A Hamden educator with a national distinction — and a proud Southern alum — is helping to bring hands-on technology learning into the classroom while opening doors to career pathways that didn’t exist a decade ago.
Donovan Doviak, ’24, a fifth-grade teacher at ACES Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School, was recently named an Amazon Future Engineer Teacher Ambassador, a recognition awarded to just 100 educators across the country through Amazon’s Amazon Future Engineer program.
A double Owl, Doviak earned his undergraduate degree in 2024 and is now in his final year of his M.S. in special education program, with graduation expected this summer.
In Doviak’s classroom, learning often looks like movement, collaboration, and laughter. Students are building foundational coding and programming skills through interactive, hands-on activities designed to make complex concepts approachable and fun.
“We learn and have fun at the same time,” one student shared during a recent lesson.
The ambassador role allows Doviak to bring new tools and opportunities into the school while sharing strategies with fellow educators. School leaders say his impact extends beyond his own classroom, helping grow technology-focused learning across the building.
For Doviak, the recognition is especially meaningful. Once a student at the school himself, he now teaches in the very classroom where he learned — this time helping students imagine futures in careers that continue to evolve with technology.
“I was a student in the classroom we’re in right now. It’s crazy to think about how far I’ve come and be able to work with the students today and really give them some opportunities that I didn’t necessarily have when I was a kid. It’s incredible,” Doviak said.
The story was featured as part of WTNH News 8’s “What’s Right With Schools” series highlighting innovative education across Connecticut.
WTNH: Hamden teacher with unique honor offers students new opportunity to learn
