2013 Ohio School Psychologist of the Year - Rebecca Serazin

Remarks from OSPA Awards Committee Co-Chair Melissa Bestgen

I’d like to introduce our 2013 Ohio School Psychologist of the Year, Ms. Rebecca Serazin.

Rebecca has worked as a tireless advocate for children since the 1970s. Reading her curriculum vitae was an inspiration, and seeing the level of involvement she has had with her profession is truly astounding.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University, then went on to complete her masters and doctorate at Kent State, with post-doctoral work at the Rehabilitation Center of Lorain County and the Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital.

Since receiving her Ohio Department of Education and State Board of Psychology licenses she has supervised countless interns, taught classes at Case, Oberlin, Lorain County Community College, and has served on many boards, including the YWCA, Family Services, local churches focusing on their preschool programs, and Lorain County. Rebecca has worked in Elyria, Cleveland Metropolitan, Huron County, and Lorain City Schools. She has been reaching out to students and helping them to succeed all over Lorain County. Most recently, she has worked at the Child Development Center of Lorain County for 30 years, assisting with their youngest students.

 I would like you to join me in welcoming and congratulating Rebecca for all that she has done, and recognizing her as our 2013 Ohio School Psychologist of the Year.

I would like you to join me in welcoming and congratulating Rebecca for all that she has done, and recognizing her as our 2013 Ohio School Psychologist of the Year.

Remarks from Rebecca Serazin

I am humbled and honored to be this year’s recipient of the School Psychologist of the Year Award. Words cannot express my appreciation and gratitude Special thanks to my colleagues and friends in the Regional ELASPA- particularly to Dr. Teitelbaum, Elaine Semper and Denise Eslinger as they initiated this process. To my coworkers Julie Mishak, Dena Campana and Nicole Ralston who must have scoured our area soliciting recommendations- a special thank you. It is with pride I say that I am a school psychologist for the Lorain City Schools. My strengths are being recognized be-cause my colleagues’ talents minimize my weaknesses. Mrs. Jane Hawks executive director makes every effort to see that our assignments maximize the talents among us. She expects 110% only because she gives 150%. To each of these school psychologists, I owe a deep sense of gratitude: Marta Hawkins, Leslie Suguichi, Denise McConville, Athena Rivers, Ken Brown, Julie Mishak, Nicole Ralston and Dena Campana.

I could not first acknowledge my husband, Scott. If I did so I would never have got-ten through this speech. One winter’s morning almost 35 years ago, when I was exhausted, couldn’t see how I would ever complete my dissertation- He looked at me and said Becky, you go ahead. I’ll get the baby ready and take her to the sitter’s. We’ve worked too hard for you to stop now. So out the door I went to start my data collection.

To our  three children, Rachel and Andrew who are here this afternoon and to Nathan who is here in spirit-thanks for the balance in my life-helping me to recognize reality and, yes, the importance of even chaos in family life.

To my extended family some of whom here today-bringing stability to all of us- we’ve had 45 Christmas’s together… And to my parents, Al and Helen Charnes, brother, David, and sisters, Lorrie and Deb, who taught me how to love, laugh, learn and work hard…

But I must recognize those who are not here- the thousands of parents who over the years trusted me with their children. Form PWN is more than that piece of pa-per that kicks in those dreaded timelines. Once it is signed, a parent has said yes- help me with my child.

I realized this trust when I was working in Cleveland at the junior high at East 55th and Chester, a very impoverished area. Into my office up on the third floor, a young man at least 12 inches taller and fifty pounds heavier than me, as he was almost breathless- said My mama told me- I find you when I get angry- and with glaring but hopeful eyes said “I’m angry!”

I did not know this young man. I did not know his mother. But at some point in time she met a school psychologist she trusted. I sat down, took a deep breath and invited him to do the same… and he talked, I listened…because his mother trusted a school psychologist.

To the interns and school psychologists just beginning your work, thanks for start-ing the journey as a school psychologist. I can guarantee that you will be over- worked… you will be inundated with paper work, but you can make a difference, not with every student… not every teacher and not every parent… but you can make a difference.

To those of you in the middle of your career, please don’t burn out. There are parents who trust you, teachers who will listen to you. Not all parents, not all teachers, but you are making a difference.

To those of us nearing the end of our careers, we must share our experience, those skills that the Universities may not be emphasizing right now. And we must embrace our colleagues as they enthusiastically tell us about the teacher who had three data points at IAT. And we must learn from them that new research based strategy they found on Intervention Central. We need those skills too because we can still make a difference in this ever changing field of school psychology,

So in closing, I give thanks to all of you; to those who have touched my life and to my God for one more opportunity to realize how fortunate I am.