Winners' Gallery

Carla's job title is "SAFE [Student and Family] Advocate." This means she works in many different roles, with two primary assignments. The first is as a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) instructor. Her second primary role is as a Reading Paraeducator Specialist. Other duties include morning student and family Greeter, Bus Monitor, Recess Supervisor, Student Conflict Mediator Supervisor, Interpreter, and Translator. 

Her educational career began when her children were in school in Bolivia. There, she saw the lack of focus on social dynamics, emotions, and how to deal with them. She recognized that students need to be taught to understand, have control over, and express social/emotional needs, in safe and healthy ways. She got a B.S. degree in 2017 in Social Pedagogy from San Pablo Catholic University in Cochabamba, Bolivia. She saw that as an SEL educator, she could help her students develop high self-esteem, and value themselves enough to do the hard work it takes to excel in meaningful ways in life. For Carla, it's important to motivate her students to know and believe that they can set high academic and life goals and achieve them. She helps them in a realistic way: increasing their self-satisfaction through progress, little by little, smile by smile.

Tammy grew up within the state of Washington, experiencing a variety of school districts in both size and location. Her interest in the field of education occurred during her middle school years due to a very positive role model, who just happened to be a teacher.

She has worked at her current school district for over 25 years. She started out as a substitute teacher but moved away for a few years only to come back to the place she considers home.

After having been a K-8 office manager for 20 years, Tammy took on a new role this year as district student coordinator and student programs. Her current role has allowed her to connect more with students on a variety of platforms. She has the opportunity to greet students first thing in the morning, serve meals, assist students and staff throughout the day, see students off in the afternoon and provide support to our athletic programs and after-school activities.

Tammy finds great satisfaction and fulfillment in her job and the joy the students bring her always puts a smile on her face. She is very passionate with regards to athletics.  Her desire to create a positive environment and impact makes her proud to belong at her district. She finds a great deal of gratification in being able to assist anyone throughout the district. She prides herself in being there for everyone.

Tammy can be seen in many facets of our district and community. She is seen at many athletic events, lending a hand wherever help is needed, an active member of the Grange, serving at community dinners or helping to organize fundraising events.

Erica's professional experience stems from her 18-year tenure as a medical assistant in a community healthcare clinic. It was during this time that she discovered her passion for outreach, as she provided patients with vital community resources tailored to their specific needs. This experience ignited a sense of purpose within Erica, driving her desire to assist and support patients and their families in any way she could. This led her to transition to a role as a Healthcare Assistant within the Yakima School District, where she now serves a student population exceeding 15,000. From initially providing healthcare support in school health rooms to becoming an integral member of the COVID response team during the pandemic, Erica's dedication to helping others has only grown. In her current position as a Community Healthcare Worker, Erica actively advocates for students and their families by offering a wide range of resources, such as food assistance, transportation aid, and medical and utility support. She tirelessly engages with the community through outreach events, organizes essential health clinics and fairs, and consistently seeks new ways to enhance the health and wellness education offered to families within the district. Recently, Erica introduced a food pantry and clothing closet, aiming to address the diverse needs of the school community and provide support to families facing challenges. Erica's unwavering commitment to serving others and her relentless pursuit of community involvement exemplify her devotion to making a positive impact on those around her.

On any given school day, you'll find Mr. Zach at Lexington Elementary interacting with students and coworkers in cool boots and vintage band hoodies. Just like his classroom counterparts might be surprised he was the bass player in a band in his 20's; his band mates are likely surprised he found his calling as a special education paraeducator. Zach is a lifelong resident of Kelso, Washington, raising his family in his childhood home after the loss of his parents at an early age. Born in 1982, he completed his family as the youngest of four siblings. His two older sisters at home and mom, Susan Claypool, spent a lot of time volunteering with 4-H clubs and spending time at the local fairgrounds. While many weekends were spent with his mom; more were spent with his dad, Joe, at their Long Beach property. Clam digging, VHS movies, cousins and local cuisine made these weekends to remember. Zach met and married his wife (Alyssa) in 2012 and they have two sons (Corbin 16 and Joe 10). Encouraged by his mom to apply for the job of paraeducator, she knew that his abundance of empathy, compassion and ability to stay level headed could only benefit the classroom spaces he would later serve. As per usual, his mom was right, and Zach has now spent sixteen years serving as a paraeducator in primarily Special Education classrooms. Working in Special Education classrooms requires a patience that few possess, but Zach tries to implement lessons learned from previous classroom experiences including making a decision and sticking with it, loving the students unconditionally and giving the job everything you have. Success, for him, comes from seeing himself in the students and using techniques and patience that would have positively impacted his learning experience at similar ages.

After working in the insurance business, Kathi chose to become a bus driver, choosing Wishkah as her destination. After going through Bus Drivers training she started with Wishkah as a substitute driver. Within a year she already had her own bus route and later became the District Transportation Supervisor.

When Wishkah needed substitute Paraeducators to help students learn, she was eager to help. She was quickly hired onto the everyday schedule. But it didn't stop there - after a short time she became a full time paraeducator in the special education department.

COVID was a rough time for Wishkah. When the school wanted to bring back groups of students who were having difficulty with distance learning, Kathi had no problem coming back into the building and helping these students. Because she showed instructional talents when working with the kids, Wishkah School district applied for an emergency substitute teaching certificate on her behalf. Now she could help out even more when needed.

During the pandemic, the Wishkah Booster Club folded, the concession stand stood empty, and the school ceased to serve its famous Logger Burgers to hungry community members and visiting teams and coaches. When sporting events started coming back and there was nobody to open the concession stand, Kathi was right there asking if her Equestrian Team could open the concession stand and continue the Logger Burger tradition. Busy with concessions, she still had time to coach her students on the equestrian team.

In the summertime, Kathi helps with groundskeeping and maintenance, working long hot days to keep Wishkah looking and working its best for student learning.

Kathi really cares about the students and staff and making Wishkah a great place for learning. Nothing is out of her reach; she has the strive to keep the spirit alive.

Carrie is a Special Education Primary age Para-educator. Carrie has been passionate about Early Childhood and Special Education from a young age. She has worked with children of all ages and abilities in daycare and school settings. She is also active as a 4-H leader, a Child Passenger Safety Technician, a Parent Teacher Association board member for the elementary schools, active in the middle school Parent Teacher Organization, and a preschool board member in her community. 

As a 4-H leader, she helps the kids complete community service hours yearly. Last year, her club was awarded the community service award from the county 4-H leader's council. She was a Teacher's Aid for the elementary Life Skills class as a high school student for 3 years. Carrie volunteered for the classrooms her children were in for 4 years before becoming a permanent employee of the Sequim School District. She started as a Reading Recovery Paraeducator and then moved to the Special Education Department when a position became available. Carrie has been asked to sit in on the new para-educator training to help welcome the new paras for the year. She was asked to tell the new paras about her experiences and answer questions about the work environment. 

In her current role, Carrie has found her passion in helping students at the primary level to meet their individual educational goals. This year, Carrie has had the opportunity to be a one-on-one paraeducator with a kindergarten student with intensive behavioral support needs and an elopement risk. She feels like she has thrived in this role. The student ended the school year using emotional regulation strategies instead of engaging in target behaviors in class 95% of the time. Among all the other roles that Carrie holds, she is currently completing her Elementary Ed and Special Ed Teacher's Certification and is scheduled to graduate in July of 2026.

The honor as Puget Sound Educational Service District’s regional classified school employee of the year caps Julie's over 17 years of working in the educational field. Julie continues to dedicate herself to removing barriers to education for students who are experiencing homelessness, foster care, or economic difficulty. She works to assist all families with basic needs (housing, food, clothing) and other resources so that the students can concentrate on academic success.

Julie is an advocate for all students and families. She has partnered with many organizations, including School House Washington, Road Map Project for Family Engagement, and Building Changes, and has been asked to speak at many trainings to help fellow school districts on McKinney-Vento data practices and on the importance of building community relationships to help families and students. 

Julie is also a member of the City of Tukwila Human Services Advisory Board. She feels very fortunate to be able to follow her passion for helping others through her job and will continue to work to support students and families going forward.

Maria, a Family and Community Outreach Coordinator, holds a profound passion for supporting families and students within her community. Having migrated to the United States at the age of 11, she became immersed in the Migrant Education Program as a student navigating her own challenges. This personal journey fueled her commitment to providing assistance to those in need. 

Initially, Maria served as a Migrant Preschool Teacher at the Washington State Migrant Center, now known as Inspire Development Center. Transitioning to Quincy High School, she assumed the role of 21st Century Assistant Director, supporting students for a year.  In 2011, Maria joined the Quincy School District as the Migrant Student Advocate for grades K-3. Her dedication didn't go unnoticed, leading to her appointment in 2014 as a Migrant Recruiter, where she excelled in supporting families and facilitating access to essential resources.

Under Maria's guidance the Migrant Education Program parent group, the Migrant Parent Advisory Committee, flourished, organizing impactful events and activities for the broader migrant community. Recognizing the program's achievements, Maria applied for and secured the position of District Family and Community Outreach Coordinator. Her efforts extended district-wide, ensuring families' voices were heard across Quincy School District. As a result, PACs were established in each district building, affording families regular meetings with the Superintendent to address both successes and concerns. Maria's tireless advocacy has fostered a collaborative environment, empowering families to actively engage in their children's education and the betterment of the community.