Local Student Wins Distinguished Teaching Candidate Award

Severna Park High grad and Chartridge resident Brad Absher first thought he might like to be a teacher when his child development class turned the classroom into a solar system.

Absher liked the creativity used to teach a lesson and the experience ultimately led to his decision to pursue a career as a teacher.

Having just finished up his Associate’s Degree at Anne Arundel Community College, Absher was recognized by the Maryland Association of Teacher Educators on Saturday when he received the Distinguished Teacher Candidate Award, according to a spokesman from AACC.

“Pretty much every professor Brad has had in the education department has thought highly of him,” said Professor Jennifer Lara with the education department at AACC. “He is very participatory in class and passionate about working with and helping kids… He is top notch.”

The Distinguished Teacher Candidate Award ceremony recognized 24 teacher candidates for their accomplishments. Absher's teachers at AACC nominated him for the award.

“I didn’t see myself as an award-winning student—just a good student,” Absher said. “When they told me I won, I was like are you sure you have the right person? It was amazing that someone else recognized that I really do work very hard because this is what I want to do.”

Having attended Oak Hill Elementary, Severna Park Middle then Severna Park High, Absher said it has been local teachers that really inspired him to pursue a degree in elementary education.

“In high school I had a really good math teacher,” Absher said. “I didn’t like math and she helped me. Really good teachers in high school and middle school influenced me. I want to live up to what they did and be as influential as there were.”

Absher also credits the education program at AACC for his success. He said from his first semester at the school, AACC had him working in the classroom, which gave him a feel for what teaching would be like.

While working in a third-grade class at Shipley’s Choice, Absher helped a student with some math skills. When the student finally got the problem right, he jumped up and down with excitement—that’s when Absher decided elementary education was the perfect fit for him.

“They knew how to do things, but they couldn’t do it very well,” Absher said. “But I was there to teach them how to enhance what they already knew—that was the best part.”

Next fall, Absher will head to Towson University to finish his elementary education degree. When he’s finished, Absher said he’d love to come back home to Anne Arundel County schools.