2024 Gold Star Award Nominees

Outstanding Administrator

Christina Fritch, Assistant Principal – White Center Heights Elementary
Corbin Busby, Principal – Hilltop Elementary
Jacqueline Downey, Instructional Leadership Executive Director – Teaching, Learning and Leadership
Joe Boyer, Assistant Principal – Evergreen High School
Juan Lozano, Principal – Puget Sound Skills Center
Kevin Takisaki, Principal -Innovation Heights Academy Principal
Kimberly Jones, Principal – North Hill Elementary
Kimberly Nelson, Principal – Valley View Early Learning
Maggie Heater, Principal – Marvista Elementary
Phil Willenbrock, Director of Athletics – Highline Public Schools Athletics
Victoria Terry, Principal – Tyee High School

Outstanding Classified Staff

Amanda Gean, Paraeducator – Bow Lake Elementary
Amleset Legesse, Early Learning Liaison – P-5 Early Learning and Elementary Success
Audris Pettit, ILC Paraeducator – Bow Lake Elementary
Birdie Rocha, Family Engagement Liaison/Bilingual Paraeducator – McMicken Heights Elementary
Brandi Schnell, EBC Paraeducator – Evergreen High School
Brandy Nelli, Special Education Paraeducator – Gregory Heights Elementary
Charleisha Cox, Office Manager – McMicken Heights Elementary
Christy Birch, Paraeducator – Bow Lake Elementary
Denise Avitia, Bilingual Paraeducator – Cedarhurst Elementary
Denise Dagley, Office Manager – Bow Lake Elementary
Eduwiges Prieto, Office Manager – Madrona Elementary
Elizabeth Mijal, ILC Paraeducator – North Hill Elementary
Fawn Rinker, Office Manager – Midway Elementary
Isabel Leveron, Custodian – Chinook Middle School
Jaimee Shaug, Attendance Specialist – Tyee High School
Jeri Rickard, Librarian Assistant – North Hill Elementary
Jocee Whisner, Finance Tech – Puget Sound Skills Center
Kimiko Lozan, Paraeducator – North Hill Elementary
Lisa Lay, Office Manager – Hilltop Elementary
Nicole Arguello, Attendance Specialist – Pacific Middle School
Rebecca Schreiner, Office Assistant – McMicken Heights Elementary
Renee Stanton, Registrar – Bow Lake Elementary
Scott Villa, Bilingual Paraeducator – McMicken Heights Elementary
Sherrie McIntyre, Paraeducator – Parkside Elementary
Susan Hope, Office Manager – Evergreen High School
Taresa Herrmann, Office Assistant – Puget Sound Skills Center
Teresa Christensen, Paraeducator – Parkside Elementary

Outstanding Professional Staff

Alison Hogue, Academic Success Dean – Evergreen High School
Christofer Rothrock, Student Success Coach – Midway Elementary
Deanne Conrad, Counselor – Chinook Middle School
Emily Mruk, Re-engagement Specialist – Pacific Middle School
Jenn Truong, Counselor – Tyee High School School
Jill Wilson Zahn, School Social Worker – Social Work
Jonas Buck, 7th Grade Counselor – Pacific Middle School
Lori McEwen, Dean of Students and Admin Intern – Innovation Heights Academy
L’Shray Jones, Counselor – Pacific Middle School
Rachel Kerr, Counselor – Evergreen High School School
Rosie Allen-Garibaldi, School Social Worker – Social Work
Shauna Pierson, Counselor – Innovation Heights Academy
Shawna Moore, Dean – Puget Sound Skills Center

Outstanding Volunteer

Dan Harrington, Highline Public Schools
Nimat Aljabori , White Center Heights Elementary
Susan Stefanini, McMicken Heights Elementary

Outstanding Rookie Teacher

Ashley La, Music Director – Mount Rainier High School
Chris Darling, Auto Body Teacher – Puget Sound Skills Center
Jessenia Hernandez, DL Culinary Teacher – Evergreen High School
Kaitlin Beidas, Social Studies Teacher – Evergreen High School
Kelly Shilhanek, 3rd Grade Teacher – McMicken Heights Elementary
Kristen O’Conner, Special Education Teacher – Gregory Heights Elementary
Liana Garvett, ILC Teacher – Bow Lake Elementary
Olivia Pierce-Bluhm, 3rd Grade Teacher – McMicken Heights Elementary
Riley Lindheimer, Long Term Substitute – McMicken Heights Elementary
Stacy Williamson, ILC Teacher – Shorewood Elementary
Sydney Farrer, IAC Special Education Teacher – Madrona Elementary

Outstanding Teacher

Alicia Elms, Teacher – Bow Lake Elementary
Amy Razo, English Teacher – Evergreen High School
Angela Madrid-Lara, Dual Language Kindergarten Teacher – Spanish – White Center Heights Elementary
Bethany Tate, Teacher – Evergreen High School
Catherine Cassidy, ELA Teacher – Pacific Middle School
Cathy Reinsel Torres, ILC Teacher – North Hill Elementary
Corey Mikkelson, Music Teacher – White Center Heights Elementary
Cristina Velez-Gracia, 5th Grade Teacher – Bow Lake Elementary
Darrell Chase Jr., CTE Teacher- STEM, Construction and Wood Technology – Highline High School
Dawn Gardner, Developmental Pre-Kindergarten Teacher – Hilltop Elementary
Diana Arenas Castillo, 1st Grade Teacher – Hazel Valley Elementary
Elba Martin, Developmental Pre-Kindergarten Teacher – Hilltop Elementary
Erik Kory, Special Education Teacher – Evergreen High School
Erika Castellon, 1st Grade Teacher – McMicken Heights Elementary
Erin Enquist, 4th Grade Dual Language Teacher – Mount View Elementary
Erin Hocevar-Ortiz, Dance & PE Teacher – Evergreen High School
Jaymie Torres-Ibarra, Special Education Teacher – McMicken Heights Elementary
Jeni Estrada, 1st Grade Teacher – Hilltop Elementary
Julie Rice, 3rd Grade Teacher – Marvista Elementary
Justin Deary, Construction Teacher – Puget Sound Skills Center
Katherine Huh, Kindergarten Teacher – Midway Elementary
Katie Asare, Academic Coach/Teacher – Puget Sound Skills Center
Katie Reka, 5th Grade Teacher – Gregory Heights Elementary
Katie Yore, 2nd Grade Teacher – Marvista Elementary
Kimberly Burton, Kindergarten Teacher – Cedarhurst Elementary
Lisa Penor, Teacher – Chinook Middle School
Lisa Snyder, Teacher – Marvista Elementary
Lorena Engle, Teacher/ML & DL Coordinator – Pacific Middle School
Lynne Terpenning, ELL Interventionist – Bow Lake Elementary
Mason Costantino, Teacher – Hilltop Elementary
Meghan Stewart, Teacher – Cedarhurst Elementary
Mia Mlekarov, Teacher – Maritime High School
Michael Hecklinger, Teacher Librarian – Madrona Elementary
Mikayla Smith, Teacher – CHOICE Academy
Mirabella Escobar, DL Marketing Teacher – Evergreen High School
Mireya Roldan Guzman, Teacher – Midway Elementary
Naomi True, Teacher – Evergreen High School
Nicole Leisy, 2nd Grade Teacher/Admin designee – Bow Lake Elementary
Nora Duarte, 2nd Grade Dual Language Teacher – Hilltop Elementary
Renee Agatsuma, Teacher – Evergreen High School
Richard Coker, Teacher – Evergreen High School
Sydney Wagner, Kindergarten – Bow Lake Elementary
Timothy Wind, Art Teacher – Pacific Middle School
Traci Washington, Teacher – Big Picture High School
Tristyn Ward, Special Education/DHH Teacher – Bow Lake Elementary
Tyler Defrees, Social Studies Teacher – Sylvester Middle School
Vaughn Rohrdanz, Teacher – Seahurt Elementary – Virtual
Wennie Hong Evergreen, Language Arts Teacher – High School
Yipsi Barallobre, Teacher -Mount View Elementary
Zachary Hermsen, PE Teacher – Evergreen High School