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.

***

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