NYS TESOL Member of the Month

In celebration of all that you do, NYS TESOL launched the Member of the Month program at the 2014 Annual Conference to honor and recognize the volunteer service of our members. The many diverse and valuable contributions above and beyond ones daily job support our colleagues and our students and their families.

  • Do you know a super teacher who spends hours of after school time supporting his/ her students with classwork, extra-curricular activities or college and scholarship applications?

  • Is there someone in your network who is always available as the go-to person for anyone who has questions about ELLs or TESOL?

  • Do you have a colleague who volunteers regularly to serve on committees in support of our educator colleagues or our ELL students?

  • Eligibility: Nominee is a current NYS TESOL Member.

  • Selection Criteria: Nominee demonstrates a commitment to the field.

  • Rewards: In addition to 12 months of recognition on our website, each year the 12 Members of the Month will be entered into a Raffle for a complimentary registration to the NYS TESOL Annual Conference.

  • Process: Click the link above and tell us about your nominee's contributions to the field and/or our community of educators and students.  The NYS TESOL membership committee will review the entries and select the monthly winner!

Meet Our NYS TESOL Member of the Month for March 2023!


Sucheta Baichwal

Sucheta grew up in India and came to the US as an adult. She grew up in a multilingual community and spoke Marathi at home, Hindi in the community, and English at school. She is married and has two sons.

She started her career in education in the US as a librarian and as a substitute teacher. After the heartwarming experience of subbing in an ESL classroom a few times, she knew she had to get a Masters in TESOL. She went back to school a few years ago to get a Masters in Literacy. Sucheta currently teaches ENL in the Arlington school district, is an adjunct professor at SUNY New Paltz and provides PD through workshops for the Teacher Center. She also volunteered for many years at the Newburgh Armory teaching ESL to adult learners.

Sucheta values the connections she forms with students and their families. She tries to stay on top of things happening in their home countries so that she can provide support as needed. She writes to her students at least a couple of times each summer so they know she is still thinking of them. She continues to receive messages from past students just to say hello and let her know how they are doing. According to her, the best part about being an ENL teacher is the connections she has made across the world.

As a member, she is grateful for the work NYSTESOL does in building community among educators from across the state and the professional development it provides all educators. She loves how NYSTESOL recognizes students who have made a difference at the annual conference to celebrate and highlight the accomplishments of our Ells. 


Celebrating Our Past Members of the Month 

February 2023
Griselda D’Vicente
New York City Region

January 2023
Benita Afonso
Hudson Valley

December 2022
Sharon Anderson
New York City region

November 2022
Sarah Carey
Buffalo/Rochester region

October 2022
Lisa Friscia
New York City Region

September 2022
Hilary Loyd
Binghamton/Syracuse Region

August 2022

Amany Alkhayat
New York CityRegion

July 2022
Dori Brown
Hudson Valley Region

  June 2022

Collette Farone-Goodwin
Binghamton/
Syracuse Region


May 2022
Andrea Diaz
New York City Region

April 2022
Leslie Tomanovich
Buffalo/ Rochester Region

March 2022
Veronica Cedillo-Tenaglia
Hudson Valley Region

February 2022
Sarah Cioffi
Capital Region

January 2022
Mona Narcisse
Long Island Region

December 2021
Jian Liu
New York City Region

November 2021
Yuna Seong
New York City Region

October 2021
Amy Tormey
Binghamton/ Syracuse Region

September 2021
Sara LeBlanc
Hudson Valley Region

August 2021
Armando Rodriquez
Long Island Region

July 2021
Lubie Alatriste
New York City Region

June 2021
Yu Jung Han
Buff/ Roch Region

May 2021
Dr. Olga De Jesus
New York City Region

April 2021
 Katie Leite
Buff/Roch Region

March 2021
Marcia Soares
Capital Region

February 2021
Tamara Kirson
New York City Region

January 2021
Laura Dohner
Binghamton/ Syracuse Region

December 2020
Yana Shifrina-Piljovin
Long Island Region

November 2020
Jessica Weiss
Long Island Region

October 2020
Erica Flores
Long Island Region

September 2020
Nicole Bell
Buff/Roch Region

August 2020
Robyn Vaccara
New York City Region

July 2020
Frederic Lim
New York City Region

June 2020
Lizette Roman
Long Island Region

May 2020
Carrie Martin
Binghamton/ Syracuse Region

April 2020
Jamie Scripps
Buff/Roch Region

March 2020
Fatma Ghailan
New York City Region

February 2020
Ana Anglada
New York City Region

January 2020
Brigitte Pittarelli
Rochester/Syracuse Region

December 2019
Elke Stappert
New York City Region

November 2019
Dr. Ann Wintergerst
New York City Region

October 2019
Tanya Rosado-Barringer
Rochester/Syracuse  Region

September 2019
Charles Lauth
Rochester/Syracuse  Region

August 2019
Kimberly Wilder
Long Island Region

July 2019
Abby Porter Mack
NYC Region

June 2019
Dr. Joshua Pangborn
NYC Region

May 2019
Özge Yol 
Rochester/Syracuse Region

April 2019
Suzanne 
Kaplan-Fonseca NYC Region

March 2019
Maria Hartmann
Long Island Region

February 2019
Carmen Diaz
Capital Region

January 2019
Yvonne Pratt-Johnson
NYC Region

December 2018
Tilla Alexander
NYC Region

November 2018
George Morris
NYC Region

October 2018
Karoline Kaon
NYC Region

September 2018
Susanne Marcus
Long Island Region

August 2018
Faith Tripp
Long Island Region

July 2018
Kara Muldoon
Rochester/Syracuse Region

June 2018
Tristan Thorne
NYC Region

May 2018
Iraida A. Bodre
NYC Region

April 2018
Dr. Lucia Buttaro
NYC Region

March 2018
Meredith Van Schuyler
Long Island Region

February 2018
Dr. Seonhee Cho
NYC Region

January 2018
Ali Safivand
Rochester/Syracuse Region

December 2017
Derek Baylor
NYC Region

November 2017
Deborah O'Brien-Smith
Long Island Region

October 2017
Aiko Pletch
Hudson Valley Region

September 2017
O'Mayra C. Cruz, Ed.D
NYC Region

August 2017
(Cho Hang) Jessica Lei
NYC Region

July 2017
Timea Kernacova Braun
NYC Region

June 2017
Kimberly Kim
NYC Region

May 2017
Wen (Elyssa) Sun
NYC Region

April 2017
Shannon Spollen
Long Island Region

March 2017
Kathleen McCann Klaiber
Rochester/Syracuse Region

February 2017
Lisa Rost Lewis
Hudson Valley Region

January 2017
Anna Ciriana Dean
NYC Region

December 2016
Ebru Altay Damkaci
Rochester/Syracuse Region

November 2016
Denise Gonez Santos
Buffalo Region

October 2016
Camille Embus Perez
NYC Region

September 2016
Michelle Maturen
NYC Region

August 2016
Elena Dokshansky
Buffalo Region

July 2016
Pam Knittel
Hudson Valley Region

June 2016
Catherine Box
NYC Region

May 2016
John Balbi
NYC Region

April 2016
Linda Pelc
NYC Region

March 2016
Christina Dawson
Buffalo Region

February 2016
Courtney Turcer
Rochester/Syracuse Region

January 2016
Gretchen Oliver
Capital Region

December 2015
Jessica Marchi
Hudson Valley Region

November 2015
Michael Witt
NYC Region

November 2015
Joye Dawkins
NYC Region

October 2015
Matty Espino
NYC Region

September 2015
Daniel Heckmyer
Buffalo Region

Summer 2015
Lissa Varas
Long Island Region

May 2015
Marjorie Stanton
Rochester/Syracuse Region

April 2015
Scott Freiberger
NYC Region

March 2015
Alison Stritzi
Long Island Region

February 2015
Katya Kats
Capital Region

January 2015
Christine Pearsall
Long Island Region