This award is presented to a graduate of the last fifteen years in recognition of outstanding achievement in profession, vocation, or avocation which exemplifies the liberal arts tradition of Wittenberg University.
Since graduating from Wittenberg, Karen Yannacio has made the elementary school classroom her second home. From founding a Young Inventors Club and Creative Kids Club to leading book clubs for parents and spearheading programs for gifted and talented students, Yannacio has dedicated her life to ensuring that children have the resources they need to succeed.
Currently making her new home in the middle school arena, Yannacio is a 7th grade advanced placement math teacher for an honors division in the Quincy Public School district. From 2000-2005, Yannacio was an enrichment specialist and program challenge teacher for grades 3-5 in the Westwood and Lindsey elementary schools, West Geauga School District, Chesterland, Ohio.
In this capacity, Yannacio wrote and received 15 grants totaling $45,000 for math, science and language arts enrichment materials, computer software, research and a creative writing workshop. She has also published more than 20 articles in the “Kid’s Kaleidoscope” section of Parenting for High Potential and has presented both locally and nationally on such topics as “Tiered Assignments and Creative Opportunities for the Classroom” at universities and schools throughout her career.
Nominated for the Martha Holden Jennings Master Teacher and the Disney Teacher Award in 2003, Yannacio has also been featured in more than 10 articles from 2001-2004 for teaching children about conservation and for her commitment to gifted education.
That commitment recently caught the attention of Wittenberg, which recognized her with its Outstanding Young Alumna Award during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2005. She also received “Highly Qualified Teacher” status in Ohio, “Environmental Teacher of the Year” and earned inclusion in Who’s Who Among American Teachers, among other awards.
“It’s the best feeling to see kids light up when they feel good about themselves and their learning,” she said. “Having a job where I get to encourage, teach and to participate with students daily in their learning is amazing.”
An elementary education major at Wittenberg, Yannacio earned her M.Ed. in educational psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2001and her principal’s certification from Ursuline College in 2003.