From Bethesda Magazine: Two educators share their experiences and expertise through books

A fictional story about immigrants and a non-fiction book about uplifting Black students are by MoCo authors

May 12, 2026 10:05 a.m.

Maria Karametou and Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy. Photo credit: Courtesy photos

The Amalgam book cover — Photo credit: Courtesy photo

A new novel highlights immigrant struggles across the generations

Maria Karametou was working as an art professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, when she decided to write a fictional story that drew on the experience of her grandparents—who were forced to move to Greece as refugees during World War I—and her own immigrant journey to the U.S. from Athens in the late 1970s as a college student. She entered an excerpt from an early draft of the novel in Bethesda Magazine’s Short Story & Essay Contest in 2018 and earned second-place recognition in the Adult Short Story category. “I was wondering if it was any good and reluctant to pursue publication,” says Karametou, who lives in Bethesda. “When I got the award, I thought, Maybe I should continue writing the book. Maybe I have something there. It was what I needed at the time to continue writing. So I’m grateful for that.” She retired from George Mason in 2022 and began writing full time. The story, which takes place in the U.S., Greece and Turkey and weaves together a family saga, became her debut novel, The Amalgam (Vine Leaves Press, March 2026).

Beyond the Doll Tests book cover — Photo credit: Courtesy photo

A Potomac educator shares best practices for uplifting Black students

Having worked as a teacher, counselor, professor and education leader, Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy says she’s often been asked how to turn things around for Black children who struggle in school. In her book Beyond the Doll Tests: Affirming and Uplifting Black Students’ Well-Being (Harvard Education Press, March 2026), the Potomac author combines history, research, case studies and her own observations to provide a road map for educators and parents to help Black students overcome challenges they often face. “We continue to see glaring gaps in opportunities for students,” says Holcomb-McCoy, 61. “This is about saving lives. I think sometimes we need to talk about education in that way.” Early in her career, Holcomb-McCoy worked for Montgomery County Public Schools in Silver Spring as a kindergarten teacher and later as a school counselor. She became dean of American University’s School of Education, and now is president and CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

More Recent Books By Local Authors:

The Other Beautiful People (Regal House Publishing, June 2026) by Caroline Bock of Potomac

Off the Record (Lake Union Publishing, June 2026) by Sara Goodman Confino of Rockville

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G.I. Jive: A Dictionary of Words at War: The Vernacular of Victory (1939-1946) (Bloomsbury Academic, January 2026) by Paul Dickson of Kensington

Becca and Bubbe’s Bucket List (Rocky Pond Books, May 2026) by Laura Gehl of Chevy Chase

The Song of the Blue Bird (100 Block by Row House, March 2026) by Esther Goldenberg of Silver Spring

Everything She Most Admired (Apprentice House, May 2026) by Deborah Kalb of Chevy Chase

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine