Woodland Regional High School
Beacon Falls, CT
As a former student of Chef Cumberledge, I can say that she is one of the most kind, caring, and impactful teachers I have ever met. Through her culinary class, she is able to establish relationships with kids that are having trouble and help them reach their full potential. She does this through advising, tutoring, and using her military background to help them establish order and discipline in their lives. I have seen her help kids who were considered lost causes by all their other teachers into model students. It truly is amazing the impact that she has on her schools community. For me personally, she has been like a second mother. When I started taking her class, I was immature in some ways and needed to develop as a person. Her lessons and the way she treated me has been a vital part of the person I have become today. She continues to support me even though I have been out of her school for three years. The crazy part is, I am not even close to the only alumni that gets this treatment from her. She stays involved in the lives of countless former students, and ensures that she establishes deep connections with all of them. She is truly deserving of recognition for all she does at her school.