Axalta and the Philadelphia Eagles honored 10 Delaware Valley teachers for their commitment to students, school and community.

Eva Porter, a ninth and 12th-grade teacher at Cristo Rey High School and one of the 10 honorees, was selected as the 2019 Axalta All-Pro Teacher of the Year.

Each of the 10 Axalta All-Pro Teachers received a donation toward continuing STEM initiatives, a personalized Eagles jersey and football, four tickets to an Eagles home game and an automatic nomination for the 2019 “Axalta All-Pro Teacher of the Year.”

The 2019 teachers were honored by Axalta, the Philadelphia Eagles and past recipients at the Axalta All-Pro Teachers Awards Ceremony.

The fifth-annual Axalta All-Pro Teachers program, which kicked off earlier this year on National Teacher Appreciation Day, received hundreds of nominations from which 10 educators were chosen for their exceptional drive, innovative teaching methods and use of STEM education in the classroom.

“Axalta recognizes teachers for the foundational role they play in educating and inspiring future scientists, doctors, engineers and mathematicians to work hard and achieve their goals,” said Robert C. Ferris, Axalta’s VP of Corporate Affairs. “We are proud to partner with the Philadelphia Eagles for our fifth-consecutive year of celebrating the outstanding teachers in the greater Philadelphia area who work tirelessly to provide their students with the best STEM education opportunities.”

As the 2019 Axalta All-Pro Teacher of the Year, Porter will receive additional funding and an Eagles-themed school pep rally to be held for the entire school before the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

She was nominated by Cristo Rey Principal Flannery O’Connor who said, “Overall, Mrs. Porter’s innovative teaching strategies improve student achievement in STEM fields, foster interest in STEM careers and increase the number of students who pursue STEM degrees in college. Rather than lecturing students about the subject matter, she provides them with opportunities to draw their own conclusions and increase their knowledge in STEM through trial and error, hands-on experiences and group work through her project-based learning curriculums, modeling real-life STEM fields.”

“Throughout the year, these teachers have demonstrated a clear and steadfast commitment to their profession and the STEM curriculum, while also acting as inspirational role models,” said Catherine Carlson, Philadelphia Eagles senior VP of Revenue and Strategy. 

The 2019 Axalta All-Pro Teachers are:

• Mark Samilenko, ninth and 10th-grade teacher at Penncrest High School, Media, PA;
• Leeanne Fox-Jones, sixth-grade teacher at Julia R. Masterman School, Philadelphia, PA;
• Emily Adeshigbin, K-8 teacher at Thomas Mifflin School, Philadelphia;
• Greg Schanne, seventh-grade teacher at Independence Charter School, Philadelphia;
• Cathy Justin, sixth-grade teacher at Cinnaminson Middle School, Cinnaminson, NJ;
• John Arent, sixth-grade teacher at Gunning Bedford Middle School, New Castle, DE;
• Aaron Righter, a multi-grade teacher at Millville Senior High School, Millville, NJ;
• Chris Goldberg, Ninth – 12th-grade teacher at Norwood School, Norwood, PA;
• Janene Hasan, seventh and eighth-grade teacher at Southwark School, Philadelphia;
• Eva Porter, ninth and 12th-grade teacher at Cristo Rey High School, Philadelphia