A tradition the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara is known for is its Teaching Excellence Award, which is presented every quarter to a local educator.

Pedro Guillen of Franklin Elementary School is the Fall 2025 recipient of that honor.

Guillen is a Santa Barbara local, who attended school in Goleta and graduated from Dos Pueblos High School. 

“Guillen is known for being a wonderful teacher in the classroom and also an amazing mentor to many,” said Marlen Limon, instructional coach at Franklin School.

“His vision is to expand the awareness of his students to what is going on the world around them,” Limon said.