Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Judy D. White, paid surprise visits to the final two 2019 Riverside County Teachers of the Year on Wednesday, May 30, who both teach in the Corona-Norco Unified School District.
“Half of the four county teachers of the year we are sending into the state competition are from the Corona-Norco Unified School District,” White told the cheering crowd at El Cerrito Middle School where she honored art teacher, Dr. Angel Mejico.
Mejico was taken aback by the crowd waiting to surprise her as she opened the door to the teacher’s lounge. So, she backed out of the room and pulled the door closed before Dr. White pulled her inside to present her award.
“A student said she teaches how the arts impact people,” White said. “She is selfless, humble, honest, helpful, driven, inspiring, and trustworthy.”
Mejico said the surprise was “surreal” and she felt “excited and nervous at the same time.”
“I want to thank you for believing in me,” she said to fellow teachers. “I wouldn’t be standing here if not for you. You taught me a lot about how to help these kids, and collaborating with you has brought me so much joy over the past years,” Mejico said. “You have made it fun. You have made El Cerrito an exciting place for me, and changed an introvert to someone who can stand up here and talk to this many people.”
Just an hour earlier, Dr. White walked into a classroom at nearby Parkridge Elementary School to honor kindergarten teacher Michael Hughes. Hughes was so surprised seeing his wife, parents, and co-workers, crowding into the room, and asked White, “Can I hug you?”
White said Hughes is described by students and staff as “part superhero, mad scientist and genius” and that “good teaching just oozes out of you.”
“He is a kid, just a big kid,” said Michael’s mother, Marie. “I am so proud of him. He loves children and he loves teaching.”
Hughes said he has learned that loving kids is more important than just teaching academics.
“You can love kids into learning,” he said. “I love being around them—their enthusiasm is infectious. I think the situation we have at Parkridge is just amazing.”
DR. ANGEL MEJICO
Angel Mejico dreamed of becoming a doctor since the second grade. After majoring in biology and attending medical school, she soon realized that a career in education would provide her with the opportunity to make the greatest positive impact in young people’s lives and create an environment where they can be inspired and thrive. She returned to school, earned a teaching credential, and has taught biology, art, and physical education for the last 15 years.
“Teaching allows me to have the honor to work with students, have a positive impact in their lives, and prepare them to face the challenges of tomorrow as they will be the leaders of our future,” Dr. Mejico said in her application.
Dr. Mejico describes each school day at El Cerrito Middle School as a new “canvas” or “adventure” with students using their “passports” to travel to various times within history exploring different artists, periods, and skills used to create art using their senses. Dr. Mejico launched the annual Arts Expo where teachers, staff, alumni, students, and the community participate and showcase their talents in a wide variety of mediums.
MICHAEL HUGHES
Michael Hughes describes himself as a “huge kid”. As a teacher in transitional kindergarten, working with 4-year olds includes superhero room décor, puppets, and other strategies to connect with many of his student who have never held a pencil, been in a classroom, or spent significant time away from their parents.
“Being greeted with love is the first step to educating my students,” Hughes said in his application. “That is what I spend my time pondering most nights. I study standards and lesson planning, but loving my students through life’s challenges is where I focus my energy.”
Michael points to his childhood with an absent father as a basis for his desire to shape and impact kids at the most foundational levels in early elementary school. He is one of only two male kindergarten and/or transitional kindergarten teachers in Corona-Norco USD.
The four 2019 Riverside County Teachers of the Year are:
• Shunna Bradford
Special Education Teacher
Moreno Elementary School
Moreno Valley USD
• Julie Trujillo
Third Grade Teacher
Foothill Elementary School
Alvord USD
• Dr. Angel Mejico
Visual Arts, Art Academy
El Cerrito Middle School
Corona-Norco USD
• Michael Hughes
Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten Teacher
Parkridge Elementary School
Corona-Norco USD
All four 2019 Riverside County Teachers of the Year will represent Riverside County in the 2019 California Teacher of the Year competition where at least one Riverside County teacher has been selected as a California Teacher of the Year in four of the last five years:
• 2018 – Dr. Brian McDaniel from Painted Hills Middle School in the Palm Springs Unified School District
• 2017 – Shaun Bunn from Ethan A. Chase Middle School in the Romoland School District
• 2016 – Michelle Cherland from Carrillo Ranch Elementary School in the Desert Sands Unified School District
• 2014 – Jessica Pack from James Workman Middle School in the Palm Springs Unified School District
In May of 2019, the newly-named teachers of the year will be honored at the Riverside County Office of Education’s annual Celebrating Educators luncheon.
The Riverside County Teachers of the Year are selected from nearly 20,000 educators in the county. The rigorous application process requires candidates to spend time reflecting on, and carefully defining, their teaching philosophy. The county teachers of the year are selected on the basis of nominations by teachers, principals, and school district administrators throughout the county. Applications are then submitted to the Riverside County Office of Education, where an outside selection committee reviews the applications on each district candidate and selects semi-finalists. The selection committee then conducts interviews and on-site classroom visitations to select the final four candidates before the county superintendent announces the Riverside County Teachers of the Year