Saltonstall Special Education Educator Kendra Nicolois Recipient of SSU Northeast Regional Educators Hall of Fame Rising Star Award
Ms. Nicolois joins Jabari Tovar ‘12 as the second recipient in three years
SALEM (Dec. 4, 2025) – Kendra Nicolois, a special education educator at the Saltonstall School, received the Salem State University Northeast Regional Educators Hall of Fame Rising Star Award in a ceremony Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Hawthorne Hotel.
The Rising Star Award is presented to Salem State McKeown School of Education alumni between 3-10 years into their teaching career who demonstrate significant contributions to their school district, college/university or organization.
“This award means everything to me,” Ms. Nicolois said. “I feel that in the role of education, teachers can be overlooked for all the things we do. You’re a mom. You’re a caretaker. It’s a role that isn’t always celebrated. This is a true honor honestly.
“My students are at the heart of what I do,” she added. “We are very lucky to have the student population that we do. I like to build relationships not just with students, but with families.”
A 2018 graduate of Salem State, Ms. Nicolois is in her eighth year as an educator and seventh year at SPS. After one year as a paraprofessional at Beverly Public Schools, she moved on to the Bentley Academy Innovation School where she served as a paraprofessional for one year, followed by two years as a grade 3 teacher.
Having earned her master’s degree in 2022, Ms. Nicolois became a special education teacher at Bentley, where she served for three more years before moving to Saltonstall this school year.
At Salem State, Ms. Nicolois was involved in Greek life and was a founding member of the Active Minds Club, an organization which promotes mental health awareness and caters to the mental health needs of SSU students.
Ms. Nicolois’ honor marks the second time in three years a Salem Public Schools educator has been honored with the Rising Star Award. In 2023, SPS music educator Jabari Tovar ‘12 (Salem State Class of ‘16) was a recipient of the honor.
Ms. Nicolois is a 2014 graduate of Beverly High School and currently resides in Beverly, Mass.
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts, a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens through which we view our work. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff unconditionally serves each of our 4,000 students across 11 schools regardless of ability or language.
