To me, the Presidential Award means a prestigious recognition. It signifies that the leadership, dedication, and relationships incorporated with students present a distinguished achievement. It implies that to educate, facilitate, and inspire students and to connect the learning to real-world lessons is purposeful. It identifies that innovative experiences and guiding students to collaborate are acknowledged at a higher level.

Dymphnia Paulyn San Nicolas-Diaz Barrigada, GU | 7-12, Mathematics, 2019

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Dymphnia Paulyn San Nicolas-Diaz has been an educator for 25 years. She teaches 10th-12th grade Algebra II Honors, Algebra II, and Geometry at Tiyan High School, where she has spent the past five years. She previously taught at George Washington High School for two decades. She served as the Department Chairperson at both schools for nine years collectively. Dymphnia is also a mathematics adjunct instructor at Guam Community College. Dymphnia facilitates projects to build soft skills and create tangible objects. For four years, she incorporated a STEM underwater remote operated vehicle project into her curriculum. She provides this opportunity to her students to collaborate with soft skills and use the engineering design process in the Next Generation Science Standards. Dymphnia is involved in many Guam Department of Education (GDOE) committees, such as the curriculum leadership team for standards-based grading and standards-based assessment; accreditation assessments focus group leader; STEM train-the-trainer, robotics advisor and coach, strategic planning; enhancing education through technology, and the Joint Board Union textbook curriculum committee. Dymphnia served as the Secretary and President of the Parent Teacher Organization for three years. Presently, she is the Vice President of the parents, alumni, students, and teachers association. Dymphnia is a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve and an Operation Iraqi Freedom War veteran. As an educator, Dymphnia earned a B.A. in business management, a teaching certificate in secondary business and mathematics, and a M.Ed. from the University of Guam. She is a certified secondary school teacher.

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