[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?
Laura Branch: During my senior year at San Diego State University there was a large teacher strike (1996). My geology professor sat the class down and told us how teaching is a noble and important profession, and how we need to respect teachers for the job they do.
I had never explored the option of becoming an actual teacher before. I assumed I would work in the oil industry. I started researching the profession and found that it might be an interesting job and that I might be good at it.
I stepped into the classroom in the fall of 1998 and I was hooked. I found my calling. I LOVE being a teacher and I’m really good at it.
Noozhawk: How long have you been teaching?
LB: This is my 26th year of teaching, all at Ernest Righetti High School in Santa Maria.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite subject or lesson plan to teach your students?
LB: My favorite subject is anything to do with earth science, but my all-time FAVORITE subject to talk about is volcanoes.
Students love learning about volcanoes, and I enjoy teaching about why we don’t have to worry about volcanic eruptions in Santa Barbara County.
I also like to teach them about how Morro Rock and Bishop Peak in San Luis Obispo County are remnants of old volcanoes.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite part of being a teacher?
LB: My favorite part about being a teacher is NOT the summers off! I rarely take a summer off. I am constantly working to bring interesting concepts into the classroom.
By far, my favorite part about being a teacher is the students. The students are awesome. They make me laugh every day, and they share so much about their interesting lives.
To see them flourish from shy student the first day of class to being outgoing at the end of the year and sharing their individual stories with me is incredible.
Noozhawk: What are the challenges of your job?
LB: I would say how the politics in education results in change is one of the biggest challenges I have felt the past 26 years.
There’s a quote in geology, “The only thing that doesn’t change is change itself.” This is true in education, too.
The curricula standards have changed so much, which resulted in educators having to reorganize and replan their instruction.
A few years ago, we had to shift our entire pedagogy to a more student-centered learning environment with the Next Generation Science Standards. With that, we had to write all our curricula to the new standards. It was a daunting task.
Then, distance learning with the COVID-19 shutdown hit. It’s been a big, ongoing challenge of change.
Noozhawk: What are you most looking forward to this school year?
LB: Each school year I look forward to getting to know my students as individuals. That’s already taking place, so all is good on that front.
I am also looking forward to having Zoo to You to come visit my classroom in May. They come every year to speak about environmental sustainability and conservation.
My students love when they come and they get to hold animals such as hissing cockroaches, a large boa constrictor or a caiman.
A few years ago, they brought in a baby kangaroo. I absolutely adore kangaroos and missed it last time because I was down with COVID-19. So, I’m looking forward to, hopefully, having the kangaroo in my class.
Last year they brought a porcupine. It was pretty stenchy, and students and I checked to make sure it wasn’t us.
Noozhawk: Who are your mentors?
LB: I have had two mentors who have helped me greatly throughout my career: Dr. Lynette Cavazos, my adviser from the UC Santa Barbara Teacher Education Program, and my department chair from Righetti High, Walt Bunning.
Each of them supported me with classroom management issues at the start of my career, helped me realize my potential as a leader in education, and made sure my transition from being a student teacher to a tenured teacher was a smooth as possible.
Without them I wouldn’t be the educator I am today.
Noozhawk: Who are the people in your life and work environment who support you every day?
LB: Oh, wow! Just like being a parent, it takes a village to be an effective educator.
My family has been instrumental is building my passion as a geologist. From a very early age my parents would take us on vacations to see various national parks: Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Petrified Forest, Yellowstone, Yosemite, etc.
Every year we would go to Mammoth Lakes, California, too. From this I got my passion for the outdoors and for rocks.
My husband, Brian, and my children, Oscar, Madeline and Georgia, keep me going. I love to go out in nature with them and experience life with them. They are my everything and they’ve been supportive of my teaching career, especially when I go on professional development projects like the Amazon Rainforest or learning about wolves in Yellowstone.
The science department at Righetti High is my work family. Without them, tenure at Righetti would not have lasted 26 years.
Without them, I would not be able to plan the curricula that I do. They are my sounding board, and their feedback make me a stronger educator.
A few years ago, I decided to start a CTE (Career Technical Education) Environmental Resource Pathway at Righetti.
I approached my colleague, Rebecca Wingerden, about being a possible partner as there was no way I could develop and implement the entire program myself.
Together, we found the funding to put in a native garden in our school, we have traveled to the Amazon Rainforest and Yellowstone together, and are co-authors of an article about carbon in the trees that was published in The Science Teacher magazine. We are exceptional partners in all things education.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite quote?
LB: “If you cannot laugh anymore as an educator, it is time to find a new profession.” — Dr. Lynette Cavazos
This is by far my favorite quote and the most useful quote. Although there are some bad days in education, I find myself enjoying my time as an educator and I’m still laughing.
So, it’s not time for me to find a new profession yet …
Noozhawk: How does it feel to be honored as part of A Salute to Teachers?
LB: I truly had no clue I would ever be Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year. There are so many incredible teachers in this county that the competition is fierce, and I never thought I’d be chosen for such a title.
I enjoy the craft of teaching and I love my students, but this honor … wow!
To be honored as part of A Salute to Teachers is important to me because, as I reflect on my teaching career, I’m finding out that I’m making a difference.
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