{"id":3069,"date":"2024-01-23T14:10:52","date_gmt":"2024-01-23T19:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/?p=3069"},"modified":"2025-01-30T12:59:46","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T17:59:46","slug":"alumna-wins-prestigious-milken-education-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bridgeport.edu\/news\/alumna-wins-prestigious-milken-education-award\/","title":{"rendered":"University of Bridgeport Alumna Wins Prestigious Milken Educator Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ashley Dunne fell in love with music in elementary school. From a young age, it was in the music classroom that she felt safest and most connected to her educational experiences. \u201cI had a lot of wonderful teachers along the way who made the music classroom feel like such a welcoming place for me,\u201d she said. \u201cI really felt at home in the music classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashley found some of her best friends in music class, having played the violin since third grade. It made sense to her family and friends when she planned to major in music education when she left for the University of Connecticut as an undergraduate student.<\/p>\n

While finishing her studies at UCONN, Ashley heard about the master\u2019s in Education program at University of Bridgeport. \u201cI started hearing a lot about this wonderful master\u2019s program at UB,\u201d she said, \u201cand my mom was a UB alumni.\u201d Shortly after graduating from UCONN, Ashley began studying for her M.Ed at UB.<\/p>\n

Developing her educational philosophy<\/h2>\n

When asked what stood out to Ashley during her time at UB, she considers her internship the most impactful part of earning her master\u2019s degree. Through UB\u2019s connections to over 65 local school districts, master\u2019s students<\/a> work in a school for a full school year while attending classes 2-3 evenings per week. \u201cI made some great connections during my internship, which was just invaluable,\u201d she adds. \u201cI got to learn about how a school was run. From something as simple as how to work a copy machine to how to manage a classroom, I worked through all those growing pains during my UB internship.\u201d<\/p>\n

This internship component provides more than $25,000 in scholarships that go toward the students\u2019 master\u2019s program. \u00a0 \u201cThat made me so much stronger when I went into my interviews looking for my first full-time job,\u201d Ashley recounted.<\/p>\n

Ashley credits the foundations of her teaching philosophy to her education at both UCONN and UB. The coursework and faculty were instrumental in helping Ashley envision how her future classroom would operate. \u201cI want the music classroom to be a joyful place for my students; a place where they feel like they can be themselves and feel at home in the school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashley found her calling in the school district she called home as a child, Southbury, Connecticut. She teaches children music at Gainfield Elementary School. Her husband, a fellow UB alum she actually met at the program\u2019s M.Ed information session, also teaches elementary music education.<\/p>\n

For many K-12 students, having a trusted adult in their corner at school can help them overcome many of the obstacles they face in their daily lives. Educators like Ashley, working to create safe and uplifting spaces for their students, often go above and beyond for all their students \u2014 creating learning experiences they carry with them into their adult lives.<\/p>\n

It came as no surprise to anyone (except Ashley) when she was selected, in secret, as a 2023 Milken Educator Award recipient.<\/p>\n

Receiving the Milken Educator award<\/h2>\n
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Photo Credit: Milken Family Foundation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Milken Educator Awards<\/a> were created in 1987 by philanthropist and education visionary Lowell Milken. This teacher recognition program empowers awardees to \u201ccelebrate, elevate, and activate\u201d the K-12 profession and inspire more young people to pursue teaching as a career. Ashley was one of 75 recipients selected nationwide during the 2023 awards season. Ashley\u2019s awards ceremony came as a total surprise to her even though, as the school music teacher, she was tasked with setting up the assembly in which she would be honored as a Milken Educator award recipient.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the music teacher, I have a hand in running our school assemblies.\u201d After setting up for the assembly, Ashley quickly realized this \u201cGainfield Gathering Day\u201d was different from other past assemblies she\u2019d prepared for. First, she noticed the Board of Education and the State Commissioner of Education were present, then members of the media. Still, Ashley hadn\u2019t realized she was the guest of honor just yet.<\/p>\n

Want to make a difference in the lives of students? Check out our guide to becoming a teacher in CT today!<\/a> <\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cI went up in front of everyone with my ukelele and began singing the school song with all the students,\u201d she said, \u201cThen the superintendent spoke, the Commissioner of Education spoke, and finally, Dr. Jane Foley began to speak about the Milken awards.\u201d Ashley was excited as she realized that one of her colleagues was about to be honored at this assembly-turned-awards ceremony, still not realizing she was the awardee.<\/p>\n

Watch the video below to see Ashley\u2019s reaction and acceptance speech when she finally realized she was the focus of that day\u2019s assembly. Ashley was honored as one of the 2023 Milken Educator Award winners, giving her access to a network of professional colleagues and professional development opportunities that will empower her to continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of her students. The accolade also comes with an unrestricted financial award that she can use however she wants. During the 2023 awards season, the Milken Family Foundation reached $75 million in individual financial prizes over the life of the program, with over $144 million invested in the Milken Educator Award national network overall.<\/p>\n