Student Achievements
GVSU M.Ed. Alum's Achievements Features on School News Network
January 12, 2022
M.Ed. Alum, Nicole Durso, was featured again on the School News Network on her accomplishments and the impact she has made at her school. She was first featured as one of the three recipients of the Jean Hamilton Cope Teachers of the Year award and has been featured again in a teacher profile overviewing her other rewards and efforts.
Durso is a science teacher at Union High School known for her leadership, team-building skills, and passion for education. At the beginning of her academic career, she was unsure of what profession to follow. During this time, she was working as a manager at The B.O.B. in downtown Grand Rapids and contemplated pursuing a career in the restaurant industry. One day, her mother recommended she volunteer at the Blandford Nature Center, where she experienced planning educational sessions for school districts such as the Grand Rapids Public Schools. It was not until this opportunity when Durso finally found her passion for teaching.
She received both her Graduate Teacher Certification and Master of Education in Literacy Studies degree with an emphasis in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at GVSU. In addition to the Jean Hamilton Cope award, she was also nominated for the state’s Teacher of the Year award and the Michigan Science High School Teacher of Year for the Michigan Science Teachers’ Association. She is highly active in committees and projects such as the GRPS Equity and Inclusion Team, a gardening club, and a year-long biology curriculum resource called iHub.
Both students and her faculty peers speak highly of her accomplishments and contributions at Union High School. The Graduate School is proud to have an alum who has made a difference in their field!