Carmen Veray

Carmen (Menchi) Veray is a 25 years veteran Special Educator at Antilles Middle School in Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. Before coming to DoDEA, she taught 8 years at the James P. Timilty Middle School in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ms. Veray was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She graduated from Marymount College in Tarrytown, NY with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary and Special Education. She also holds a Master's in Education in Special Education in Emotional Disturbances from New York University, N.Y.

As a special education teacher, one of my greatest contributions and accomplishments has been to assist my students to have a strong desire to succeed in school, to believe in what they are capable of, and to begin to dream of what they will become in life in spite of their disability. From a teacher leader's perspective some of my greatest contributions are to be willing and able to collaborate with my colleagues in and out of the classroom by promoting an honest and productive dialogue that benefits all students. I have also advocated for necessary changes in our school culture regarding special education issues. The success of such an endeavor depended on establishing credibility and trust among my colleagues. It has always been my vision to extend beyond my own classroom.

Community involvement has been a crucial component in my career. By being in constant dialogue and collaboration in my community, not only have I become a better human being but these experiences have helped me to become a better educator. After thirty-three years, I am still enthusiastic and committed to my profession and my students. I am aware of the influence we can have in a child's life. For this reason, I cannot spare any effort to develop their intellect as well as their character and life skills so that; they become responsible citizens with options in the future.