Teacher Mentor: Tara Berescik

Tara Berescik Tri-Valley Central School Grahmasville, New York 2011 Region VI Teacher Mentor Award Winner

Tara Berescik has packed a lot of leadership into her 11 years as an agriculture teacher, which was all sparked by one special student.

During Beresick's first year of teaching a student of hers named Catherine became ill and was hospitalized. Berescik visited her in the hospital, helped her earn an FFA leadership development scholarship, and watched her become an excited and eager FFA member and officer. It was after Catherine’s death that Berescik realized just how much of an impact a person can have on the lives of others, and how much of impact Catherine had on her as a teacher.

“Good teaching means that we are learning to do things better.  We are putting in the time to stay on the cutting edge for our students, and we are working to provide for ourselves and teaching others to be able to do the same,” said Berescik.     
            
Catherine was the spark that ignited a passion for mentoring others in Berescik. In her 11 years of teaching she has mentored five agriculture student teachers, three new teachers, and many fellow agriculture educators.

A student inspired Berescik, but the tables have turned and she is now an inspiration for her students.

 “For the past eight years, I have always strived to become more like Ms. Berescik.  She is my role model in every way and each day I measure my success by whether or not I have done something that she herself would be proud of,” said Kaylie Ackerley, a graduate of Berescik’s agriculture class and an agricultural education major at Cornell University.

For more information about NAAE’s Teacher Mentor award program, which is sponsored by CEV Multimedia, click here.