Teachers Who Inspire Awards
Partners in Education’s Teachers Who Inspire awards started in 1992, when an anonymous donor approached Partners with the desire to honor outstanding teachers in Santa Fe’s public schools. Since then, this generous donor has sponsored five $1,000 awards annually. Since then, the donor increased the award to $1,500.
Teachers are nominated by their peers for their outstanding qualities in the classroom, leadership among their co-workers and service to the community. Recognizing that teachers’ salaries are small, the donor intends the prize money be used on the teacher’s personal needs, and not the classroom.
In 1999, an anonymous donor established an endowment at the Santa Fe Community Foundation to fund the Noah C. Rodriguez Award for Excellence in Teaching, now regarded as the premier award among the Teachers Who Inspire awards. The $1,500 prize is given in memory of Noah Rodriguez, a long-time teacher and administrator in the Santa Fe Public Schools.
Recipients
2022
Jackie Gonzales – Nava Elementary School
Gabby Kahawai – Gonzales Community School
Carrie Ortega – Nina Otero Community School
Lisa Romero – Nava Elementary School
FuMei Tsai – Mandela International Magnet School
Emily Walukas – Santa Fe High School
Elizabeth Young – Gonzales Community School
2021
Alicia Alaya – El Camino Real Academy
Hope Cahill – El Dorado Community School
Deborah Magaña – El Camino Real Academy
Roxanne Starr-Trujillo – Atalaya Elementary School
Barbara Teterycz – Capital High School
Sharieffa Wade-Burton – El Camino Real Academy
2020
No awards due to COVID
2019
Erem Birkan – Academy at Larragoite
Juliette Chavez – Nina Otero Community School
Denise Hinson – New Mexico School for the Arts
Vicki Scanlon – Nava Elementary School
Donna Scheer – Santa Fe High School
Robin Wiener – El Dorado Community School
2018
Danielle Catanach – Nava Elementary School
Marbel Gonzalez – Cesar Chavez Elementary School
Jeong Young Hong – Ramirez Thomas Elementary School
Carla Kountoupes – El Camino Real Academy
John Morrison – Santa Fe High School
Pamela Price – Wood Gormley Elementary School
2017
Mary Ellen Dannenberg – SFCF Rodriguez Award, Nye Early Childhood Center
Josie Gallegos – El Dorado Community School
Natalie Garcia – Capital High School
Tim Host – Academy for Technology & the Classics
Galen Prenevost – El Dorado Community School
Jon Seyfried – Academy for Technology & the Classics
2016
Aaron Abeyta – Capshaw Middle School
Nano Anaya – Ramirez Thomas Elementary School
Holly Call – El Camino Real Academy
Cara Esquivel (deceased) – SFCF Rodriguez Award, Monte del Sol Charter School
Allie Farnlof – Mandela International Magnet School
Barbara Gerber – Santa Fe High School
Steven Iliff – Capital High School
2015
Melissa Kovac – Amy Biehl Community School
Michelle Lord – El Camino Real Academy
Reed Meschefske – SFCF Rodriguez Award, Fe High School
Marquita Montano – El Camino Real Academy
Sylvia Montserrat Delavigne – Cesar Chavez Community School
David Tolen – Amy Biehl Community School
2014
Devin Ayers* – Academy for Technology & the Classics
Eric Carlson – Academy for Technology & the Classics
Christine Hartman – NM School for the Deaf
Jaime Holladay – Capital High School
Robert Stark – Carlos Gilbert Elementary School
Meredith Tilp – Capital High School
2013
Ernesto Cruz – Santa Fe High School
Chris Eadie – SFCF Rodriguez Award, Santa Fe High School
Rebecca Eignor – DeVargas Middle School
Teresita Hamman – Cesar Chavez Community School
Kimberly Hand – NM School for the Deaf
Kathleen Nakamura – El Dorado Community School
Sandy Sena – Sweeney Elementary School
2012
Marilyn Barnes – Santa Fe High School
Natasha Skora Choe – DeVargas Middle School
Sharyn Gray – Wood Gormley Elementary School
Rosemary “Sparky” Griego – Academy at Larragoite
Stephanie Gurule-Leyba – SFCF Rodriguez Award, Capital High School
Cybele Leverett – Santa Fe High School
Janine Sammeth – El Dorado Community School
2011
Christine Biree – Atalaya Elementary School
Kris Eaton – New Mexico School for the Deaf
Roni Rohr – El Dorado Community School
Tony Schillaci – Santa Fe High School
Judy Tyson – Agua Fria Elementary School
Megan Varela – El Dorado Community School
2010
Maaite Girdner – SFCF Rodriguez Award, Carlos Gilbert Elementary
School
Christina Barbachano – Cesar Chavez Community School
Zack Boatman – Santa Fe High School
Susan Dryja – EJ Martinez Elementary School
Barbara McDonald – El Dorado Elementary School
Brooke Nutini – De Vargas Middle School
Carolyn Salazar – Cesar Chavez Community School
2009
Laurine “Dakota” Goldberg – SFCF Rodriguez Award, SER/SFPS Career Academy
Laurie Anderson – NM School for the Deaf
Terri Blackman – Wood Gormley Elementary School
David Forester – Santa Fe High School
Susanna Mireles Mankus – El Dorado Elementary School
Anita Navrot – El Dorado Elementary School
Margaret Romero – Gonzales Elementary School
Bob Sorensen – Rotary Award, Capital High School
2008
Joey Chavez – SFCF Rodriguez Award, Santa Fe High School
Linda Archibald – Turquoise Trail Elementary School
William Korte – Ortiz Middle School
Nancy Sue Michels – Monte del Sol Charter School
Mary Olson – Wood Gormley Elementary School
Deanne Velasquez – Chaparral Elementary School
Channell Wilson-Segura – Capital High School
2007
Jennifer Medeiros – SFCF Rodriguez Award, El Dorado Elementary School
Cheryl Dean – Capital High School
Leanne DeVane – Ramirez Thomas Elementary School
Edmund Gorman – Agua Fria Elementary School
Maria Candelaria Martinez – Nava Elementary School
Patricia Shain – El Dorado Elementary School
2006
David Rodriguez – SFCF Rodriguez Award, De Vargas Middle School
Karlin Hummel – New Mexico School for the Deaf
Anne McGovern – Kearny Elementary School
Lisa Otero – Monte del Sol Charter School
Lisa Randall – Agua Fria Elementary School
Yvette Varela – Kearny Elementary School
2005
Bill Rodriguez – SFCF Rodriguez Award, Nava Elementary School
Mary Jean Aragon – E.J. Martinez Elementary School
Brenda Korting – Santa Fe High School
Mary Ann Moser – El Dorado Elementary School
Clay Mowery – El Dorado Elementary School
Kathy Thorpe – El Dorado Elementary School
2004
Laura Mayo Rodriguez – SFCF Rodriguez Award, Nava Elementary School
Regan Archuleta – Cesar Chavez Elementary School
Kennan Girdner – Alameda Middle School
Lynn Grimes – Turquoise Trail Elementary School
Elaine Juarros – Ortiz Middle School
Gwen Perea – Nava Elementary School
Theresa Vargas – EJ Martinez Elementary School
2003
Maureen Nelson – SFCF Rodriguez Award
Rosalie Betts
Brenda Dominguez
Ruth Holmes
Robin Noble
Jackie Trujillo
2002
Roland Villa (deceased) – SFCF Rodriguez Award
Teresa Alarid
Abbie Casias
Julia Gomez
Kay Hamilton
Shannon Lewis
2001
Ernestine Hagman – SFCF Rodriguez Award
Kelly Hobbs
Claudia Miller
Melissa Morris
Valera Sovcik
Albert Trujillo
2000
Lucille Fresquez – SFCF Rodriguez Award
John Gallegos
Jeannette Larragoite
LaVelle Martin
Patricia Rivera – SFHS
Gilbert Torres
1999
Ana Cordova – SFCF Rodriguez Award
Corrine Hewitt
Marge Jones
Mary Massey
Melody McCormick
Gilbert Quintana
1998
Anita Cisneros
Renée Mushen
Paula Olson
Francella Perea
John Schmelz
1997
Orlando Baca
John Jimenez
Kathryn Lopez
Teresa Parsons
Nikki Ronald
1996
Annetta Darmitzel
Naomi Garwood
Dennis Kadlubek
Lala Martinez
Kathy Waters
1995
Valdez Abeyta y Valdez
Anthony J. Garcia
Carmen Garcia
Molly O’Brien
James Phelan
1994
Mary Beacham
Cliff Cisneros
Gary Myers
Joan Shandler
Richard Snider
1993
Dave Anderson
George Ann Armendariz
Gene Baca
Evelyn Garcia
Mary Helen Kelty
1992
Bryan Fant (deceased)
Consuelo Gonzales
Jane Kadlubek
Pablo Ortego, Jr.