Education Foundation of Eagle County celebrates 25th ‘Evening of Stars’ event
Special to the Daily
The evening of May 18 may have seen snow dumping on our winter-fatigued community, but that didn’t stop an outpouring of appreciation for local teachers, school support staff and volunteers in Eagle County Schools.
The Education Foundation of Eagle County (EFEC) hosted the Evening of Stars 25th Silver Anniversary Event at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek celebrating the best of the best in our rural mountain school district. There were 20 Outstanding Educators, one for each school and two at each high school; two Rookies of the Year; two Tiffany Myers Stellar Support staff winners; and one generously dedicated Friend of Education volunteer.
The ballroom at Ford Hall was packed with approximately 500 guests honoring the event’s anniversary. Student presenters described why each of the winning educators deserves recognition for the work they do in schools every day.
“This year really lived up to expectations,” event chair and foundation board director Tessa Kirchner said. “We had 2,006 nominations for 605 educators, staff, and volunteers. That is a huge outpouring of respect for each other and for this profession. I want to congratulate ALL of the nominees recognized at the event, and thank our student presenters who made the evening so special. Recognizing and rewarding the amazing work that happens in our schools daily has been an important part of (the foundation’s) mission since the organization started and we are honored to carry this tradition through its 25th year.”
Established in 1994, the Evening of Stars has recognized approximately 2,052 educators, school support staff, and volunteers. In addition to the recognition awards, the foundation named six educators as recipients of the Distinguished Teacher Award, a financial assistance program for education professional development.
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Here’s the full list of 2018-2019 winners.
Outstanding Educators
- Avon Elementary School: Carli Camino.
- Battle Mountain High School: Patton Lowell.
- Battle Mountain High School: Alexandra Trosper.
- Berry Creek Middle School: Drew Jones.
- Brush Creek Elementary School: Andrea Emmer.
- Eagle County Charter Academy: Flora Bell.
- Eagle Valley Elementary School: Susan Forsyth.
- Eagle Valley Middle School: Ana Vieyra.
- Eagle Valley High School: Ron Beard.
- Eagle Valley High School: Devin Dupree.
- Edwards Elementary School: Kelsey Wright.
- Gypsum Creek Middle School: Erick Mjanger.
- Gypsum Elementary School: Karen Orihuela Kuri.
- Homestake Peak School — lower: Ireliz Barbosa.
- Homestake Peak School — upper: Michelle Barber.
- June Creek Elementary School: Asia Oleszczak.
- Red Canyon High School: Jennifer Schrader.
- Red Hill Elementary School: Jen Harmon.
- Red Sandstone Elementary School: Cassie Millette.
- Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy: Eric Rippeth.
Rookie of the Year
- Red Hill Elementary School: Sierra Green.
- Eagle Valley Middle School: Karla Robledo.
Tiffany Myers Support Staff
- June Creek Elementary School: Perla Gurrola.
- Eagle Valley Elementary School: Ellen Sirico-Filmore.
Friend of Education — Volunteer
- Homestake Peak School: Mary Blair.
The Education Foundation of Eagle County is committed to supporting education and the intellectual and emotional growth of students focusing on equitable access to in-school enrichment, mental health services, and efforts to attract and retain top educator talent. The foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization established in 2001 that works in partnership with Eagle County Schools to advocate for state funding and strategic initiatives that promote excellence in education throughout Eagle County.
