Congratulations to Cohoes High School senior Lola Stebbins and Science Teacher Mike Kloczko who were recently honored with the 39th Annual Capital Region Students and Teachers Making a Difference Award by the Capital Area School Development Association (CASDA).
Lola, who was nominated by her CHS guidance counselors, is a member of the Future Ready Pathways program, a selective program through which she earned 67 college credits and completed her senior level coursework at Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC).
According to her nomination by CHS Counselor Amanda Gebur: “Lola Stebbins is an exceptional student who exhibits a strong dedication to her academics, embodies the qualities of a strong leader, and demonstrates an unwavering commitment to community service. Lola also participated in our Science Research Program for the past three years where she researched “the Effectiveness of Bilateral Versus Multidirectional Eye Movements Used in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and Multichannel Eye Movement Integration Related to Interpersonal Issues in School.” She hopes the results of this research can provide insight into how eye movements can be used to reduce students’ physical and emotional reactions to stressful situations.
“Outside of her academics, Lola is an active member of Student Council, Community Service Club, Elevating Student Voices, and the Drama Club. Lola’s exceptional academic achievements, commitment to research, and unwavering dedication to her school and community clearly distinguish her as a well-rounded, driven, and compassionate individual. I am confident she will bring the same level of excellence, leadership, and integrity to all of her future endeavors.”
For the Students and Teachers Making an Impact Award, Lola nominated Mr. Kloczko.
“I had Mr. Kloczko for Earth Science my freshman year, and for Science Research ever since. He has made a significant impact on my academics at Cohoes High School and I will carry that with me through the rest of my school career. During Science Research he has always been there for me helping me through the issues I faced with my project in his class. He is a teacher who is empathetic and is willing to help you when you are struggling, but he is also very honest about how he thinks you are doing in class and when you need to get back on track. If there was a definition for the perfect teacher, I believe it would be Mr. Kloczko.”