GenEd welcomes 2025 Teacher Fellows
Fifteen U.S. high school teachers have been selected to participate in the 2025 GenEd Teacher Fellowship Program. The two-phased program includes a 10-day intensive professional development training in Armenia, after which the GenEd Teacher Fellows will lead their own teacher training workshops in their home regions over the 2025-2026 school year.
The 2025 GenEd Teacher Fellows are from 15 different U.S. states, bringing the total number of states covered by the program since its inception in 2022 to 34. During their July 2025 trip to Armenia, they’ll spend much of their time at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute (AGMI) in Yerevan, where GenEd and AGMI scholars team up to provide in-depth academic sessions, including examination of the museum’s exhibits, archives, artifacts and scholarship on the Armenian Genocide and its continuing effects. They’ll also spend a day at the American University of Armenia learning about today’s Armenia, and they’ll take field trips aligned with their coursework.
Heather Bagdoian, of Worcester, Mass., is a department head and history teacher at Claremont Academy. She teaches U.S. History and AP U.S. history and designs curriculum for her district.
Tara Ann Carter, of Los Angeles, Calif., is an English teacher at Milken Community School, tucked away in the hills of Bel-Air. With fifteen years of classroom expertise and having participated in numerous study tours around the globe, Tara infuses her classroom instruction with cross-cultural understanding and global citizenship.
Genée Ciurus Major, of Oak Park, Ill., teaches middle school English language arts. Her students engage in global book clubs and Project Wonder, a yearlong student-led inquiry study. Genée has a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and has published articles in the English Journal and the Illinois Reading Council Journal. Her interest in global education has led her to teach enrichment courses worldwide.
Tom Courtney, of La Mesa, Calif., is a sixth-grade teacher at Millennial Tech Middle School. As a former San Diego Unified School District teacher of the year, guide teacher of the year, and Teach Plus Senior Policy Fellow, Thomas writes for educational periodicals and is currently working on a Global Practices Project for students and a book on education.
Kris Hart, of Hartsdale, N.Y., has brought nearly two decades of passion for teaching history to students in New York City and Westchester. She is committed to fostering critical thinking and historical inquiry. Having taught U.S. history and Political Science, Kris currently specializes in World History. She also sponsors the Fuller Center Club, which builds sustainable housing for local families.
Joanne Heidel, of Eugene, Ore., has been teaching International Baccalaureate (IB) History, Global History and Civics at Eugene International High School for 21 years. During this time, she has held numerous leadership positions focused on designing engaging and culturally responsive curriculum and is a long-standing advisor for Oregon Model United Nations. In 2022, Joanne led a team that created her school’s Global Civics course, which includes a comparative genocide studies unit.
Stephanie Krzeminiski, of Oswego, Ill., has taught high school social studies for 18 years, including honors world history, contemporary human geography, sociology and AP Seminar. With a Ph.D. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Stephanie has developed curricula for secondary students and traveled around the world to gain a deeper understanding of genocide history.
Sandra Makielski Lindstrom, of Wakefield, R.I., teaches seventh-grade geography with an emphasis on global citizenship, engaging her students in activities that foster empathy and empowers them to take action. Sandra has participated in international study trips to Asia, Africa and Antarctica and networks with educators on four continents. She teaches at the University of Rhode Island.
Lisa Murphy, of Euless, Texas, is an AP Human Geography teacher at Carroll High School. Now in her 25th year of teaching, she has also taught world cultures and world geography. She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, as well as a master’s degree in American History and Government. She also sponsors her school’s Geography Club.
Tyler Oesch, of Troy, Mo., teaches social studies at New Horizons High School and is an adjunct professor of history at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. With a master’s degree in history, he develops humanities curricula for a leading teacher certification preparation company. With a particular interest in highlighting underrepresented historical events, he teaches about the dangers of cultural prejudice.
Jennifer Reeder, of Grain Valley, Mo., teaches U.S. History and World History and a semester-long course on the Holocaust. She is a 2022 Auschwitz Legacy Fellow and received further training at the Advanced Teacher Seminar at Yad Vashem in 2023. One of Jennifer’s goals is to teach the human story so that her students don’t think of the victims as just statistics.
Alexandrea Riddell, of Falls Church, Va., teaches World History 2 Honors, U.S. Government and Women’s History at Marshall High School. A Mount Vernon Teacher of the Year Runner-Up, she has also taught at the university level in Poland. Additionally, she helped create the Women’s History course for Fairfax County and helped develop her school’s girls’ wrestling team.
Marie Sarnaki of Farmington Hills, Mich., teaches high school history and English in South Lyon, Michigan. She holds a master’s degree in education, history and sociology. She is particularly interested in using literary and cultural sources in history courses. Marie will begin her Ph.D. study in History in the fall of 2025. She’s currently a fellow in the Engaging Eurasia Teaching Fellowship Program, coaches her school’s Mock Trial team, and sponsors the Activism Club and Scholastic Competition Society.
Sharolyn Stauffer, of Afton, Wyo., teaches history and government in Afton, Wyoming, at Star Valley High School. She enjoys reading and the outdoors, especially trail running, kayaking and fly fishing. She is a mother of three, an avid reader and is usually planning her next travel adventure. Having studied the Ottoman Empire in quite a bit of detail, Sharolyn is eager to learn more about the Armenian genocide as part of the end of the empire after World War I.
Karen Tyler, of Boise, Idaho, teaches a genocide studies elective course that she designed and also teaches Eastern Geographic Perspectives at Mountain View High School. Karen, a 24-year teaching veteran, received the 2021 Idaho Human Rights Educator of the Year award. She is a Wassmuth Human Rights Fellow, participated in the 2024-2025 USIP (U.S. Institute of Peace) Peace Teachers Program and is an active participant in programs of the Wassmuth Human Rights Education Center in Boise, Idaho.
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