Dowd Wins Teacher of the Year Award
     Mrs. Dowd, who has been teaching at Mount Michael for 20 years, has finally gotten some of the recognition that she deserves. Dowd has been selected for the Teacher of the Year award, which is awarded by the Archdiocese.
     This does not come as a surprise for many, because after a distinguished career teaching history at Mount Michael, many know she is an excellent teacher. The only other teacher at Mount Michael to have received this award is Father Michael Liebl, who teaches physics and mathematics and is also heavily involved in the CROP project.
     “Mrs. Dowd really pushes us to achieve and ensures that we get what needs to be done, done. The entire class has a huge emphasis on doing well on the AP exam, and without her it would be extremely difficult to be as organized or as well prepared as we are,” junior Andy Ciaccio commented when he was told that Dowd had received the award.
     Ciaccio wasn’t surprised at all that Dowd had received the award, and feels that she definitely deserves it. Her academic record at Mount Michael proves that. In Dowd’s 20 years of teaching she has achieved a 20-25% average for her students getting 5’s on the AP exam. This is opposed to the average of 10% in the nation. She stresses that the caliber of students at Mount Michael is a big help. Dowd noted that a great teacher can stand at the front of the class and try to teach, but if the students aren’t willing, then it won’t matter. However, it takes a lot of work to motivate Mount Michael students, and she has done a great job in the past.
     Dowd intends to stay at Mount Michael for the rest of her career, because she enjoys the difficulty level of the school.
     Dowd graduated from the College of Saint Mary and the University of Houston, earning a Masters in American History and a minor in European History. Out of her 38 years she has been teaching, she has been here for 20 years. Dowd had wanted to teach since she was a child, and even though she has many accomplished years behind her, she was totally surprised and honored to receive the Teacher of the Year award. The ceremony for the award will be held on October 13, 2005.
     Dowd enjoys the school as much as the school enjoys having her. Dowd concludes with, “It is a great experience to teach at Mount Michael which has challenging students and high academic standards.” Hopefully she’ll be here another 20 years.

-article and photos by Mason Tye