Extraordinary Educators from Across County Receive Awards and Grants at Santa Barbara County Education Office’s Annual Education Celebration Event

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SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CA – Santa Barbara County’s remarkable educators were honored Thursday evening at the 2023 Education Celebration. Hosted by the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO) at the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott in Buellton, the event highlighted more than 100 grant and award winners for their meaningful contributions and outstanding service to their school communities. 

Awards and grants presented were the Santa Barbara Teachers Federal Credit Union Crystal Apple Educator Awards, Bill Cirone Heart of Education Award, Marvin Melvin Career Technical Educator Awards, Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year Award, Care for Our Earth Grants, Instructional Strategy Team Grants, Curriculum Project Grants, Performing Arts Curriculum Project Grants, Collaborative Learning Team Grants, and Teachnet Technology Grants. The outgoing and incoming Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year Award winners were also recognized, along with Sonia Aguila, California and National Bilingual Teacher of the Year and teacher at Canalino Elementary School in the Carpinteria Unified School District.

The recipients were selected by the SBCEO’s Teachers Network, which has provided $1.4 million in grants and awards since its establishment in 1983. Grants were received by individual teachers and also teams of teachers from different schools who have collaborated on new instructional strategies to support innovative learning initiatives in all subject areas including environmental science, performing arts, and the integration of technology into the classroom

“The exceptional educators recognized tonight reaffirm for us all that there is so much to memorialize and celebrate in education across Santa Barbara County,” said Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido. “Teachers are the number one factor in student learning and motivation, and we know that they can’t do what they do alone. We appreciate all of our business partners and sponsors for their genuine support of and investment in our local schools. Congratulations to the honorees for excelling in their work and placing students at the center of it.”

The event included a special performance by the Orcutt Academy High School Jazz Band, directed by 2022 Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year, Josie Coburn. Emceeing were Maurene Donner, principal/superintendent of College School District, and Scott Reed, president and CEO of the Music Academy. 

Joanna Hendrix, whose term as the 2023 County Teacher of the Year ends in July, congratulated her fellow educators in the room.

“To the grant recipients and the honorees, I like to consider you and myself as the dreamers, the schemers, the innovators, and the visionaries. When you pair one of us with community partners – the builders, the doers, the believers, the volunteers, the donors, and the businesses – it creates this magical team that nearly guarantees success,” she said. “Thank you to the Teachers Network for being the conduit in creating these matches and for recognizing and rewarding innovation inside and outside of the classroom. Thank you for all that you do in cultivating the relationships between the community sponsors and the educators throughout Santa Barbara County.”

Hendrix welcomed 2024 County Teacher of the Year, Greg Wolf of Santa Ynez Union High School, who expressed excitement for the year ahead in his remarks to the crowd.

SBCEO appreciates the local businesses that provided funding:

• Cox Communications
• Fielding Graduate University
• Melfred Borzall
• Montecito Bank & Trust
• Santa Barbara City College Foundation
• Santa Barbara Bowl
• Santa Barbara Teachers Federal Credit Union
• Altrusa
• Chevron
• Deckers Brands
• ExxonMobil
• Frank Schipper Construction Co.
• Noozhawk
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
• Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District
• Santa Barbara County Water Agency
• Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation
• Santa Ynez Valley Foundation
• SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union
• Towbes Foundation
• TRADART Foundation

For more about the awards and recipients listed below, please visit www.sbceo.org/edcelebration.

Santa Barbara Teachers Federal Credit Union Crystal Apple Educator Awards

Sponsor: Santa Barbara Teachers Federal Credit Union

• Administrators:
  • Claudia Echavarria, Santa Ynez Valley Special Education Consortium
  • Shelli Hart, Santa Maria-Bonita School District
• Certificated support providers:
  • Rose Marie Battaglia, Mary Buren School, Guadalupe Union School District
  • Maggie Fernandez Diaz, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Classified employees:
  • Brie Cromer, Los Olivos School, Los Olivos School District
  • Marc Tosches, Orcutt Academy High School, Orcutt Union School District
• Elementary teachers:
  • Kelly Orwig, Cold Spring School, Cold Spring School District
  • Silvana Patterson, Santa Ynez School, College School District
• Secondary teachers:
  • Justin Fraser, Delta High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
  • Emily Shaeer, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District

Bill Cirone Heart of Education Award

• Eduardo Gonzales-Ramos, Mark Richardson Career Technical Education Center & Agriculture Farm, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District

Marvin Melvin Career Technical Educator Awards

Sponsors: Frank Schipper Construction Co., TRADART Foundation

• Gary Dimitratos, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Terri Ingram, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District

Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year

Sponsor: Santa Barbara Bowl

• Elesa Carlson, Ernest Righetti High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District

Care for our Earth Grant recipients

Sponsor: Santa Barbara County Water Agency

• Richard Burlingham, Mission Valley School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Lauren Dalton, Santa Ynez Valley Charter School, College School District
• Paul DePaulo, Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
• Michelle Fomin, Vista de las Cruces School, Vista del Mar Union School District
• Sharon Gallagher, Solvang School, Solvang School District
• Robert Goettler, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
• Riccardo Magni, Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
• Matt Makowetski, Maple High School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Kelly McDonald, Solvang School, Solvang School District

Instructional Strategy Team Grant recipients

Sponsors: Towbes Foundation, Santa Barbara Teachers Federal Credit Union, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Cox Communications, Melfred Borzall, Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara City College Foundation, Montecito Bank & Trust, Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, Deckers Brands, Altrusa

• Team 1:
  • Noe Chavez, Arthur Hapgood School, Lompoc Unified School District (Team Coach)
  • Elizabeth Miquelon, Arthur Hapgood School, Lompoc Unified School District
  • Veronica Corona, Arthur Hapgood School, Lompoc Unified School District
  • Megan McCarter, El Camino School, Goleta Union School District
  • Erika Carbajal, Arthur Hapgood School, Lompoc Unified School District
  • Cecilia Barros-Pitts, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Team 2:
  • Chris Ladwig, Cabrillo High School, Lompoc Unified School District (Team Coach)
  • Lucy Carleton, Carpinteria High School, Carpinteria Unified School District
  • Krista Caniano, Lompoc Valley Middle School, Lompoc Unified School District
  • Sarah Barthel, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
  • Catherine Borgard, Cabrillo High School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Team 3:
  • Annabel Meza, Adelante Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified School District (Team Coach)
  • Alexia Limón, Adelante Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified School District (Team Coach)
  • Andrea Carrillo, Adelante Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
  • Damaris Alcaraz, McKinley Elementary School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
  • Analy Gaxiola, McKinley Elementary School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
  • Jose Sandoval Buzo, Adelante Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
  • Graciela (Chely) Rodriguez, Adelante Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
  • Courtney Brewer, Monroe Elementary School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
  • Cynthia Esquivel, McKinley Elementary School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
• Team 4:
  • Jason Naczek, Santa Ynez Valley Charter School, College District (Team Coach)
  • Charlene Asmussen, Santa Ynez School, College District
  • Ronnie Tow, Santa Ynez School, College District
  • Robert Goettler, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
• Team 5:
  • Allan Viscarra, Peabody Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified School District (Team Coach)
  • Meagan Pasternak, Peabody Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
  • Lauren Rodriguez, Peabody Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
  • Christine Shaefer, Peabody Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
  • Christina Roessler, Peabody Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
  • Ashley Griffin, Foothill School, Goleta Union School District
  • Liz Long, Peabody Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
  • Mazda Mousavi, Lompoc Valley Middle School, Lompoc Unified School District
  • Amy Willis, Los Olivos School, Los Olivos School District
  • Julia Grigorian, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District

Curriculum Project Grant recipients

Sponsors: Santa Barbara Teachers Federal Credit Union, ExxonMobil, Altrusa, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation, Towbes Foundation, Santa Barbara County Water Agency

• Jacob Gustafson, Ernest Righetti High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
• Terri Cecchine, La Honda STEAM Academy, Lompoc Unified School District
• Caitlin Voss, Ralph Dunlap School, Orcutt Union School District
• Alyssa Prieto, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Wendy Culver, Clarence Ruth School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Ian Moore, Goleta Valley Junior High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District

Performing Arts Curriculum Project Grant recipients

Sponsor: Santa Barbara Bowl

• Emily Libera, Dos Pueblos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
• Bree Jansen, Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Katlin Majewski, Clarence Ruth School, Lompoc Unified School District
• Devon Nelson, Goleta Valley Junior High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District
• Jennifer Peterson, Cabrillo High School, Lompoc Unified School District

Collaborative Learning Team Grant recipients

Sponsors: Cox Communications, Melfred Borzall, Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara City College Foundation, Montecito Bank & Trust, Santa Barbara Bowl, Ellen Dempsey Memorial Grant, Towbes Foundation, Santa Barbara Teachers Federal Credit Union, Santa Ynez Valley Foundation, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Altrusa, Deckers Brand, ExxonMobil, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)

• From Hollister School, Goleta Union School District:
  • Victoria Aguirre (Team Coach)
  • Louise Dahlquist
  • Holly Erassarret
  • Veronica Flores
  • Lindsay Kurtz
  • Jessica Muñoz
• From Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District:
  • Elizabeth P. Alvarez (Team Coach)
  • Victoria Gonzalez
  • Kari Rosson
  • Karlena Schutz
• From Mountain View School, Goleta Union School District
  • Rebecca Faanes (Team Coach)
  • Lauren Baker
  • Kelly Hammond
• From Solvang School, Solvang School District
  • Sharon Gallagher (Team Coach)
  • Michelle Fitzgerald
  • Jill Hunter
  • Cheryl Lastra
  • Tom Mataya
  • Kelly McDonald
• From Ernest Righetti High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
  • Scott Nickason (Team Coach)
  • Auni Baldwin
  • Justin Bronson
  • Christie Ortiz
  • Todd Noel
  • Shawn Ramirez
  • Gary Wilson
• From Lompoc High School, Lompoc Unified School District
  • Alyssa Prieto (Team Coach)
  • Sarah Barthel
  • Francisco Diaz Real
  • Morgan Kelsey

Teachnet Technology Grant recipients

Sponsor: Chevron

• Charlene Asmussen, Santa Ynez School, College School District
• Justin Fraser, Delta High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
• Ty Fredriks, Orcutt Academy High School, Orcutt Union School District
• Karen Hamner, La Honda STEAM Academy, Lompoc Unified School District
• Christopher Silva, Pioneer Valley High School, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
• Lara Willbanks, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara Unified School District

SBCEO hosts two annual educator recognition events: Education Celebration, and A Salute to Teachers in the Fall.

For more information about the SBCEO Teachers Network:

Steve Keithley, Director, SBCEO Teachers Network                                                                 

skeithley@sbceo.org | 805-964-4711 ext. 5281