National Board Fellows

Jaime Festa-Daigle, Arizona

Jaime is an NBCT (social studies/history AYA) and has taught government, history, economics, ELL, English, student government, and marketing and PR. She was the assistant principal of Lake Havasu High School for the past five years, from which both her husband and daughter graduated; her son will attend next year. Jaime was just appointed to Director of Personnel for Lake Havasu Unified School District and is excited to begin a new chapter focused on improving education in her community. In her free time, Jaime does Cross Fit, blogs, and supports her husband and son who are actively involved in the community soccer club.

Melissa Chandler, Maryland

Melissa has taught instrumental music for Harford County Public Schools for 15 years. She certified in Early to Middle Childhood Music in 2009 and recently completed her National Board renewal. She currently teaches at Youth’s Benefit Elementary School in Fallston, Maryland and has taken on a number of mentorship and leadership opportunities throughout her career. Chandler looks forward to expanding candidate support networks in order to engage greater numbers of educators through the Board-certification process. Melissa enjoys gardening, yoga, and spending time with her husband and two cats.

Melissa Collins, Tennessee

Dr. Melissa Collins has been an elementary school teacher at John P. Freeman Optional School in Memphis, TN for 19 years, where she is constantly amazed by her students’ curiosity about the world around them. She is an expert in teacher leadership and voice and also an advocate for global learning, STEM education, and high standards.To help ensure that all children have access to a caring and committed teacher, she has mentored several teachers through the National Board process. She is the recipient of several awards and honors, including: the Global Teacher Prize Finalist (Top 50), Queen Smith Award, Stephen Sondheim Award, Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the National Science Teaching Association Sylvia Shurgrue Award, and West Tennessee Teacher of the Year. She is a proud National Board Certified Teacher in the area of Early Childhood Education.

Rodrigo Rodriguez-Tovar, Texas

Rodrigo Rodríguez-Tovar is a Bilingual Literacy Coach for the Austin Independent School District. He holds a Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Teaching and Learning styles from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), and he is a National Board-Certified Teacher in the area of Middle Childhood Generalist. Mr. Rodríguez-Tovar possesses his teaching certificate from the state of Texas with endorsements in Bilingual (Spanish), General and Gifted Education. He is a big advocate for Great Public Schools and serves as a mentor/facilitator for educators who are pursuing their National Board Teaching Certification.

Amy Steger, New York

Amy Steger is currently finishing her ninth year as an exceptional education teacher with a focus on differentiating instruction in an integrated co-taught classroom over the past five years. She holds a degree in Elementary and Special Education from St. Bonaventure University and has a Masters in Differentiated Instruction. Steger is currently pursuing a degree in Educational Leadership at the University of New York at Buffalo. She grew up and currently resides in Hamburg, NY, a suburb of Buffalo. She has an amazingly supportive husband and two adorable sons, Derek, 5 and Nolan, 3.