THE 2026 FINALISTS ARE HERE!
Stay tuned for the winners’ announcement in the March issue.
2026 Top Teacher Finalists
| First Name | Last Name | School |
| Callie | Albano | Heritage Oak Private Education |
| Beverly | Berekian | Serrano Intermediate School |
| Shelley | Bivens | Fairmont Schools, San Juan Capistrano |
| Caroline | Boehm | Valencia Park Elementary School |
| Amanda | Burzumato | Taft Elementary School |
| Rachael | Butler | Fairmont Schools, Historic Anaheim Campus |
| Rosana | Carrion | Child’s World Preschool |
| Alondra | Diaz | Sycamore Magnet Academy |
| John | Dovenmuehler | Red Hill Lutheran School |
| Ida | Egenberger-Gutierrez | Juliet Morris Elementary School |
| Ana | Flores | Fairmont Preparatory Academy |
| Kathryn | Gibson | La Vista High School |
| Juvy | Gomez | Juarez Elementary School |
| Dayna | Humphries | Heritage Oak Private Education |
| Marissa | Kahle | La Tierra Early Childhood Center |
| Melody | Khavar | Fairmont Schools, San Juan Capistrano |
| Jean | Krever | Villa Park Elementary School |
| Trang | Le | Esther L. Walter Elementary |
| Susan | Lee | Peters Canyon Elementary School |
| Glenn | Madrid | Troy High School |
| Nicole | Mahar | Robert C. Fisler School |
| Juana | Melgoza | Little Scholars Academy of California |
| Katey | Miller | Cielo Vista Elementary School |
| Natalie | Miranda | Vibrant Minds Charter School |
| Jordan | Mock | Fairmont Schools, San Juan Capistrano |
| Anni | Mun | Excel Academy Charter School |
| Tanya | Musquez | TVT Community Day School |
| Christina | Ngo | The Pegasus School |
| Leigh | Nguyen | Fairmont North Tustin |
| Nahyun | Park | Oakridge Private School |
| Julia | Parsons | Orange Lutheran High School |
| Anh | Phan | Westpark Montessori School of Irvine |
| Brendan | Powers | Servite High School |
| Vanessa | Robertson | Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts |
| Lauren | Schmidt | Frank Vessels Elementary School |
| Michelle | Skelley | Northwood Elementary School |
| William | Snyder | Godinez Fundamental High School |
| Kasey | Spencer | Cambridge Virtual Academy |
| David | Sporn | Katella High School |
| Michael | Thatcher | Oakridge Private School |
| Lauren | Vargas | La Habra High School |
| Kelly | Virden | Sonora High School |
| Cecile (Cece) | Vu | Lake Forest Elementary School |
| Linda | Walker | Serrano Elementary School |
| Stephanie | Weber | Sunset Lane Elementary School |
| Courtney | White | Oxford Preparatory Academy, South Orange County |
| Jessica | Winslow | Fairmont North Tustin |
| Cassandra Gonzalez | Wood | Fairmont Schools, Historic Anaheim Campus |
| Tina | Zarate | Jefferson Elementary School |
2026 Top Employee Finalists
| First Name | Last Name | School |
| Miranda | Baird | Capistrano Valley Christian Schools |
| Rebecca | Casas | Little Scholars Academy of California |
| Hanna | Chon | Sunset Lane Elementary School |
| Melissa | Dunham | Heritage Oak Private School |
| Sindy | Garcia | Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts (OCASA) |
| Ruben | Gonzalez | Fairmont Schools, Historic Anaheim Campus |
| Kylie | Hammer | Red Hill Lutheran School |
| Chris | Hernandez | Maple Elementary School |
| Manny | Macias | La Habra High School |
| Nancy | Nguyen | Fairmont Preparatory Academy |
| Dennia | Reyes | La Vista High School |
| Trish | Rogan | Ethel Dwyer Middle School |
| Victor | Ugalde | Godinez Fundamental High School |
2026 Top Leader Finalists
| First Name | Last Name | School |
| Kim | Crackower | Robert H. Lange Preschool |
| Jennifer | Gass | La Madera Elementary School |
| Dawn | Lam | Del Cerro Elementary School |
| Bryan | Rechtien | Oxford Preparatory Academy, South Orange County |
| Kimberly | Slawson | De Portola Elementary School |
| Christina | Stevenson-Carrera | Foothill Ranch Elementary |
| Jennifer | Tafolla | Heritage Oak Private School |
| Agnes | Vasquez | Arroyo Elementary School |
| Liz | Weber | Red Hill Lutheran School |
Make sure to read through our Nomination Criteria for how judging works.
