The University of Maine at Presque Isle’s Alumni Board of Directors has announced that Maine State Teacher of the Year Alana Harrington Margeson has been named the recipient of its 2012 Distinguished Recent Alumni Award. Margeson, a Caribou High School English teacher, will be presented with the award during the University Day luncheon at Noon on Wednesday, April 11, in the Campus Center.
A member of UMPI’s Class of 2000, Margeson earned her Bachelor’s degree – a double major in Elementary Education and Secondary Education-English. She later went on to earn her Master’s degree in education administration from St. Joseph’s College in Standish.
After graduating from UMPI, Margeson worked as an educational tech at Stockholm Elementary School and an eighth grade teacher at Caribou Middle School before joining the ranks at Caribou High School. Last September, after six years of teaching at CHS, she was named Maine’s 2012 Teacher of the Year during a surprise school assembly. She was one of 10 educators in Maine nominated for the honor.
The Maine Department of Education nominating committee cited Margeson’s efforts to engage students in debate, inquiry, research and discussion in a safe environment that encouraged taking risks, thinking “outside the comfort zone” and “a-ha moments”, in its selection of Margeson for the recognition.
As Maine Teacher of the Year, Margeson has been identified as an outstanding teacher who best represents the thousands of excellent educators in Maine and serves as an advocate for the teaching profession, education and students. She is expected to attend five national events, including a conference at Princeton, a workshop in New York City, and NASA Space Camp. Additionally, she will have the opportunity to participate in a ceremony with the President and U.S. Secretary of Education.
Margeson is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the National Council for Teachers of English. She is also an advisory board member for the Teaching Channel (teachingchannel.org) and a freelance writer for Dr. Janet Allen’s Plugged Into Reading and Plugged Into Non-Fiction literacy programs. Margeson is a Caribou High School graduate. She and her husband Erich reside in Stockholm with their four sons.
“Since graduating from the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Alana has exemplified to our current students what anyone can accomplish upon graduation,” said Keith Madore, Director of Alumni Relations. “Alana has made some excellent achievements in her years as an educator, most notably her recognition as 2012 Maine Teacher of the Year. If the past is any indication of the future, the State will be well served by her for years to come. The University is proud to call Alana one of our own.”
The Distinguished Recent Alumni Award is given to a graduate who has been out of college between 2-12 years and has distinguished himself or herself in his or her career or service to community. Past honorees include Scott Boucher ’00, Craig Cormier ’06, Bryan Thompson ’03, Erika Valtinson ’05, Neal Labrie ’97, and Michael P. Johnston ’02. This is the seventh time the award will be presented during University Day, an event that heightens student awareness of the work being done by peers and how that work applies to service and the professional life of a community.
