying to be a teacher of the blind and visually impaired. One interesting fact about me is that I am very good at time management. I love moving things around and planning things down to the smallest detail while still leaving time for change.
Sarah McIntire
Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Adelaida McIntire, but I go by my middle name, Adelaida, or Addie for short. I completed my M.Ed. TVI Cert in April 2024, and I am a teacher at the Maryland School for the Blind. I live in Baltimore with my toddler, husband, and three cats. Fun fact: One of my cats is blind!
Elizabeth Meraz-Valdez
I moved from Texas to Fairhope, Alabama ten years ago with my husband Christopher. Our lives changed dramatically upon the arrival of our daughter, Ankitha, and the discovery that she was blind. A few years after the dust had settled, I decided to return to school to obtain a master's as a teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) from UNC and a master’s in orientation and mobility (O&M) from FSU. Having learned, the majority of the time, from sighted professors, I was thrilled when I found out about the opportunity to learn from blind individuals firsthand through NFB’s Teachers of Tomorrow program.
Vincente Murray
Hello! My name is Vincente Murray and I work at the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired teaching middle school English. Some of my favorite things to do outside of work are hot yoga and cooking. A fun fact about me is that I enjoy writing poetry and letters to people.
Elliana Streifer
I am a future TVI from Englewood, Colorado. I am currently working as a sign language interpreter and a Community Intervener Program Manager for the State of Colorado, where I support deafblind children and young adults across the state. My goal after graduating from the TVI program is to work with children who are deafblind and have complex communication needs. When not working or studying, I can be found participating in speed jigsaw puzzling competitions.
Katrina Thomas
I am a divorced mother of three. I hold a master's degree in special education and work as a teacher of the blind and visually impaired. I hold a master's degree in secondary education as well. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, I am also a self-published author who now resides in Georgia.
Lisandra Velazquez
Saludos, mi nombre es Lisandra Velazquez soy madre, esposa y maestra especializada en la educación de estudiantes ciegos y con baja visión de Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Me apasiona la lectura y disfruto enormemente pasar tiempo con mi familia y amistades. Amo la naturaleza y el visitar la playa. Siempre estoy en busca de nuevas experiencias que me permitan aprender y desarrollarme profesionalmente.
Greetings, my name is Lisandra Velazquez. I am a mother, spouse and teacher specializing in the education of blind and low-vision students from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. I am passionate about reading and greatly enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I love nature and visiting the beach. I am always looking for new experiences that allow me to learn and develop professionally.
RobinJo Walcheski
In the summer of 2024, I will have finished a cortical visual impairment (CVI) certificate from the University of Massachusetts-Boston, where I completed my second master's degree in Vision Studies and fifth teaching license to teach students with visual impairments and also my Minnesota vision teaching license shortly after. I am about to start my fourth year as a teacher of the blind and visually impaired in Minnesota and my fourteenth year as a special education teacher. One interesting fact about me is that I own an educational consulting business, The Wandering Hippopotamus LLC, which just started its second year of operation.
Scott Weisner
I have been a TVI/COMS for twenty-seven years in six states. I live in New Mexico and work for the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired as a mentor and outreach teacher. I enjoy fly fishing and hiking. Fun fact: Because NM has a booming movie industry (called Tamalewood), I am a background actor and spent the summer shooting a Matthew McConaughey movie, a Breaking Bad spinoff, a Netflix season finale, and an AMC season finale.
Katee Westover
I hold a master's degree in special education from the University of Utah, completed in 2020, with endorsements in teaching students who are visually impaired and those who are deafblind. I enjoy interacting with students and their families, finding joy in their growth and development. One fun fact: I have traveled to ten different countries (so far) and enjoy the opportunity to experience new cultures and places.
Jisselle Yanez
I’m currently a graduate student in the Teacher for Students with Visual Impairments program at San Francisco State University, about to embark on my second semester this fall. I also work as a Visual Impairments Services Assistant for Santa Clara County, where I actively support individuals with visual impairments. Outside of my studies and work, I find joy in reading, hiking, and soaking up the sun at the beach. Additionally, I'm an avid coffee enthusiast who loves discovering and savoring unique coffee shops.