Nedda has been a lifelong, dedicated teacher with certifications in special education and assistive technology. After graduating from Northeastern, she taught English at a junior high school in Boston, and also went on to get her master’s degree at Northeastern. Her husband Howie is also a Northeastern alumnus with bachelor and doctorate degrees in chemistry.
She began her career in earnest as an English/reading specialist at a Delaware school, followed by a part-time position teaching those who did not complete high school. Nedda reflects: “It was great! They had so many issues in their lives, and looked to me, as well as each other, for guidance and support. I was able to motivate most of them to finish and receive their General Education Diplomas (GEDs).”
She eventually transitioned back to teaching full time in a vocational high school as a Language Arts/Reading/Special Ed teacher, and continued in that district for the remainder of her career.
Among numerous accomplishments, she is the recipient of the Delaware Adult Educator of the Year Award, the Outstanding Program Achievement Award and the Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Education in Delaware. She is currently on the board of United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware, and previously served as board president.
Nedda says, “I retired from full-time teaching in 2013, but returned to teach (part-time in the same district) GED prep to adults at the Department of Labor. I did this for four or five years before fully retiring. Since then, I have been very active in our local Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the largest in the country; on the board of United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware; and as a member of many other committees and organizations, including three book groups. My first daughter (also a Northeastern grad) is a pharmacist at a Philadelphia hospital. My second daughter works for the state of Delaware as a trainer and leads seminars on inclusion. My son is a lawyer who lives in Silicon Valley. I have three grandchildren who are all above average and are, thank goodness, pretty funny. NU legacies, perhaps?”
Nedda Young Barth graduated from Northeastern University in 1970 with a degree in Liberal Arts.