VIU grad receives Alberta teaching award

By Jan Beecher

Talk about a feather in her cap.

Vancouver Island University Education graduate Jennifer Koganow recently received the Alberta School Board Association’s Edwin Parr Award recognizing her as one of the province’s best first year teachers.

Koganow was shocked when she learned she had received the prestigious award, but her former instructors at VIU were not.

“I can honestly say that Jennifer Koganow exemplifies the outcomes of our Education program. She is an outstanding educator,” said Mary O’Neill, one of Koganow’s former instructors.

After graduating from the concurrent Bachelor of Art/Bachelor of Education program at VIU in 2006, Koganow decided to apply for her Alberta Teaching Certificate. The Alberta-British Columbia Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement made this easy and her teacher training at VIU gave her all she needed to qualify.

Koganow, 26, now teaches grade three at Derek Taylor Public School in Grande Prairie. She helped open the new school in September 2007.

“It’s perfect, exactly where I want to be,” she said. “I love the smiles on the kids faces every morning and knowing they are excited to be in my classroom.”

Koganow grew up in Quesnel, B.C. and came to VIU to start her degree. She only intended to stay for a couple of years but once the five-and-a-half-year Bachelor of Art/Bachelor of Education program opened up, she decided to complete her degree on Vancouver Island.

“I made lots of friends at VIU,” said Koganow. “The small university atmosphere made it easy for me to make close relationships with my professors.”

“It was a privilege to have worked and learned alongside Jennifer,” added O’Neill. “Our faculty understands the responsibility we share in crafting teachers to enter this challenging and demanding profession. All of us here in VIU’s Education program are honoured to have contributed to Jennifer’s success. We’re very proud of her.”