Frederick, MD – Brunswick High School Literacy Specialist Lydia Kowalski thought she was taking her English students to the library to check out books.
Instead, she was surprised with the news that she was the recipient of the 2025 Charles E. Tressler Distinguished Teacher Award sponsored by Hood College. She was greeted in the school library by family members, Brunswick High students and staff and community and system leaders.
The Charles E. Tressler Award annually recognizes an FCPS teacher who goes above and beyond to support students. The award is named after Tressler, a former member of the Hood college faculty who encouraged young people to enter the profession of teaching and was established as a gift from the late Samuel Eig from Gaithersburg.
“Ms. Kowalski’s tireless commitment to her students at Brunswick High makes her a wonderful recipient of this honor,” FCPS Superintendent Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson said. “I am so grateful to Hood College for presenting this award to a deserving educator each year.”
Kowalski has served as the literacy specialist at Brunswick High since 2019 and held the same role at Tuscarora High and Ballenger Creek Middle. In her nomination packet, FCPS staff and community members lauded Kowalski’s dedication to ensuring all students receive the support they need.
“Ms. Kowalski’s unwavering dedication to her students and colleagues has earned her the admiration and respect of her peers, administrators, students, and parents alike,” Brunswick High Principal Eric Schwarzenegger wrote in his nomination form. “With extensive experience across several schools within FCPS, she has made a profound impact not only on the students she directly serves but als through the teachers she mentors and supports.”
Kowalski, a 2019 FCPS Teacher of the Year finalist, has been active in the community, serving as the Teachers as Readers Chair and the Young Author Contest Judge for the Frederick County Literacy Chapter. She also established the Tian Reading Buddies Outreach program for elementary schools in the Tuscarora High feeder pattern.
Kowalski earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Secondary Education from Mount St. Mary’s University and a Master’s of Science in Reading Specialization from Hood College.