South County teachers, classified employees of the year named

A Poway Unified School District bus driver has been named as San Diego County’s Classified Employee of the Year.

Bus driver Edward Wicburg was a substitute driver for seven years with the district, and within months of becoming a permanent employee, he was named a Delegated Behind the Wheel Trainer. That means he teaches trainees, modeling how school bus drivers should perform their duties.

“I’m honored and humbled to recognize Edward and all of his fellow nominees, who work tirelessly on behalf of San Diego County’s students,” said San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold in a statement. “They are the hidden heroes of education, playing key roles in the day-to-day functions of schools and districts.”

Wicburg has won several awards during his tenure at the district, including the Parents Choice Teacher Appreciation Award from the district’s Community Advisory Committee; the California Highway Patrol’s Mark Saylor Memorial Award; and the transportation department’s Employee of the Month.

Wicburg now moves on to the state-level Classified Employee of the Year program for possible recognition by the California Department of Education.

Besides choosing their Classified Employees of the Year, many San Diego County school districts have also named their Teachers of the Year, some of whom will move up to compete for the county and then the state title. The San Diego County Office of Education plans to choose and honor the San Diego County teachers of the year in the fall.

South County’s school district winners — certificated employees followed by classified employees — are:

Chula Vista Elementary School District: Melissa Showman, third grade, Myrtle S. Finney Elementary School, Anika Ito, special education resource specialist, Fred H. Rohr Elementary School, and Erin Marmion, fifth-grade language arts and social studies, Wolf Canyon Elementary School; Socorro Fisher, Planning and Facilities technician, district office

Coronado Unified School District: Laura Hill, art teacher, Coronado High School; Aaron Flores Pelayo, Maintenance & Operations

National School District: Ashley Trzcinski, sixth grade, Las Palmas School; Valeria Haymes, administrative assistant, Palmer Way Elementary School

San Diego Unified School District: Leanne Samek, second grade, Audubon K-8, Lee Yepiz, science teacher, De Portola Middle School and Trishaa Camp, dance and mathematics teacher, Scripps Ranch High School; Joann Schmidt, health technician, Mira Mesa High School

San Ysidro School District: Cynthia Vinaroa, second grade, Sunset Elementary School; Maria Fernanda Rios, instructional aide-Resource Specialist Program, La Mirada Elementary School

South Bay Union School District: Natalie Dow, VAPA/STEM teacher, Virtual Academy; Martha Rodriguez, assistant operations technician, Transportation Department

Sweetwater Union High School District: Devon Marano, Montgomery High School, Melanie Villanueva, Hilltop Middle School, Leslie Bustos, National City Middle School, Julie Carson, Chula Vista High School, Kristin Greenway-August, Eastlake High School, and Melissa Hernandez, San Ysidro High School; Ezequiel Elias, Office Technical & Business Services, National City Middle School, Alejandro Hernandez, Operation Support Services, Maintenance Department, and Jeanette Molina, paraprofessional, Rancho del Rey Middle School