Philippine-born high school teacher receives top teaching honor in New York

A Philippine-born teacher was among this year’s awardees of the Governor’s Empire State Excellence in Teaching Award, a top teaching honor given in New York.

Dr. Eleuterio “Ely” Timbol Jr., an educator with 24 years of teaching experience, was one of the 54 New York State public school teachers given the Governor’s Empire State Excellence in Teaching Award last month.

Timbol, who grew up in the province of Laguna in the Philippines, currently serves as the math lead teacher at the High School for Law Enforcement and Public Safety in Jamaica, Queens.

He obtained his Ph.D. in educational management from Cavite State University, which is reportedly one of the top state universities in the Philippines. Before moving to New York in the early 2000s, he worked as a high school teacher and math department coordinator in the Philippines from 1998 to 2003.

While speaking with NextShark, Timbol shares that the award “comes as a complete surprise,” adding, “This recognition is one of the significant events in my personal and professional career in an urban educational setting. It’s an honor to be one of the 54 educators in the state of NY, including 10 from New York City, to be named an awardee.”

According to Timbol, he also wants to extend the recognition to “the hundreds of Filipino teachers teaching in the NYC region whose untiring efforts continuously bring inspiration to the day-to-day classroom experiences.”

On June 15, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the Round 3 recipients of the prestigious award. The selection process, which involved several New York State professional education associations, began with an extensive application period.

“Before, throughout, and as we move past this pandemic, teachers have selflessly shown up for our kids and deserve our immense gratitude,” said Hochul. “It is impossible to recognize each one for their hard work and effort, but I am pleased to congratulate 54 outstanding educators for their commitment to their students.

“They embody the values and mindset that every educator should have, and I applaud them for inspiring thousands of children across our great state,” she continued.

The awardees were each given a $5,000 stipend to further develop their knowledge and skills.

During an interview with The FilAm, Timbol said that he is dedicating the award to his late mother and brother.

“I feel this award will make them happy in heaven,” he was quoted as saying. “My family way back home in the Philippines is full of excitement upon hearing this recognition. I have two sisters and seven brothers and I can hear the sounds of loud excitement when they heard the news.”

Featured Image via Dr. Ely Timbol

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