Teachers nominated for honor
One hundred and forty-one teachers were recently chosen as the few, the proud, the Yuma County Teacher of the Year nominees.
Nominated by their colleagues, candidates include teachers from six categories: first year, primary, intermediate, K-6 special area, junior high/middle school, high school and college/university.
Nominees are then narrowed down to a smaller group of finalists from each category after being interviewed by selection committees made up of Yuma County Rotarians and other community members.
Those chosen as finalists are asked to submit a short essay containing a brief history of their background in education, their philosophy of education, their view of the teacher's role in society and a 10-minute video tape of them teaching in the classroom. They are also called back for a second interview.
At the 26th Annual Teacher of the Year Banquet on April 23, category winners will be announced as well as the 2013 Teacher of the Year. Hall of Fame members will also be recognized at the event, which is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Yuma and the Education Foundation of Yuma County.
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The nominees:
First Year Teacher
Martha Angulo, Ed Pastor Elementary
Krystal Barajas, Desert Mesa Elementary School
Rita Beltran, Cesar Chavez Elementary School
Greg Brown, Gila Ridge High School
Mitzuly Castro Delgado, Rio Colorado Elementary School
Evan Chamberlain, Yuma High School
Blanca Cole, Palmcroft Elementary School
Lauryn Coleman, Tierra del Sol Elementary School
Joshua Colson, Orange Grove Elementary School
Desiree Cooksey, C. W. McGraw Elementary School
Blake Croutch, Sunrise Elementary School
Richard Doxtader, O.C. Johnson Elementary School
Briana Edgerton, G.W. Carver Elementary School
Sandra Flores, Desert View Elementary School
Joseph Giorsetto, Valley Horizon Elementary School
Carolyn Herman, Gila Vista Junior High School
MGySgt Eric Holland, Kofa High School
Erika Loya, Gadsden Elementary School
Shannon Massaro, Fourth Avenue Junior High School
Elizabeth McShane, Gary A. Knox Elementary School
Alison Mindus, Pueblo Elementary School
Deanna Moreno, Roosevelt Elementary School
Joshua Mount, Ronald Reagan Elementary School
Furqan Muhammad, San Luis High School
Jacob Nurse, Desert Sonora Elementary School
Mikal Pielech, James. B Rolle Elementary School
Kathryn (Logan) Pippin, Salida del Sol Elementary School
Esmeralda Pulido, San Luis Middle School
Nickolas Pulsipher, Somerton Middle School
Caitlin Sheedy, Crane Middle School
Charles "Stevin" Smith, Centennial Middle School
Jason Winters, Castle Dome Middle School
Lauren Wischhusen, Cibola High School
Reynaldo Zamudi, Valle Del Encanto Learning Center
Primary
Jennifer Adair, O.C. Johnson Elementary School
Maria Aguilera, Desert View Elementary School
Traci Allen, Ronald Reagan Elementary School
Rubycell Barragan, Gadsden Elementary School
Sara Corona, Amerischools Academy South
Jessica Escalante, Tierra del Sol Elementary School
Ana Fausto, Cesar Chavez Elementary School
LynAnne German, Roosevelt Elementary School
Vanessa Gonzalez, Ed Pastor Elementary School
Jennifer Hartley, Palmcroft Elementary School
Andrea Herrera, Rio Colorado Elementary School
Leslie Lis, C. W. McGraw Elementary School
Beth Lottinger, Salida del Sol Elementary School
Kristen Maynard, Desert Mesa Elementary School
Maria McClain, Mary A. Otondo Elementary School
Sarah Munger, Valley Horizon Elementary School
Kathryn Nixon, James. D. Price Elementary School
Patricia Nuno, Valle Del Encanto Learning Center
Aneli Obregon, Sunrise Elementary School
Diana Ramos, Pecan Grove Elementary School
Cindy Rice, Pueblo Elementary School
Irene Rush, Orange Grove Elementary School
Lavon Sierra, Gary A. Knox Elementary School
Andrea Sinks, G.W. Carver Elementary School
Carolyn Smiley, Mesquite Elementary School
Araceli Valtierra, Desert Sonora Elementary School
Jessenia Wong-Cazares, Arizona Desert Elementary School
Intermediate
Jodi Barksdale, C. W. McGraw Elementary School
Lindsey Bohstedt, Ronald Reagan Elementary School
Elena Bowling, Gary A. Knox Elementary School
Anel Calderon, Rio Colorado Elementary School
Kathy Conde, Dateland Elementary School
Gerardo Curiel, Desert View Elementary School
Rebecca Eyestone, Desert Mesa Elementary School
Raymond Farley, Amerischools Academy North
Ireri Fernandez, Tierra del Sol Elementary School
Joel Flores, Cesar Chavez Elementary School
Anne Foley, Pueblo Elementary School
Mayra Franco, Arizona Desert Elementary School
Angela Guido, O.C. Johnson Elementary School
Erika Johnson, Rancho Viejo Elementary School
Angela-Rose Logan, Sunrise Elementary School
Jayne Marshall, Mesquite Elementary School
Zayda McIntire, Orange Grove Elementary School
Graciela Millan-McDaniel, Gadsden Elementary School
Jesus Moreno, Ed Pastor Elementary School
Debanie Murdock, Mohawk Valley Elementary School
Rodolfo Rodriguez, G.W. Carver Elementary School
Isabel Santa Cruz, Valley Horizon Elementary School
Teresa Teeter, Roosevelt Elementary School
Regan Williams (Pereira), Pecan Grove Elementary School
Lorena Zendejas, Desert Sonora Elementary School
K-6 Special Area
Brenda Ault, Ronald Reagan Elementary School
Alexis Aviles, Salida del Sol Elementary School
Julio Castillo, Cesar Chavez Elementary School
Paula Christiansen, O.C. Johnson Elementary School
Elizabeth Colton, Valley Horizon Elementary School
Meagan Crane, Sunrise Elementary School
Lisa Crayne, Orange Grove Elementary School
Wendy Davis, Rancho Viejo Elementary School
Chelsea Grasso, Desert Sonora Elementary School
Shelley Hawkins, H. L. Suverkrup Elementary School
Jeremy Hurlbut, Tierra del Sol Elementary School
Touchet Jean, Gadsden Elementary School
Marivel Montanez, Rio Colorado Elementary School
Jarrod Norris, G.W. Carver Elementary School
Maria Nunez, Desert View Elementary School
Ginger Parsons, Mesquite Elementary School
Louie Pisano, Roosevelt Elementary School
Sarai Robles, Arizona Desert Elementary School
Cassie Russo, Gary A. Knox Elementary School
Patty Sheppard, Valle Del Encanto Learning Center
Meaghan Sweney, Mary A. Otondo Elementary School
Monica Tracy, Pueblo Elementary School
Diana Tunell, Desert Mesa Elementary School
Sherri Wayman, Palmcroft Elementary School
Cheri Williams, James. B Rolle Elementary School
Junior High/Middle School
Jacquelin Acedo, Ron Watson Middle School
Ana Laura Batres, Castle Dome Middle School
Brian Carlson, Centennial Middle School
Lauren Daniels, Crane Middle School
Kelly Gurney, Woodard Junior High School
Alicia Jorajuria, Wellton Elementary School
James Kuzniak, Crane Middle School
Betsy Ann Lacenski, Southwest Junior High School
Karla Lopez, Centennial Middle School
Erin Morgan, San Luis Middle School
Kerry Morse, Fourth Avenue Junior High School
Mary Ann Potestades, Somerton Middle School
Tess Powrie, Gila Vista Junior High School
Nicole Wilhelmy, Castle Dome Middle School
High School
Gaudelia Castro-Moreno, Vista Alternative High School
Michelle Ellenburg, Gila Ridge High School
David Hannah, Gila Ridge High School
Jason McCutcheon, Yuma High School
Marlie Meza, Yuma High School
Sam Romine, Antelope High School
Jim Saladin, San Luis High School
Tom Spanton, Kofa High School
Brandon Stroup, Cibola High School
Robert Vitello, Kofa High School
Chad Williams, Cibola High School
Andrea Woodahl, San Luis High School
College/University
Maureen Garrett, Arizona Western College
Amalia Garzon, Northern Arizona University-Yuma
Charles Main, Northern Arizona University-Yuma
George Montopoli, Arizona Western College
