[Noozhawk’s note: One in a series on the teachers who will be honored Nov. 2 at A Salute to Teachers, presented by Cox Communications and the Santa Barbara County Education Office.]
Eight public school educators will be recognized Nov. 2 at the 11th annual Salute to Teachers, an event hosted by Cox Communications and the Santa Barbara County Education Office at the Music Academy in Montecito.
Laura Branch — a Righetti High School science teacher in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District — is the 2025 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year.
Rich Lashua, a performing arts and theater teacher at Santa Barbara Junior High School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District, will be recognized as the 2025 Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year.
The 2025 distinguished mentors to be recognized are kindergarten teacher Socorro Chávez of Isla Vista School in the Goleta Union School District, first-grade teacher Eugenia Pappas of Santa Ynez Valley Charter School in the College School District, and English language arts and concurrent enrollment instructor Jordan Willis of Orcutt Academy High School in the Orcutt Union School District.
The 2025 distinguished new educators to be honored are Ryan Blasena, an extensive support needs special education teacher at Hope School in the Hope Elementary School District; Noe Gomez, a dual-enrollment chemistry teacher at Carpinteria High School in the Carpinteria Unified School District; and Oscar Velasco, an ethnic and gender studies teacher at Santa Maria High School in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.
In addition to Cox, Salute to Teachers is sponsored by Noozhawk, Fielding Graduate University, Melfred Borzall, Rusty’s Pizza and the Santa Barbara Bowl.
Noozhawk Q&A
Noozhawk: Why did you decide to become a teacher?
Jordan Willis: I volunteered in a communication arts and sciences English class at Berkeley High School and instantly fell in love with the craft and care that comes with teaching.
Noozhawk: How long have you been teaching?
JW: Almost a decade.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite subject or lesson plan to teach your students?
JW: As an English teacher, I love to introduce students to numerous text types — from lengthy novels to advertisements and street art.
As simple as it sounds, one of my favorite protocols is Socratic seminar. I love when students interrogate their own thinking and investigate ideas through inquiry.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite part of being a teacher?
JW: There are too many favorites! Every day I have a delightful encounter with a student that sparks joy and fosters creativity.
Noozhawk: What are the challenges of your job?
JW: There is a lot going on in the world right now, and students feel it. I think the incessant hyper-awareness of global events via social media can weigh heavily on students’ mental health.
Part of my job is bringing awareness to the world in which we live through literary exploration, and another part is safeguarding students’ emotional well-being.
I’m pleased that there is a shifting awareness in education toward mental health resources and SEL (social and emotional learning) protocols.
Noozhawk: What are you most looking forward to this school year?
JW: I am the co-chair for our Ethnic Studies Curricular Committee, and I am very excited to implement and integrate ethnic studies courses and content into our school.
Noozhawk: Who are your mentors?
JW: A mentor who has been absolutely instrumental to my growth and development as an educator is Debarati Sanyal at UC Berkeley.
Noozhawk: Who are the people in your life and work environment who support you every day?
JW: My partner, James, is always a grounding presence in my life and supports my creativity and aspirations.
I am also grateful for my family and friends, as well as for excellent colleagues. Eimile Pay, Heather Penk, Michelle Clayton, John Wells and Alexa Owens are always great sounding boards and sources of support and motivation.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite quote?
JW: “We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.” — From author Toni Morrison’s 1993 Nobel Prize acceptance speech.
Noozhawk: How does it feel to be honored as part of A Salute to Teachers?
JW: I am profoundly humbled and grateful to be honored as a part of A Salute to Teachers. This is not a solitary career, and I am upheld by so many other fabulous teachers and mentors.
