AACTE Welcomes New Holmes Scholars to Wrap Up 2023
AACTE is proud to welcome five new Holmes Scholars as 2023 draws to a close. These scholars hail from California State University San Bernadino, Fresno State, the University of Northern Iowa, and the UCDS Graduate School of Education.
California State University San Bernadino
Reyan Warren, who taught 11th-grade English at Adelanto High School in Adelanto, CA, was born in San Bernardino and raised in Victorville. A lifelong Inland Empire resident, she believes in diversifying our most critical positions of power to increase the equity and quality of education for all students. Warren is a Silverado High School alumna and transfer graduate of Victor Valley College, and holds a bachelor’s degree, teaching credential, and master’s degree in secondary education from California State University San Bernadino. She believes that being a professional educator means having a mindset that can create actionable strategies to address the gaps in diversity in the education field so that all students have an amplified voice. It was her love for teaching at Adelanto High School that ignited her interest in fighting for equity and equality for all who are in the education field. She continues to pursue a passion for advocating for underrepresented groups and their successes beyond the high school level, and throughout their lives. “As long as you keep your head to the sky, you can win.”
Fresno State
Migrating from Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, Fabiola Pérez pursued the American dream, discovering her true calling in education. Currently serving as Vice Principal for Bullard High School in the Fresno Unified School District, Pérez brings a wealth of experience from her 17-year career in education as a teacher, coach, and administrator. Her passion revolves around uplifting underprivileged students, fostering a positive school culture, and actively engaging in equity work. Perez is recognized for her unparalleled energy and her commitment to advocating for a brighter future, as she works towards creating an inclusive and empowering environment for all students. She is a testament to the transformative power of education and a belief that every individual, regardless of background, deserves the opportunity to flourish and succeed. Perez earned both a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies and a Master of Arts in teaching from Fresno State. She is currently enrolled in the Fresno State Doctor of Educational Leadership program, with an anticipated graduation date of May 2025.
Floridia Cheung currently serves as the principal at Design Science Middle College High School. The specialty school is part of Fresno Unified School District and is situated at Fresno City College. Cheung has been a science, CTE architecture, and art teacher at secondary schools. She is also a Fulbright teacher, who received the opportunity to visit Indonesian schools in 2018. Cheung earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California Los Angeles in East Asian studies and history, a Bachelor of Architecture at the Glasgow School of Art, Scotland, and a Master of Arts in educational leadership from Fresno State. She is currently enrolled in the Fresno State Doctor of Educational Leadership program and seeks to become a better advocate and educator for students in California’s Central Valley.
University of Northern Iowa
Tiffany Evans is currently a second-year doctoral student in the Ed.D program at the University of Northern Iowa, with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction. Her research interests include culturally relevant and responsive teaching along with critical race theory. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa in 1999. Evans also holds a Master of Arts in library studies from the University of Northern Iowa. She is also a teacher librarian in the Waterloo Community School District with 23 years of experience as an elementary educator. She enjoys seeing all students grow and succeed, especially students of marginalized backgrounds. Evans is passionate about ensuring students’ cultural identities are recognized and celebrated throughout the school library program. Her love of literacy and wanting children to be recognized through literature motivates her to ensure students have access to literacy that is representative. She is committed to helping students identify their culture in their reading and seeing it mirrored throughout the community.
Nimisha Joshi is an Instructional Faculty member at the UCDS Graduate School of Education. She also works with the Seattle Teacher Residency (STR) program at the University of Washington. She coaches public school teachers to improve their teaching practices and supports them in advocating for educational justice. Her 15 years in education include teaching PK-7 as a classroom teacher, as a specialist, as an administrative leader, and as a DEI practitioner at international schools and independent schools in Seattle. Her educational philosophy is centered on inquiry-based learning, Project Based Learning (PBL), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). She thinks educational leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the school culture by promoting DEI efforts through programs, policies, and organizational structure to cultivate collaborative and anti-racist practices. Joshi holds an M.A. in English from the University of Mumbai and an M.A. in Educational Leadership and Administrative Licensure from the University of Northern Iowa. She is currently a second-year Ed.D student focusing on transformational leadership in independent schools in Seattle.
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