Exceptional Educators
Highlighting 22 incredible teachers—from preschool through high school—who teach kids with integrity and compassion.
Being a teacher is no easy feat—from lesson plans and grading to continuing education and assisting in extracurriculars—a teacher’s job is never done. These talented teachers not only manage to be successful educators but go the extra mile to create lasting impacts on the students they teach, often becoming mentors, inspirations and continuing to offer support outside the classroom. Educating the next generation of Americans is important work and these honorees do it with patience, understanding and knowledge of an exceptional educator.
Niamh Barry
RISE PROGRAM/ACADEMIC SUPPORT, ST. MARGARET MARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL
St. Margaret Mary’s 2024 Distinguished Educator, Barry is passionate and dedicated to student growth. With degrees from University College Dublin and the University of Strathclyde, she joined St. Margaret Mary in 1997. After 18 years as a third grade teacher, she transitioned to academic support, specializing in math and enrichment. Recognizing a need for advanced learning, Barry earned a postgraduate certificate in gifted education from UCF and launched the RISE program in 2018, fostering rigorous instruction and challenging students to excel academically and beyond.
Laura Beck
IB BIOLOGY AND HONORS BIOLOGY, WINDERMERE PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Backed by 15 years of teaching experience and a desire for furthering a love of science amongst her students, Beck is committed to creating a supportive, family-like classroom environment where students feel safe, celebrated and inspired. Now in her second year at WPS, she has taught all levels of biology, including standard, honors, AP and IB. Her dynamic teaching integrates real-world examples, hands-on labs and diverse learning modalities to make biology engaging and relevant. She is also the current co-sponsor for both the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society at WPS.
Nia Blevins
SIXTH-EIGHTH GRADE TEACHER, THE WALDEN SCHOOL
Blevins brings her love of theater into the classroom. Her enthusiasm for both education and the arts drives her to inspire her students to think critically, to express themselves confidently and to embrace the joy of learning. With a B.A. in theater from The Ohio State University, Blevins blends her theatrical background with the Montessori method, making learning an engaging, hands-on experience for her students. Outside of the classroom, she has been actively involved in various theater productions across the city of Orlando. Blevins’ ultimate dream is to establish a Montessori-inspired program of her own.
Shannon Chambley
KINDERGARTEN, THE GENEVA SCHOOL
With her faith as the cornerstone of her career, Chambley began teaching over 25 years ago, and has served on the board of the Early Learning Coalition and traveled internationally to offer training for preschool and kindergarten programs. Her favorite part of her job is watching students make connections between their education and their faith. She is a contributing author to Distinctively Christian: A Christ-Centered Approach to Early Childhood Philosophy and Principles and released her first children’s book, What He Said to Me in the fall of 2023.
Jessica Damron
HISTORY, THE FIRST ACADEMY
Under Damron’s guidance, The First Academy’s AP and honors U.S. history classes have come alive. The highlight of her work is transforming students who might have little interest in history into ones who love it. She treasures the moments when students go from seeing history as dates and events to understanding it as stories of real people. Her Ph.D dissertation, soon to be published, is titled Lighting the Lamp of Learning: Florida Freedmen’s Education During Reconstruction, and reveals the efforts that advanced the education of freedmen in Florida during Reconstruction.
Rosita Darden
ENGLISH, LAKE HIGHLAND PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Since arriving at LHP five years ago, Darden has inspired her students to develop a love of literature and writing in the classroom through her creative approach to teaching. In addition, she continues her love of storytelling through her work in the school’s theater department, helping build costumes and run theater camps during the summer. Her commitment to teaching was recently celebrated by the LHP community, with Darden receiving the school’s prestigious President’s Cup Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2024.
Kyle Dennis
SIXTH GRADE MATH AND RESEARCH, ORLANDO GIFTED ACADEMY
A 16-year teaching veteran, Dennis is a beloved educator and student advocate. For the past two years, he has taught sixth grade students at OGA—creating a welcoming and inclusive learning environment where students feel comfortable expressing themselves. He also coaches the Science Olympiad and FIRST LEGO League teams. Last year, Dennis’s exceptional teaching led to 83% of his level 2 math students graduating sixth grade at a level 3 or higher. Furthermore, 100% of his students who were already proficient in math either maintained or improved their achievement levels.
Talya Frost
MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH, LAKE EOLA CHARTER SCHOOL
Frost is a truly remarkable teacher who transforms middle school math into an engaging, life-changing journey. Through innovative methods, she connects with students during their tumultuous adolescent years, helping them discover their passions and voices. By creating real-world examples of math’s importance, she inspires students to see its relevance in their success. Her classroom is a microcosm of life, with jobs, paychecks for achievements, taxes, and fees to teach responsibility. Frost also leads the Leadership Club, honing students’ potential and co-coaches the middle school basketball team.
Cherese Fussner
GEOMETRY, WINTER PARK HIGH NINTH GRADE CENTER
With 16 years of experience, Fussner’s creative lesson plans, hands-on activities and genuine enthusiasm for geometry create a dynamic and supportive learning environment. Her innovative approach to teaching geometry has transformed the way students learn and experience the subject—yielding remarkable results. Last year, 86% of her students who began the year below grade level achieved proficiency on the B.E.S.T. Geometry End of Course Assessment. Furthermore, Fussner’s significant contributions have played a key role in Winter Park High’s impressive 97% pass rate on the Geometry EOC over the past two years.
Mary Grady
STEM TEACHER, BISHOP MOORE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
Described as a trailblazer, Grady was honored with the 2016 Teaching in Excellence Award by the Diocese of Orlando. With a passion for biology and biomedical sciences, she creates collaborative educational experiences, and was instrumental in developing the biomedical track curriculum for Bishop Moore’s Catholic Programs of Distinction. As a certified private pilot, Grady was the driving force behind the development of a dual-enrollment program with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona. Through her efforts, BMC now offers a comprehensive four-year aviation program.
Tiffany Heaney
ELA, ORLANDO SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Heaney’s versatile expertise in teaching inspires even struggling students to develop a genuine love for reading. Her dedication goes beyond the classroom from sponsoring student-led clubs to after-school tutoring. Her unique approach to analyzing student performance data identifies each student’s strengths and improvement areas, allowing her to help them successfully meet Florida’s reading graduation requirements. Her classroom has been recognized as a “Model Classroom”—a testament to her learner-driven instructional approach.
Romina Jannotti, Ph.D.
SCIENCE, TRINITY PREPARATORY SCHOOL OF FLORIDA
In addition to teaching a plethora of science courses including honors and AP chemistry, and anatomy and physiology, Jannotti is the science department chair. A testament to her excellence, Jannotti was recently selected for the second consecutive year to participate in the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator program. Participants are selected based on recommendations from former students due to their contributions to young people’s academic and personal development. Jannotti challenges students intellectually, helping them to deeply explore new areas of discovery and to channel their personal interests for intellectual growth.
Jacqueline Lawrence
FIFTH GRADE SCIENCE, ROCK LAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Through innovative teaching practices—including Kagan Mind Mapping and engaging hands-on labs—Lawrence has transformed struggling learners into successful students, achieving a remarkable 67% pass rate on the state science assessment in a previously struggling classroom. Beyond academics, Lawrence founded the Rock Lake Girls Running Club, a debate team, a dance group and created the school’s first yearbook. As a mentor and team leader, she actively supports her colleagues, going above and beyond to ensure their success. Her impact is perhaps best summarized by former student Kambria Chambers: “Ms. Lawrence believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”
Scott Lords
SCIENCE, WOLF LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL
This self-described “Dollar Tree teacher” creates an engaging hands-on lesson each day for his science students. After “barely graduating” high school, Lords connected with a geology professor at community college who showed him how learning could be fun. The professor’s appetite for learning and connecting with students inspired Lords to become a teacher who could impact change. Guided by the motto “simple science equals amazing science,” Lords seeks not only to educate but to stimulate a love of learning and have a lasting positive effect, leading many of his students to view him as a mentor and life coach.
Kathy McLean
AP ART, PHOTOGRAPHY, CERAMICS 1 & 2, 2D ART, TRINITY CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
McLean has developed a deep fervor for cultivating creativity and is dedicated to bringing out the individual talents in each student. Believing that art is a powerful way for students to express their unique voices and perspectives, she encourages everyone to explore their own styles and ideas—promoting a supportive environment where individuality shines. From painting to mixed media, each project is a celebration of what makes each student special. In addition to her flourishing creativity in the classroom, McLean holds pottery classes for her fellow teachers.
Suvani Rodriguez
INTENSIVE READING, LAKE BUENA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL
Rodriguez works tirelessly to support seniors as they strive to pass ELA state assessments and meet graduation requirements. At the end of the 2023-2024 school year, 85% of her students—many of whom had previously been in the bottom 25% in reading performance—achieved proficiency scores. Furthermore, Rodriguez ensured that 95% of the seniors who were English-language learners successfully completed all of their graduation requirements. Her commitment to student success extends beyond the classroom; she also sponsors the school’s Latinos in Action program, where she has been instrumental in increasing student involvement from less than 20 students to over 150.
Katie Sampson
FIRST GRADE TEACHER, THE CHRIST SCHOOL
Sampson’s warm, intentional classroom creates a sense of community where students feel safe, loved and inspired to learn. Known for her creative and joyful lessons—like composing songs to teach spelling rules—Sampson makes learning meaningful and enjoyable. She empowers her students to advocate for themselves, to persevere through challenges and to embrace a growth mindset. Parents praise her ability to truly see each child as a unique creation of God, meeting their academic, social and emotional needs with care and expertise.
Danielle Smith
FIRST GRADE, DILLARD STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Committed to professional growth and student success, Smith pursued advanced training in reading and STEM. Notably, her kindergarten students two years ago demonstrated an impressive increase in proficiency on the STAR Early Literacy test—rising from 6% to 82% over the course of the school year. Smith’s devotion extends beyond the core curriculum; she founded a science club to engage students in hands-on activities and to foster critical thinking skills. Her advocacy for environmental sustainability led to the acquisition of grants and the implementation of a school-wide composting program. Smith shares her expertise and innovative ideas with new teachers, contributing to a collaborative and supportive professional community.
Jonathan Stalma
LANGUAGE ARTS, MONTVERDE ACADEMY
Upon graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Stalma moved to Florida where he taught for 12 years at East Ridge High School before arriving at Montverde Academy in 2017. Now in his eighth year at the schoool, Stalma feels fortunate to teach some of the best and brightest students from around the world, most of whom graduate as Distinguished Scholars, in his freshman honors English and AP language and composition courses. His unique schedule gives Stalma the opportunity to engage with students twice in their high school careers, and to see their growth and educational maturity.
Ashley Stephens
LOWER SCHOOL HONORS TEACHER, FOUNDATION ACADEMY
Stephens enjoys thinking outside the box to provide an exceptional learning experience for her students. She challenges her students and allows them to explore learning in different and innovative ways. In her classroom, students are provided the opportunity to explore various forms of technology, such as coding and robotics, through games and hands-on activities to make learning fun. Stephens is dedicated to inspiring young students and helping them develop the skills they need for the rapidly advancing world.
Morgane van Waeyenberghe
LANGUAGE ARTS, PARK MAITLAND
Van Waeyenberghe is a proud alumna of Stetson University and holds a master’s degree in instructional leadership from the American College of Education. In addition to teaching middle school English, she serves as the LEGO Robotics coach, the sponsor for NJHS and teaches a creative writing elective. As an educator, her passions are inspiring joy in reading, mentoring fellow teachers and analyzing data. She has served as an instructional coach, media specialist and reading teacher in past roles. Van Waeyenberghe engages students with positivity and kindness, pushing them to think critically and beyond themselves.
Sierra Yoder
CHORUS, CORNER LAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Growing up in Sarasota, Yoder was surrounded by music and family. Singing hymns together with her loved ones sparked her affinity for harmonies, and from an early age she knew that music would be an integral part of her life. Her experiences in choir not only gave her a place to unwind but also inspired her to pursue a career where she could offer other students the same opportunity. Yoder is vehement about helping students find their voice and experience the joy and connection that music can bring, and has been nominated for the Lindsey Kelly Rising Star Award.