Christena Sinila, 2007 "Commitment to Excellence" Award Recipient

Christena Sinila is a fourth grade teacher at Cornell Elementary School. This is her 10th year of teaching for Okemos Schools and her 12th year as an educator. She spent four years at Edgewood Elementary teaching 4th and 5th grade and has enjoyed the past 6 years at Cornell. Her passion is keeping children at the heart. She lives this by serving on numerous committees, providing professional development sessions, acting as a new teacher mentor, researching and implementing best educational practice, leading student council and most recently volunteering in her son's classroom as Picture Person, an art appreciation program generously supported by OEF grants.

Christena has earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership from Michigan State University. She and husband Mark are proud parents of two children. Their oldest attends kindergarten at Cornell, just like his dad did some thirty years ago. Their two year old daughter is anxious to become a Cornell Cougar like the rest of her family.