Southampton educator earns STANYS Fellows New Teacher award

Southampton High School science teacher Victoria Vidulich was awarded the prestigious STANYS Fellows New Teacher Conference Award for 2024.

The award recognizes the future promise of a new teacher and supports attendance at the annual conference of the Science Teachers Association of New York State, scheduled for November in Syracuse.

“The Southampton School district congratulates Ms. Vidulich on this accomplishment,” said Dr. Fatima Morrell, superintendent of schools. “We look forward to hearing all that she has learned during the conference.”

                Vidulich, a second-year chemistry teacher, earned the award following a nomination by Kim Milton, head of Southampton High School’s science department. In her recommendation, Milton indicated that Vidulich has a promising career in teaching and that attendance at the conference “will better the district.”

                “Winning this award is incredibly rewarding and affirms that teaching chemistry is what I am meant to do,” said Vidulich. “I feel validated in the hard work and dedication that I have put into teaching chemistry, and it inspires a greater commitment to my students' growth.”

                The conference will enable science teachers across New York state to participate in several days of professional development. It will include talks with various keynote speakers about STEM education and equity, new methods to assess science content, and ways to create assessment tasks to promote student learning.

                “I am extremely grateful to the Southampton School District, especially to the science department for their unwavering support as I have begun my teaching career,” said Vidulich. “They have helped me navigate the challenges of being a new teacher, and their collaboration has been instrumental in my growth as an educator.”