Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, today announced that Jenny Mohess, graphic design professor at Valencia College and department chair at Osceola County School District in Florida, has been named Certiport's Educator of the Year. Certiport has also honored outstanding educators in various award categories.
SALT LAKE CITY, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Certiport, a Pearson VUE business and the leading provider of performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities for learners, today announced that Jenny Mohess, graphic design professor at Valencia College and department chair at Osceola County School District in Florida, has been named Certiport's Educator of the Year. The award was announced at Certiport's 2024 CERTIFIED Educator Conference, where educators gather to explore the full promise and potential of business and technology certification in the classroom.
When presenting the award, Craig Bushman, General Manager, Certiport said Jenny's energy and enthusiasm are absolutely contagious. "She's an experienced educator who is constantly working to improve her community," he noted. "Jenny's passion, experience, and expertise in teaching certifications in the classroom demonstrates the highest levels of empowering students with the skills necessary for the future. Our team is privileged to work with Jenny and have been learning from her expertise and passion for years. Jenny absolutely deserves this award."
Originally from Trinidad & Tobago, Jenny has lived in Osceola County, Florida, for over 22 years. She first stepped onto Valencia College's Campus in 2000 as an international student, where she earned an A.S. in graphic design. While working for Apple, she earned a bachelor's in business from the University of South Florida, and master's in art education from Boston University. Her educational experience led to jobs at Apple, Microsoft, and eventually, her own design studio. Jenny currently teaches at Valencia College and Tohopekaliga High School. Jenny has found genuine purpose in mentoring future graphic and web designers at both the collegiate and high school level. She's also empowering other educators across the country in her role as a CERTIFIED Ambassador.
Known for bringing her passion and industry connections into the classroom, Jenny adeptly helps her students develop skills to succeed in the workforce. She is beloved by her students and even those outside her school can see it. "I have known Miss Mohess for six years and I have seen her teaching methodology and her pedagogy in her classroom. I've never seen a teacher care so deeply for every single student. She follows up with those kids every single day. She's keeping them on track and connecting them to industry," said Joe Trybus, Career Resource Specialist for CTE of Osceola Schools. "She focuses on Adobe, but she's also teaching students life lessons and holding them accountable."
Her dedication helped Jenny gain the support of her administration and community. George Arscott, Principal, Tohopekaliga High School, said, "As the principal of a school, you're always looking to confirm that you have the right people in the right places. Jenny Mohess is the right person in the right place, leading our CTE programs. Not only does she get the buy in from the kids, but she's also able to get the other teachers to buy into her and follow her direction."
Jenny's also been a long-time supporter of the Adobe Certified Professional Championship program, empowering one of her students to take home the title of Adobe Certified Professional World Champion. She sends students each year to the Adobe Certified Professional championships, empowering the next generation of graphic designers with real-world experiences to prepare them for their future careers.
Certiport also honored outstanding educators in various award categories:
- Outstanding Administrator Award: Frank LaMantia, Curriculum Director of CTE, Community High School District 218, Illinois
- Learning Products Leader Award: Tracy Waters, Business and Computer Science Teacher and FBLA Advisor, Tattnall High School, Georgia
- Innovation and Excellence Award: Laurene Klassen, Director of IT Training and Communications, Southern Methodist University, Texas
- Community Impact Award: Teriah Abrams, CTE Department Chair/IT Academy Coordinator, Stephen T. Mather High School, Illinois
- Institutional Distinction Award: Larry Clark, Curriculum and Instructional Management Coordinator, Wake County Schools, North Carolina
- Exceptional Newcomer Award: Dr. Misty Sabol, Assistant Professor of Quantitative Methods, University of South Alabama - Mitchell College of Business, Alabama
- CERTIFIED Champion Award: Ben Wolford, Director - Center for Enrichment, Utah State University, Utah
- Statewide Certification Achievement Award: North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Watch a video highlighting the 2024 Educator of the Year here. You can also hear about Jenny's passion for teaching and technology on the CERTIFIED Educator Podcast here.
About Certiport
Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, is the leading provider of certification exam development, delivery and program management services delivered through an expansive network of over 13,000 Certiport Authorized Testing Centers worldwide. Certiport manages a sophisticated portfolio of leading certification programs including: the official Microsoft Office Specialist certification program, the Microsoft Certified Fundamentals certification program, the Microsoft Certified Educator program, the Adobe® Certified Professional certification program, the Autodesk Certified User certification program, the Intuit certification program, the App Development with Swift certification program, the Unity Certified User certification program, the Communication Skills for Business certification program, the IC3 Digital Literacy certification, and the Entrepreneurship and Small Business certification program. Certiport reliably delivers millions of tests each year throughout the secondary, post-secondary, workforce, and corporate technology markets in 148 countries and 29 languages worldwide. For more information, http://www.certiport.com or follow Certiport on X at http://www.twitter.com/certiport.
Media Contact
Greg Forbes, Pearson VUE, +44 (0) 7824 313448, [email protected], www.certiport.com
SOURCE Pearson VUE
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