David L. O’Connor of Schreiber High School has been named a “Distinguished Teacher of 2019” by the Harvard Club of Long Island.
“This award honors teachers who transform lives,” explained Judith Esterquest, the chair of the Distinguished Teacher Selection Committee. “Devoted teachers like Dr. O’Connor offer Long Island students deep expertise, extraordinary talents, and countless hours of attention. By capturing the minds and imaginations of our children and preparing them for challenges that were unknown even a few decades ago, these teachers shape the future of our country.”
O’Connor will be honored at the Harvard Club of Long Island’s annual University Relations Luncheon on March 30, along with 11 other teachers from across Long Island.
Harvard professor Matthew Baum will speak on “The Fourth Estate and the Current Political Climate,” exploring how the media performed in their role as watchdog of democracy, with a focus on the period leading up to and since the 2016 presidential election.
This is O’Connor’s 31st year of teaching and 28th year in the Port Washington School District. He currently teaches AP European History, Introduction to Psychology, Global History, The History of World War II, and a Social Science Research course.
O’Connor earned his Ph.D. in history from Stony Brook University in 2000. He has four children between the ages of 26 and 20, and has been married to his wife for 29 years.
He was nominated by two current Harvard undergraduates. Christian Athanasian, a former Schreiber High School student who is expected to graduate from Harvard College in 2020, described O’Connor as “the toughest teacher for AP European History.” “When I asked to drop his class, he told me he knew I could succeed and would not allow me to drop the class. He helped me realize that when things get difficult, you cannot just quit. He transformed me from a quitter into a winner,” said Athanasian.
Sam Goldman, a former Schreiber High School student who is expected to graduate from Harvard College in 2019, explained how O’Connor pushed him to join the middle school wrestling team. “Almost a decade later, I’m finishing my fourth year on Harvard’s varsity wrestling team, the end of a long chain of dominoes that Dr. O’Connor set in motion,” said Goldman. “I’ll always be grateful for the role Dr. O’Connor had in getting me to where I am today.”
O’Connor is one of two teachers, including Stacey Susinno, from the Port Washington School District to win a 2019 Distinguished Teacher Award. When Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Mooney learned of this award, she said, “It is a privilege to have Ms. Susinno and Dr. O’Connor teach in our district. Their creative and engaging approaches have had a tremendously positive influence on the students of Port Washington.”
At the ceremony on March 30, the Harvard Club of Long Island will announce the Distinguished Teacher of 2019 who will also receive a scholarship for a “Harvard experience” at the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, MA. Past winners of the scholarships have enhanced their teaching by sampling the resources available to Harvard students: meeting with faculty; visiting research laboratories, rare book archives, and specialty museums; and enjoying visual and performance art. The scholarships are funded by contributions from Harvard alumni living on Long Island.
This year’s dozen Distinguished Teacher Award winners were nominated by current Harvard undergraduates and then selected by Harvard Club of Long Island board members.
They teach biology, chemistry, earth science, English, history, government, Italian, Music, seventh-grade Science, and coach cross country. The winners teach in Baldwin, Brentwood, Commack, East Hampton, Garden City, Huntington, Jericho, Manhasset, Port Washington, and Syosset in grades seven to twelve.
