It’s that time of the year again, Whitman! The 2023 Teacher of the Year has been chosen, and his name is Ralph Milazzo!
That’s right, the history department’s very own fedora-wearing short king has won the Teacher of the Year award.
Ever since Mr. Milazzo was young, all he’s wanted to do was teach. Throughout his childhood, he had many great teachers and coaches who made a positive impact on him, which inspired him so much that he pursued a teaching career.
After two years of subbing, two more years of being Mrs. O’Neill’s lead replacement, and a year of teaching at Harbor Fields, Mr. Milazzo has been teaching here at Whitman full-time for seven years with one main goal; make the same positive impact on others that his childhood teachers had on him. And clearly, he succeeded.
Mr. Milazzo has made so many great memories here at Whitman, especially the memories of close relationships formed with his fellow teachers and coaches, as they are his best friends. He has also won county championships in all of the sports he coaches, which has made for some very memorable moments with his teams. Yet his most important memories are the great interactions with other teachers and students every day.
When Mr. Milazzo won the Teacher of the Year award, he was very shocked, as he wasn’t expecting to win. He also felt very grateful and appreciative because he was being recognized for all the time and effort he puts into being a great educator.
He reiterated that there are so many other teachers who deserve the award because of the time and effort they put in to be great teachers and coaches. He highlighted a few teachers in particular who he believes would also be perfect candidates for the Teacher of the Year award, such as Mrs. Abbondandelo, Mr. Trebour, and Mrs. Honovich, as well as the history chairperson Dr. Corcoran, who was a huge mentor for Mr. Milazzo.
Mr. Milazzo was extremely humbled to receive the Teacher of the Year award. He really enjoys coming to work, as he believes that Whitman is special and he truly feels like he grew up here, even though he didn’t attend Whitman as a student. Being a Whitman educator is a huge part of him, and he is extremely proud to be part of the school and the community. He tries every day to represent the school and make an impact by helping everyone that he can.
As one of Mr. Milazzo’s students, I can confidently say that he truly does deserve this award. I genuinely have nothing but good things to say about him. He is one of the sweetest, most understanding teachers I have ever had, and I don’t think there are any teachers who are as deserving of the Teacher of the Year award as him.
Congratulations, Mr. Milazzo. You truly deserve it.
