[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?”
Gloria Sevilla: Since I was a young child, I recall loving school. I would sit in class, thinking about what teaching strategies I really loved and what aspects I would like to see differently.
As I grew older, I learned how important it was for me to be proud of my background and bring that knowledge into the classrooms I was a part of. Sometimes it was welcomed and sometimes it wasn’t.
So knowing that I had a passion for education and teaching, I promised myself I wanted to be the teacher I always needed — a teacher who validates and supports students in their full identity.
Noozhawk: How long have you been teaching?
GS: This is my third year as a bilingual education specialist.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite subject or lesson plan to teach your students?
GS: Mathematics. I enjoy learning about the theory and concepts behind mathematics. But what intrigues me the most is finding ways to bridge math into application and how to scaffold the learning of new complex theories.
Noozhawk: What’s your classroom superpower — and how did you develop it?
GS: One of my classroom superpowers is my bilingualism. I speak both Spanish and English, and I bring that every day into the classroom. My students see how I incorporate my two languages into my teaching, and I have the privilege of seeing how they incorporate bilingualism into their learning.
Another of my superpowers is community building. I am very intentional about the connections I build with students and their families. This can take place in many ways, like day-to-day communication, but also by taking the time to learn about each student individually.
Noozhawk: Share a student success story that stays with you (no names needed).
GS: There are so many stories I could tell about the progress and success of my students. For example, with my kindergarten students, I recall their progress in bilingual communication — verbal, sign language or through an AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) device — and academic acquisition as the year progressed.
By taking the time to get to know each student as an individual, I learn how to support them academically and social-emotionally. They thrived with counting, early literacy skills and social emotional learning.
For my older students, the community that I build in my classroom is transformative. They slowly gain the confidence to try things that are more challenging and to ask for help when they need it.
Noozhawk: What’s one change you made this year — tool, routine or strategy — that moved the needle?
GS: One change with my older elementary students is giving them more opportunities to be “the teacher” in our small groups. Once I see that a student has mastered a concept or routine, I give them agency to teach that to their peers. Their leadership skills are amazing to see!
Noozhawk: What advice would you give your first-year teacher self?
GS: Don’t be afraid to bring your full identity into the classroom. I have always been proud of my background, but as a first-year teacher there is sometimes doubt that what you may be doing, and is different, may not work.
I would tell my first-year self to trust what I know and that it does make a positive impact.
Noozhawk: Who are your mentors?
GS: I have had multiple mentors across a year, beginning with Laura L. who was my mentor during my student teaching year. I am also grateful for the mentorship of my professors at Cal Poly: Dr. Tina Cheuk, Dr. Briana Ronan, Dr. Stephen Crutchfield and Dr. Leah Wood.
I’m also grateful for the mentors I met through my induction program and my colleagues at the sites where I’ve worked.
Noozhawk: Who are the people in your life and work environment who support you every day?
GS: There are many people who support me day-to-day. Most important, they are my friends and family. They motivate me to continue challenging myself and trusting in all these teaching ideas I’ve had. And they’re also there for me on some of the toughest days.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite quote?
GS: Not a quote, but instead the word “serenity.”
Noozhawk: How does it feel to be honored as part of A Salute to Teachers?
GS: I feel extremely grateful to have been selected. This award is not only for me but for the families that I have worked with and will continue to work with in the future.
This award is for my family, my friends, and for younger Gloria who always dreamed of becoming a bilingual teacher.
It is a great honor to be considered a teacher leader in Santa Barbara County and in the field of bilingual special education.
