[Noozhawk’s note: One in a series on the teachers who will be honored Oct. 25 at A Salute to Teachers, presented by Cox Communications and the Santa Barbara County Education Office.]
Eight public school educators will be recognized Oct. 25 at the 12th annual Salute to Teachers, an event hosted by Cox Communications and the Santa Barbara County Education Office at the Music Academy of the West in Montecito.
Natalie Wilkes — a Monte Vista School first-grade teacher in the Hope Elementary School District in Santa Barbara — is the 2026 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year.
Sara DiSalvo, a music teacher at Cold Spring School in the Cold Spring School District in Montecito, will be recognized as the 2026 Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year.
The 2026 distinguished mentors to be recognized are social studies and AVID teacher Nicole Caiazza at La Cumbre Junior High School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District, Clarence Ruth School teacher Wendy Culver in the Lompoc Unified School District, and instructional coach Amanda Wildhagen at Fairlawn Elementary School in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District.
The 2026 distinguished new educators to be honored are agriculture teacher Alondra Barrueta-Novoa at Santa Maria High School in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, agriculture/science teacher Emily Garcia at Carpinteria High School in the Carpinteria Unified School District, and bilingual education specialist Gloria Sevilla at Taylor Elementary School in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District.
In addition to Cox, Salute to Teachers is sponsored by Noozhawk, Driscoll’s, Fielding Graduate University, Melfred Borzall, Ramsey Asphalt Construction and the Santa Barbara Bowl.
Noozhawk Q&A
Noozhawk: What was the moment you knew, “I want to be a teacher?”
Alondra Barrueta-Novoa: I’ve always known I wanted to be a teacher. I can remember always being the student who wanted to be the teacher’s helping hand.
It wasn’t until I reached high school and met my first agriculture teacher in ag science that I knew being an ag teacher is what I wanted.
The program opened up opportunities for me that I didn’t even know were possible. I wanted to give students the confidence and outlook in life that my teacher gave me.
Noozhawk: How long have you been teaching?
AB-N: This is my third year of teaching here at my alma mater, Santa Maria High School.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite subject or lesson plan to teach your students?
AB-N: One of my favorite lesson plans is our unit in electricity in our physics class. Students learn about conductivity and how to create a circuit.
Once they learn this, they have a project in which they create a board game that uses electricity to function. The amount of student participation and engagement is very high.
Noozhawk: What’s your classroom superpower — and how did you develop it?
AB-N: Being able to read students. I am able to sense when students are not themselves. I developed this by getting to know all of my students on a deeper level than just them being students coming into my class.
Students become comfortable in the classroom and learn to not only trust me but their peers around them. We create a good sense of classroom community in which they feel safe to express their emotions and feelings.
Noozhawk: Share a student success story that stays with you (no names needed).
AB-N: In my first year of teaching, I was fortunate to teach a group of cohort students who were newcomers, mostly from Mexico. They all knew little to no English. One student in particular not only did not do well in class but would not really be engaged in our FFA activities.
We have speaking competitions and, luckily, we had one called the Spanish “FFA Creed” by E.M. Tiffany. It is five paragraphs in Spanish, and students memorize this and are then asked a series of questions.
This student, who would typically never be engaged, memorized all five paragraphs and even competed up to the sectional level. It was a huge moment for him because he saw in himself the leadership he was capable of when he put his mind to it.
Noozhawk: What’s one change you made this year — tool, routine or strategy — that moved the needle?
AB-N: Having students put their phones away in our classroom phone box. I know students are very attached to their phones but it has become a huge distraction for most.
Students and I came up with an agreement. If they finished their day’s work, then they were able to grab their phones. This became an incentive for students to actually complete their work but also help their peers.
This is what has worked for me and I have seen a huge shift in student work and grades.
Noozhawk: What advice would you give your first-year teacher self?
AB-N: Remember that it gets easier as you get more experience. As a first-year teacher I thought I had it all figured out and that I wouldn’t have any mistakes.
Little did I know is that, as I continued year after year, I would gain new ideas and techniques to help within my classroom management and teaching practices.
Always remember that people are rooting for you and wanting you to succeed, and that it is OK to ask for help when you need it.
Noozhawk: Who are your mentors?
AB-N: I am fortunate to be teaching at my alma mater. All of my co-workers in the Agriculture Department were my teachers in the past. Now working with them I have been able to learn from each of them as they each specialize in different areas.
My biggest mentor overall is Mark Powell, he was my first agriculture teacher and constantly pushes me to be better everyday. Even as a student he saw potential in me that I didn’t see myself.
Shannon Powell was my TIP mentor who helped guide me through my first years as a new teacher. She is someone I can count on to always help me, especially when I am struggling in the classroom.
Noozhawk: Who are the people in your life and work environment who support you every day?
AB-N: My husband is my biggest supporter. Being an agriculture teacher is not only being in the classroom, but it is being involved in more outside of the classroom.
As an ag teacher, we have after-school meetings with students, students who raise animals, students who compete in our judging teams, traveling on weekends with students to competitions, etc.
My husband always finds ways in which he can help make my job run a bit easier, such as helping me give injections to pigs, going with me to shop for our FFA meetings, driving a trailer for our parade, and so much more.
I also have my family and friends who have been here for me since before I started my teaching career. They always see how I am doing and make sure I am taking care of myself and helping me in any way possible — whether it’s supporting my students in things they might need, helping out with our fundraisers, or even driving students to events when we don’t have enough drivers.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite quote?
AB-N: “Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it’s inspiring change. Learning is more than absorbing facts; it’s acquiring understanding.”
Noozhawk: How does it feel to be honored as part of A Salute to Teachers?
AB-N: Being chosen as a New Distinguished Educator feels surreal. As someone who contemplated if I was capable of being a good teacher, this is a reminder that as long as you do your best and strive to be better than you were yesterday, you are making a difference.
I knew that I wanted to make an impact on students and support them in all ways possible. I am extremely grateful to have been chosen, and wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help of everyone who has supported me from the beginning.
