Abner Soto-Henry, Information Technology Coordinator and Instructor, at Latin American Youth Center Career Academy in Washington D.C., has been named Certiport’s Educator of the Year. The award was announced at Certiport’s 2021 CERTIFIED Educator Conference, where educators gather to explore the full promise and potential of technology certification in the classroom.
Certiport, a Pearson VUE business and the leading provider of performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities for learners, announced that Abner Soto-Henry, Information Technology Coordinator and Instructor, at Latin American Youth Center Career Academy in Washington D.C., has been named Certiport’s Educator of the Year. The award was announced at Certiport’s 2021 CERTIFIED Educator Conference, where educators gather to explore the full promise and potential of technology certification in the classroom.
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Mr. Soto-Henry has taught information technology education for nearly 20 years at the Latin American Youth Center Career Academy, specializing in Microsoft certifications, IC3 Digital Literacy certifications, and CompTIA certifications. In total, Mr. Soto-Henry has more than 24 years of experience in education. Originally from Costa Rica, Abner speaks fluent Spanish, English, and Portuguese, enabling him to connect with the students he serves. He has received several awards, including the 2013 Community Star Award from D.C. United, the 2015 Hispanic Heritage Innovative Educator Award, the 2016 D.C. OSSE Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year award and the 2019 D.C. PCSB TIERific Teacher of the Year. A former professional soccer player, his passion for teaching is only rivaled by his love of the game.
“Abner’s passion for education has earned him a myriad of accolades. His dedication to his students and their future careers was so impressive, and we’re honored to recognize him as our Educator of the Year,” said Ray Murray, Vice President and General Manager – IT, Pearson VUE. “I’ve been privileged to interact with Abner for years at our CERTIFIED Educator Conference. He was an early advocate for certification and the power of technology education. His 20-year career is a testament to the power one teacher can have in the lives of thousands of students.”
Mr. Soto-Henry delivered a workshop session at CERTIFIED 2021 titled, “How to Get Your Students Engaged and Excited About Certification.” In the workshop he shared how to engage students from diverse backgrounds in the IT certification pathway to prepare them for college and their professional lives.
“Part of our creed at Latin American Youth Center Career Academy is to be excellent. Mr. Soto-Henry truly wants every student to be excellent and sees that excellence in everyone. But what I appreciate most about Abner is his heart. He’s a beacon of encouragement for all of us,” commented Dr. Jacqueline Fernandez-Romero, Principal, Latin American Youth Center Career Academy.
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