Champions for Education

Tyler Barrett (BS '97) and Kelly McGill-Barrett (BBA '97) met at the beginning of their senior year as undergrads at the University of Michigan. He was a bouncer at Rick's American Cafe where he checked her ID in line. The rest is history.

They settled in Nashville, Tennessee, where Tyler attended medical school and Kelly pursued a career in the business world. When their first son, Ryan, was born, he was dressed in a Block M onesie within the first few days of his life. Frequently visiting Ann Arbor for U-M sporting events, it didn't take much for Ryan and his younger brother to adopt their parents' unbridled enthusiasm—the entire family was "all in" for Michigan.

"And then, as he got closer to high school, we were like, ‘Oh, we have to dial it back a little bit,'" says Kelly. They were well aware of the school's competitive admissions process, but just as importantly, "we wanted him to make his own choice about where he'd go to college."

In high school, Ryan was particularly inspired by his AP U.S. history teacher, whom he was eventually able to work alongside as a teaching assistant.

"I remember he came home after he had taught his first class and he was beaming," says Tyler. "He just loved it."

When Ryan announced to his parents that he wanted to pursue the field of education and become a high school history teacher himself, there was no question in his mind about where he wanted to study. "Michigan has the best education college in the country," he told his parents.

"I didn't know that at the time," says Tyler, "but why would I have expected anything different from the University of Michigan? Of course it does. It's been a great match."

Ryan is currently a secondary teacher education undergraduate student at the Marsal School, where he is pursuing an endorsement in social studies. When Tyler and Kelly came to visit for Parent & Family Weekend, they could feel his passion for the school and Ryan's chosen path emanating from him as he walked them through the School of Education building, showing them his favorite places to study.

Recently, they have established the Barrett Family Scholarship Fund to provide scholarship support to Marsal teacher education students.

"We need more teachers, so we want to do anything we can to make teaching and getting a good education more accessible for anyone who wishes to pursue the profession," says Kelly.

Cynthia "Cindy" Martinez-Harner (ABEd '77, TeachCert '77) has long understood education as both a privilege and a responsibility. "My entire life, I loved school. It was very important," she says. Her parents, neither of whom had the opportunity to finish high school, instilled in her a deep respect for learning. After moving from Texas to Pontiac, Michigan, they made sure Cindy and her sister had access to excellent schools, libraries, museums, and other educational opportunities they themselves had never been exposed to.

At the University of Michigan, Martinez-Harner found both academic preparation and lifelong community. She lived in Mosher-Jordan Hall and formed close friendships with two roommates who remain central to her life today. "We've been godmothers, maids of honor. We've gone through life together," she says. Her path to teaching was reinforced through summer work in the City of Pontiac's Parks and Recreation department, leading story time and helping children with reading and math; she also served in an assistant teaching role with children of migrant workers in Leelanau, Michigan. "It was a wonderful experience, and it reaffirmed that teaching was what I wanted to do," she says.

Martinez-Harner credits the Marsal School with preparing her for the classroom, from student teaching at Thurston Elementary School in Ann Arbor to mock interviews with practicing school leaders. After graduation, she began her teaching career in the Troy School District and later taught at the Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she and her husband, Dr. Chris Harner (MD '81), settled and raised their three children. Dr. Harner, who comes from a family of teachers, has also devoted much of his career to education and mentorship, training hundreds of future physicians, residents, and fellows in orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine. To this day, he remains mindful of the challenges he and many others faced in supporting themselves throughout their medical education.

Together, the Harners have created The Cynthia Ann Martinez-Harner Fund to provide need-based support to undergraduate students in the teacher education program at the Marsal School. Inspired by Cindy's lifelong love of learning, her parents' belief in the power of education, and the couple's shared commitment to teaching and mentorship, the fund will help ensure that financial need does not stand in the way of aspiring teachers preparing to serve the next generation.

Eric Huang (BSEMS '90) was born in New York City and grew up attending New York City Public Schools. "I had the benefit of, in my view, an outstanding educational system, and also specific educators," he says.

In first grade, his teacher, Ms. Dyer, provided individualized instruction and varied reading assignments to meet students at their respective levels—something not common in public school back then. "That was my earliest experience, and it just carried through." From P.S. 165 in Manhattan to District 26 in Queens to The Bronx High School of Science, Huang was shaped by "distinct memories and lessons" from the teachers he had throughout his experience as a student. "I wouldn't have gotten into Michigan without that," he says.

Following his interest in math and science, Huang studied materials science at the U-M College of Engineering. He began his career as an engineer, but eventually decided to change course and attend law school at George Washington University. "Law school opened my eyes to the broader impact that I could have," he says.

Once he became a parent, Huang turned his focus to education, seeking to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young people. He became involved with his daughter's school—The Blue School—an NYC independent pre-K through 8th grade school founded by the Blue Man Group to create an educational experience that integrated the arts, neuroscience, and social-emotional development in a rigorous academic framework. Serving on the school's board "taught me a lot about being a member of a nonprofit board, as well as the importance of what goes on behind the scenes at schools," says Huang.

From there, he joined the board of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest where he serves as board treasurer. He is president of the Council of the Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, which is home to a renowned early childhood program, the Plymouth Church School. And he serves on the board of Young Advocates for Fair Education (YAFFED), an education advocacy group dedicated to improving secular education in Hasidic schools.

"Seeing what was possible for my daughter and for other kids through The Blue School has prompted me to want to do more," says Huang.

Recently, Huang established the Jampabam Family Fund—so named for the way his daughter pronounced "pajamas" when she was young. The gift will support scholarships for Marsal School students who are preparing to become teachers.

"Teachers are on the front lines, providing more than just education to children—they are trying to protect their students in so many ways," says Huang. "I'm hoping we can give future teachers a leg up to help them reach their full potential, whether it's helping with expenses so they can stay in school or getting professional development. My goal is to help them reach their dream. Every teacher is a force multiplier in terms of the impact they can have to change society."

Dr. Dave Pribich (BSChem '79) knows well that no one gets to Michigan—or anywhere in life—on their own.

After graduating with a degree in chemistry from U-M, Pribich went on to earn a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Florida, and pursued a career in research and development for a major chemical company and an oil company. He and his family moved multiple times, ultimately landing in Texas, where he raised three daughters. Throughout it all, Pribich has taught chemistry in various settings—from a Title One high school to a local junior college. He enjoys the process of teaching content and critical thinking skills.

"There are some students who want to become engineers and doctors. But most don't even want to be in the class. ‘Why are we doing this? When are we ever going to use this?' To teach kids who don't even want to be in the class is a tremendous challenge. The content is secondary to experience. Whatever they go on to do, it will be important for them to know how to process information. So whatever I can do to help, that appeals to me."

"My dad, mom, and sister drove me to Ann Arbor in August of 1975 and supported me and all things M forever," wrote Pribich in a recent letter to family and friends.

Just as his loving family supported him, Pribich is now calling on his community to join him in supporting future teachers. He has established the Pribich Family Scholarship Fund to provide scholarship support to Marsal teacher education students who intend to teach in a STEM field at the secondary level. After providing the funds to start the scholarship, Pribich sent a passionate letter to those closest to him encouraging them to follow his lead and contribute even more, making it a group effort.

As technology evolves and the economy continues to change, Pribich is aware that the students of today and tomorrow face a different career trajectory than he did. Teachers and mentors have a significant role to play, he says. "The goal is to teach young people how to process information, analyze data, and make decisions. Memorizing facts is no longer a path to success, if it ever was."

He had long planned to allocate part of his estate to the University of Michigan, but in reflecting on his own mortality and his legacy, he had a change of heart. "I decided, let's do something while I'm alive, to see some good done sooner rather than later."