Surprise Visits Reveal Final 2017 Teachers of the Year for Riverside County

MORENO VALLEY >> Four unsuspecting teachers were surprised at the end of the school year by the news that they have been selected by Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Kenneth M. Young, as 2017 Riverside County Teachers of the Year. At each of the four campuses, the unsuspecting honorees were taken by surprise with balloons, flowers, and hearty congratulations from students, conspiring colleagues, and family members. The 2017 Riverside County Teachers of the Year are: Ruby Rivera – ninth-12th grade English and social science teacher – Rancho Mirage High School, Palm Springs Unified School District Shaun Bunn – eighth grade mathematics – Ethan A. Chase Middle School, Romoland School District Both teachers join the previously-announced honorees: Veronica Mondragon – sixth grade language arts/social studies/AVID teacher – Canyon Lake Middle School, Lake Elsinore Unified School District Amanda Sandoval – U.S. history teacher – Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Corona-Norco Unified School District The four teachers of the year will represent Riverside County at the state competition where all four 2016 Riverside County Teachers of the Year were honored earlier this year—including 2016 California State teacher of the year, Michelle Cherland, from Carrillo Ranch Elementary School in the Desert Sands Unified School District. In May of 2017, the newly-named teachers of the year will be honored at the Riverside County Office of Education’s annual Celebrating Educators luncheon. Right after school started at Rancho Mirage High School, Rivera was whisked into the performing arts building on the back of a golf cart by Principal Ken Wagner and greeted by her cheering students. Her fourth baby due in two days, she stepped gingerly from the golf cart and joked with the crowd that "Too bad (her baby) Aveline can't be here today to enjoy this." She and her husband Eduardo, have three other children—Fabian, Logan, and Julianna. Student Rudy Guillen was asked to speak and said that students rely on Rivera. "A lot of us at this school think of her as a mom on campus," Guillen said. Rivera said that she thoroughly enjoys her role and told students in the crowd she loves them. "I'm so proud to be a teacher," she said. "There is no other job I want. It's exciting to come here and see the great things you are going to do every single day." Later in the morning, in Menifee, Shaun Bunn was conducting his annual “Bunnzees” award program in the multipurpose room at Ethan A. Chase Middle School when he was surprised by Principal Chris Hernandez, Romoland School District Superintendent, Dr. Julie Vitale, and Young. "I did not expect this," Bunn said over the screams and cheers from students. "I could not have done this without the love and support of everyone in this room. Students, I love what I do. You have changed me. I don't teach you just math, I teach you about life, and how to be successful in life." Ruby Rivera – Palm Springs USD Ruby Rivera has been teaching social science and English at Rancho Mirage High School in the Palm Springs Unified School District since the school first opened in 2013. In addition to her classroom duties, Rivera teaches advanced journalism and video production while serving as a dean of discipline. She is the founder and coordinator of the PLUS (Peer Leaders Uniting Students) Program that encourages students to create a positive school climate through mentorship, leadership, academic achievement, and more. In her application, Rivera describes her classroom as “a personalized learning environment where students are stakeholders.” She is a graduate of the Palm Springs Unified School District and notes that she became an educator because of teachers who “believed in me, encouraged me, and made me feel successful in school.” Rivera previously taught at Cathedral City High School from 2006 to 2013 and is a resident of Indio. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA, and a master’s degree in teaching from UC Irvine. Shaun Bunn – Romoland School District Bunn currently teaches eighth grade mathematics at Ethan A. Chase Middle School where he is also the math department chairperson and an instructional coach. He believes that the best lesson kids learn from their teachers is “not always subject matter, but something much deeper, more profound, like caring.” Denied an education as a child growing up in Cambodia, Bunn’s family survived the civil war in his country only by fleeing. He remembers dodging gunfire and landmines in the jungle while his family sought safety in refugee campus. These experiences, along with growing up in poverty as an English language learner, have led Bunn to lead with passion and compassion for students from all types of backgrounds. An 11-year veteran of teaching, Bunn earned a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach, and a master’s degree from National University. Bunn is a resident of Menifee.