By Mike Russo
Banhazl, a teacher in the Baldwin High School business department for the past 32 years has been a strong advocate of student internships, partnerships and mentoring. On Saturday, April 12, the Baldwin Foundation for Education will honor Banhazl for all she has done for the students of Baldwin and the Baldwin community.
Throughout her teaching career, Banhazl has provided her students with more opportunities than most students in college could hope to receive. Banhazl reached out to a number of her struggling students, often to kids who didn't have a mother, father or adult role model in their life. She knew that if they just had an adult role model who they could learn from and relate to that success wouldn't be far behind.
Banhazl reached out to local companies for volunteers to serve as mentors for the young children. Working together with the Mentoring Partnership of Long Island, struggling students were paired up with employees from State Farm Insurance. The employees came to the schools and were friends and mentors to the students.While the idea started small, with only five students participating, Banhazl knew that all her students could benefit from such relationships, and so she started the School-to-Career Program.
"These workers, they leave their jobs from way out on Long Island to meet with the student and be there as a friend and mentor," said Banhazl. "You just see the smile on the kids' faces and know its worth it."
Banhazl began working more closely with the Mentoring Partnership of Long Island and eventually began participating in Teens on the Job, a program run by the Mentoring Partnership of LI. Students look through the newspaper in their classrooms and then choose a job they would like to try for a day. Banhazl then processes the applications for Teens on the Job, which pairs the student with a professional in their selected field. On these "shadow days" students act and dress the part with real working professionals. Students in the past have dressed in scrubs and joined doctors in the operating room, worked with physical therapists and done countless other jobs that were of interest to them. The students learn how to prepare a resume and cover letter, how to do well at an interview and even get dressed up like professionals to go to work.
"It opens their eyes, gives them networking and makes them realize what else is out there," said Banhazl. Banhazl added that the shadow days can also help students realize that they don't want to do a job that they thought they always wanted.
Currently, the Baldwin High School has close to 100 mentors in both the middle school and high school. Anyone willing to go through a one and a half hour training session can become a mentor. This year, the schools have over 90 participants in Teens on the Job, close to double that of other schools. The students have gone as far as New York City for their internships for upscale companies and industries. According to Banhazl, many students are asked to return for paid internships after high school.
"We've found she thinks very carefully about every student and tries her best to find the best opportunity for them." said Jean Cohen, Director of the Mentoring Partnership of Long Island. Cohen said that in addition to the mentors her organization provides, Banhazl has convinced many of the teachers in the Baldwin school district how much of a difference their time makes in a student's life. Many of them have become mentors themselves and often skip their lunch period to spend time with the students.
The students recently won an essay contest on what mentoring means to them, sending them on a trip to Washington, D.C. where they met Hilary Clinton. The student who wrote the essay won a $5,000 scholarship and a $2,000 scholarship for the school's mentoring program.
Banhazl has earned numerous awards in her 32 years at Baldwin High School. She was the recipient of the Channel 55 Teacher of the Month, the Mentoring Achievement Award in 2008, helped her department win the 2007 Business and Marketing Department of the Year Award and has received other local and national recognition.
"Pat's dedication and commitment to the students is evident in everything she does and we are very fortunate to have such a teacher in the Baldwin School District", said a statement mailed out courtesy of the Baldwin Foundation for Education.
For Banhazl, her most rewarding experience has been helping a special education student who she is mentoring. The student wasn't doing well in school, but through Banhazl's guidance, she has improved, feels better about herself and even has a job.
"You can't have enough mentors," said Banhazl. "I just have to thank my amazing school-to-career committee because without them, none of this would be possible."
Banhazl will be honored at the Annual Spring Celebration by the Baldwin Foundation for Education on Saturday, April 12 from 3-6 p.m. at Baldwin Senior High School.
Comments about this story?
MRusso@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283
