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The 2016 New Jersey Distinguished Clinical Intern Award (formerly called New Jersey Distinguished Student Teacher Award) was awarded to Ashley Clark ’16. This annual award publicly recognizes the year's 15 top graduates of educator preparation programs in New Jersey's colleges and universities. Clark is the seventh ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø School of Education student to receive the award since 2010. 
"I am so incredibly honored to receive this award," says Clark, who was recognized in her certification area of Mathematics and Teacher of Students with Disabilities. "I could not have done it without the support of my professors at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø, particularly Dr. Carlin and Dr. Kamens, who have helped me grow as a student to become the teacher I am today."
Dr. Michael Carlin is an associate professor and Dr. Michele Kamens is a professor and director of Special Education Programs at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø. 
 Each year since 1985, the deans and directors of New Jersey’s educator preparation programs are invited to submit the dossiers of their most outstanding prospective teachers to be considered for this prestigious award. The dossiers include an essay, resume, two letters of recommendation and a student teaching evaluation, which is completed by the cooperating teacher. An independent panel of esteemed New Jersey educators evaluates these dossiers to select the award recipients. "This year, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø nominated three outstanding candidates, Ashley Clark, Justine Durham â€™15 and Susan Mitchell ’16," says Dean of the School of Education Sharon Sherman. "All three new teachers, along with their cooperating teachers, were honored at an award reception, which took place at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø on June 22 and was attended by several hundred people statewide."

Cooperating teachers invite student teachers into their classrooms and are required to complete a midterm and a final evaluation of them. One of Clark's cooperating teachers, Amanda Matticks ’11, MA ’15, is currently a third-grade teacher at Sharon Elementary School in Robbinsville, N.J. Matticks received the President's Award in 2011 while studying elementary education and psychology at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½¹ÙÍø. 
"During my student teaching experience, I was most fortunate to have had two outstanding cooperating Teachers, Amanda Matticks and Jamie Kelly," says Clark, who recently accepted a job as a special education teacher at The Cranbury School in Cranbury, N.J. "They demonstrated true excellence in teaching and inspired me to guide my current and future students reach their full potential."
Matticks says that collaborating with Clark was a "wonderful experience." 

"I could tell right away that she would be an amazing teacher," Matticks says. "I wish her the best of luck leading her own classes in the future."