Boca’s Teacher Of The Year Awards Had Heart

By Marci Shatzman

Even mounds of good food courtesy of West Boca High’s culinary students during the reception couldn’t compete with this year’s emotional 39^th Annual Boca Raton Teachers of the Year Awards Celebration.

Boca Chamber CEO/president Troy McLellan and Education Foundation CEO/president Jim Gavrilos exchanged good-natured barbs, standing at lecterns on opposite sides of the stage at The Studio at Mizner Park to take turns introducing the honorees. “These teachers knocked it out of the park,” Gavrilos said.

Educators of all ages, mostly women and two men, were introduced to the audience via brief videos. All 23 showed their principal explaining why they were picked, and the teachers in their classroom interacting with their students. Anyone watching had to come away moved. Among them were Maureen Carter, who returned to Boca High to teach kids about the Holocaust when principal Dr. Susie King reached out with a need, she said earlier.

Schools superintendent Mike Burke saluted Frank Barbieri for “getting this started 39 years ago.” “We had a simple goal…to support teachers as fellow members of Boca Raton Sunrise,” said Barbieri, a Golden Bell board member and former school board president. “Teaching is the most important profession in the world.” The Chamber’s Golden Bell Education Foundation and Rotary Sunrise co-chair this event.

Sunrise Rotary President Michael Kridel presented the first Frank A. Barbieri Lifetime Achievement Award to Wanda Moran, representing the Wanda & Jim Moran Foundation as the program sponsor. “Jim and I never set out to be recognized. If you have the ability to help, you should,” she said. “The real heroes are the teachers in this room. We are proud to stand beside you.”

South Regional Superintendent Rachel Capitano emceed. Rotary Sunrise’s Susan Weinblatt and Golden Bell’s Mandy Forrester co-chaired. Spanish River High’s Silver Sound jazz band and Boca High’s chorus provided the background music. The culinary students even had take-home boxes of desserts prepared afterwards. They were absolutely delicious.

Here’s the 2025 Teachers of the Year:

Mandy Berrocal: Omni Middle

Mary Bocskocsky: Calusa Elementary

Miriam Bravo: Don Estridge High Tech Middle

Bridget Briggs: Sandpiper Shores Elementary

Ashley Carraro: Verde K-8

Maureen Carter: Boca Raton Community High

Jacqueline Cuomo: Eagles Landing Middle

Charles Fine: West Boca Raton Community High

Edileusa Goller: Loggers’ Run Middle

Emily Hedengren: Coral Sunset Elementary

Lesley Healy: Addison Mizner K-8

Ashley Kluthe: J.C. Mitchell Elementary

Dori Lebowitz: Waters Edge Community Elementary

Maria Mansoor: Boca Raton Community Middle

Dina Marschke: Sunrise Park Elementary

Jane Nealy: Boca Raton Elementary

Whitney Pinzon: Del Prado Elementary

Francesca Sheridan: Hammock Pointe Elementary

Lyndsay Tolerton: Whispering Pines Elementary

Maureen Tonti: Blue Lake Elementary

Frank Torres: Spanish River High

Lindsey Wuest: A.D. Henderson University/FAU High

Wendy Zietz, Olympic Heights Community High