CCV Graduate, Faculty Member Receive VTAEYC Early Childhood Education Awards

MONTPELIER, Vt. — The Community College of Vermont (CCV) is pleased to announce that 2023 graduate Matthew Moore and faculty member April Zajko received awards from the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC) at its annual conference last week.

Matthew Moore of Sharon received the Early Childhood Education Student of the Year award. Moore completed his early childhood education associate degree at CCV in 2023, and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Vermont State University. He is an assistant teacher at the Sharon Elementary School Preschool. “It is an honor to receive this award,” Matthew shared. “I have walked my own path to reach this point in my life and this award affirms that I am on the right journey. Life is learning and learning is life.”

The awards were announced on November 7 at VTAEYC’s annual conference, in a ceremony sponsored by Mascoma Bank and held at the Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa in Stowe.

CCV faculty member and early childhood educator April Zajko of St. Johnsbury received an Outstanding Member award. Zajko shared in an email that she had Moore as a CCV student, and she feels “proud to have been one of his instructors during his CCV journey!” 

“Standing on that stage I was thinking about how every early childhood educator deserves this moment in the limelight and I envision clapping for many more of my CCV students in the future!” Zajko wrote. “I brought the wooden plaque back to my own public prekindergarten classroom the next day to share the news. We passed the plaque and talked about how working hard is noticed by others, to which one of my four-year-olds said, ‘so, like you are famous?!’”

VTAEYC also recognized an Early Childhood Educator of the Year and presented awards that recognize excellence and advocacy among individuals at all career stages who are working both within and in support of early childhood education.