When I interviewed Dr. Van Lare, ACC’s Teacher of the Year for 2025, she greeted me and asked, “How are you doing?”, but her question was almost drowned out by the phone ring. Despite the sudden noise, no one was startled, already used to the frequent calls for her attention. She offered me an apologetic smile before stepping out to help yet another person before we could begin.
Dr. Van Lare’s office is small yet comfortable, the “thank you” cards hanging behind the wall giving it a personal touch. Students wander down the hallway, always stopping to wave and say hi to Dr. Van Lare. Always, she returns the smiles and greets them back. We all know Dr. Van Lare as the head of the Arlington Tech program, but there’s so much more to her than that. She’s someone who cares about the students beyond her job. Someone who knows everyone’s names, what happened recently, what makes each and every one of them stand out from the general student body. But there’s a lot more to know about her.
Dr. Van Lare’s interest in education started when she was young. Both of her parents were teachers and deeply involved with their community. She remembers how former students would come back and reconnect. Some even wrote books and dedicated them to her parents. Upon seeing that, Dr. Van Lare knew she too wanted to follow in their footsteps. Her love for English only further fueled her path to becoming a teacher.
She started her teaching journey in New York as an English teacher in 1994, teaching in different schools until 2003. Moving to Virginia, she became an English instructor at a college and Campus Coordinator at another, a step further from teaching at high schools. In 2005, Dr. Van Lare went to the University of Washington, where she was an Adjunct Professor and Research Assistant for a little over four years. She then received the chance to go to Stanford University for three months as a lecturer. There, Dr. Van Lare designed and lectured the Instructional Leadership course. Shen then moved over here to Virginia, where she taught for four years as an Assistant Professor at George Mason University. In 2016, Dr. Van Lare moved to Arlington and started teaching at APS as an English teacher. She taught English in the very classroom that our ACC Chronicle meets every day! Next, she took the position we know best: Arlington Tech’s program coordinator.
Between her many jobs and experiences, it’s hard for Dr. Van Lare to pick a favorite. She says that her favorite would have to be between her time teaching at Singapore American School and her time here at Arlington Tech. She says that she loved living in Singapore and teaching international students; the school was top-notch and a fun environment. Here at Tech, she loves that it’s an exciting and ever-evolving place.
When Dr. Van Lare transferred from Kenmore Middle School, she was drawn to Tech when she heard about project-based-learning. Once a part of the ACC community, she learned that there was so much more to it. As she taught in the English department, Dr. Van Lare grew excited to help shape the vision for the program’s future. The former program coordinator, Catherine Steinmetz, took notice of Dr. Van Lare’s vast experience and passion for teaching and helping, which made her a great fit for the role when Steinmetz moved out of the country.
Now, we are currently constructing a new building that will be able to hold more students and offer more opportunities than when Dr. Van Lare first started as coordinator. She hopes that this new building will be able to keep some program highlights while also offering to students a new program that is more focused on students needs for the future and pushes traditional education.
Without hesitation, Dr. Van Lare says that her favorite part about working at Tech is the students. She says over the years she has gotten to know many unique, passionate, insightful young people. She says compared to other high schools, Tech allows you to get to know the students closely and build a connection with them. Dr. Van Lare is working to create a learning experience for students that can be used in the real world.
Dr. Van Lare’s enthusiasm for ACC and the Tech program make her a great pick for this year’s Teacher of the Year.
