The work that I put into becoming a teacher has been more than worth it, as I watched students written off as way below grade level rise to challenges far exceeding even my own expectations.”
Dwaina’s Story
Dwaina is a New Yorker, through and through. She resides in Queens, New York, where she was born and raised. Dwaina even earned a Bachelor of Arts in math from Queens College and a Master of Arts in math education from Teachers College. Both institutions are located in New York City.
During her junior year in high school, Dwaina had a particularly rough time with a precalculus course that nearly led her to fulfill her math requirement by taking an elective, rather than finishing the sequence with calculus. After being convinced by her advisor to stick it out, it was Dwaina’s calculus teacher who helped her to fall back in love with mathematics. Through participation in a mathematics education program at Queens College, she was granted the opportunity to support students much in the same way that she was supported by her calculus teacher. This experience solidified her desire to become a teacher.
As an active member of the Knowles community, Dwaina has made lasting relationships with the members of her cohort, strengthened her mathematics teaching knowledge, and worked diligently to put her students at the forefront of her planning and practice. As a Knowles Teaching Fellow, Dwaina served on the book committee (as a member, a chair and a panel moderator), attended the writing retreat, attended and represented Knowles at multiple National Conference of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meetings, presented at Knowles Summer Conferences and brought Knowles professional development to her school. As a Senior Fellow, she acted as a think partner at the 2019 Knowles Germinator. Currently, Dwaina serves as a writer and associate editor for the Knowles journal, Kaleidoscope: Educator Voices and Perspectives. In 2021, she was appointed to serve as a Senior Fellow Trustee on the Knowles Board of Trustees.
In addition to her work with Knowles, Dwaina has presented at several NCTM annual conferences. Additionally, she was named a 2019 Hollyhock Fellow. Dwaina serves as an external communications team member for EduColor and is a Math for America Master Teacher.
Dwaina enjoys cooking, spending time with her husband and their puppy, traveling and working on projects around the house.