Manhattan Beach
Three cheers and a huzzah to Dr. Sharon Warren Cook, the Assessment Dean at Kingsborough Community College, who was among five alumni of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work to be awarded the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award for 2017.
This award recognizes outstanding leadership and achievement in the profession.
Chapel Hill Dean Gary L. Bowen presented the awards during the school’s 2017 commencement exercises. This year the School of Social Work honored its outstanding alumni for the leadership, passion, commitment, and contributions they have made to the field of social work. The school selects these alumni based on written nominations.
Dr. Cook received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in curriculum and teaching and her Masters from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned her bachelors in psychology from North Carolina Central University and recently joined Kingsborough as Dean of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. She served as a professor and administrator at North Carolina A&T University and is a 1995 graduate of the school’s MSW program.
At Kingsborough, Dr. Cook provides guidance and support in curricular and accreditation matters. She is also responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring an array of academic initiatives, programs, and priorities, as well as administering college activities and operations to support academic policy and student learning strategies.
Kingsborough Community College [2001 Oriental Blvd. in Manhattan Beach, (718) 368–5000].
Prospect Lefferts Gardens
Keep ‘em dancing
It’s abundantly clear that founder and acclaimed dancer Karisma Jay is the creative force behind AbunDance Academy of the Arts, an arts organization dedicated to offering children and adults top-notch free and affordable dance, theater, and musical instruction at all levels.
Karisma found that the world of performing arts wasn’t available to people who came from lower-income households. Growing up as the child of a single parent, she felt blessed that her mother worked so hard to secure the funds to give her top-quality training so that she could pursue her passion for dance. After years of performing on stages around the globe, she decided she wanted to help give the next generation of dancers the opportunity to receive superior instruction without cost being a barrier to entry.
“I wanted the school to be a place where the focus is on developing students’ innate gifts without it being a financial strain for their families” said Karisma.
AbunDance Academy of the Arts [430 Rogers Ave. in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, (347) 788–1069; www.abund
Brighton Beach
The Big Apple
Cheers to Diana Shteynberg, a pre-K teacher at the Shorefront YM-YWHA. Diana was recently surprised by a visit from Senior Deputy Chancellor Dorita Gibson and a representative from the Department of Education to congratulate her on winning the Big Apple Awards: Recognizing Teacher Excellence in NYC.
Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña announced the winners of the fifth annual awards, honoring 19 recipients of the 7,800 nominees.
Diana was raised in a family of educators and throughout her teaching career has sought to create a welcoming environment and an atmosphere of trust for every child and family, as well as to build a strong parent partnership.
At the end of last year, all her students were able to enter kindergarten without the English as a Second Language program due to excelling in language and literacy.
Shorefront YM-YWHA [3300 Coney Island Ave. in Brighton Beach, (718) 646–1444].
