Stephanie Chapman, 36, Reading Specialist

, a Riverdale Park resident and reading specialist at Hyattsville Elementary School, passed away Dec. 11 after a six-year battle with cancer.

A native of North Adams, Mass., Chapman graduated from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 1997 before going on to serve as an Americorp volunteer in George, Wa.

In 2001, she taught second grade in a dual language program at the American School of Guatemala in Guatemala City. She then went on to teach in the dual language program at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Hyattsville and served as a reading specialist at Hyattsville Elementary School from 2006 until her death.

In 2003, Chapman received the Washington Post’s and the Embassy of Spain’s International Teaching Fellowship, allowing her to attend educational programs in Spain. In 2008 she earned her master's in Education - Elementary Reading and Literacy.

A celebration of Chapman's life will be held at the Mill On The Floss Restaurant in New Ashford, Mass., on Sunday, Jan. 8 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Stephanie's memory to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, or the Washington Animal Rescue League.

For more information, view Chapman's obituary as published in the North Adams Transcript.