[Noozhawk’s note: One in a series on the teachers who will be honored Nov. 7 at A Salute to Teachers, presented by the Santa Barbara County Education Office.]
Eight public school educators will be recognized Nov. 7 at the 13th annual Salute to Teachers, an event hosted by the Santa Barbara County Education Office at the Music Academy of the West in Montecito.
Alejandra Navarro — an El Camino Elementary School first-grade Dual Language Immersion teacher in the Goleta Union School District — is the 2027 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year.
Selyn Barrette Harwin — a drama teacher at Pioneer Valley High School in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District — will be recognized as the 2027 Santa Barbara Bowl Performing Arts Teacher of the Year.
The 2027 distinguished mentors to be recognized are Cold Spring School kindergarten teacher Becki Naranjo-Gonzales in the Cold Spring School District in Montecito, Lompoc Valley Middle School teacher Savannah Schindele in the Lompoc Unified School District, and Santa Ynez Valley Union High School teacher Billy Silvola in the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School School District.
The 2027 distinguished new educators to be honored are Pioneer Valley High teacher Laurie Geronimo and Fairlawn School second-grade teacher Wendy Marin and Battles School kindergarten teacher Stephanie Rosas, both in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District.
In addition to the Santa Barbara County Education Office, Salute to Teachers is sponsored by Noozhawk, Chevron, Driscoll’s, 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?”
Laurie Geronimo: When I was 9 years old, I set up my bedroom to be a classroom and taught my little brother how to count and recite the alphabet. At the time, I simply enjoyed playing teacher.
My decision to become a teacher really solidified when I was in high school. I was involved in many extracurricular activities, like band, AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), and track and field, where I found a sense of community and connection.
I enjoyed not only participating in these activities but also sharing my interests with others.
As a drum major and section leader in band, I was able to share my passion for music and teach underclassmen how to play and march.
During AVID tutorials, I enjoyed helping my peers gain more confidence and understanding in mathematics.
I’m lucky to have had a high school experience that helped me grow as a person, which isn’t always the case for students attending public high schools.
I feel a responsibility to give back to my community as a teacher, just as the teachers who came before me did.
Noozhawk: How long have you been teaching?
LG: This is my second year teaching! The 2025-2026 school year was my first, and I’m now teaching at my alma mater, Pioneer Valley High School.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite subject or lesson plan to teach your students?
LG: It’s difficult to choose between math and robotics as my favorite subjects to teach.
In math, a subject that tends to be disliked, I enjoy finding ways to make it more engaging and relatable to students.
One of my favorite lessons involves having students cut a cookie in half and weighing the pieces to see if they cut it exactly in half. It’s a fun way to introduce lines of symmetry!
I think math tends to get a bad reputation because of the anxiety that comes with getting an answer wrong, so I really focus on building my students’ confidence in themselves and their mathematical abilities.
For robotics, my role is less of a teacher as students teach and learn from one another as they work on engineering projects and bring their ideas to life.
My role is more about providing support as they productively struggle, because robotics is all about spending two hours on a build, only to have to take it apart because they forgot to put a bearing to support an axle.
Noozhawk: What’s your classroom superpower — and how did you develop it?
LG: Providing a safe environment for my students. Many of my students are going through difficult things in their lives and experiencing anxiety about the current political climate. I understand this deeply because I also grew up in Santa Maria, just like them.
I make sure my classroom feels warm and cozy, with fairy lights, and I always welcome students by saying “hi” as they walk in. Even if they’re late, I make sure they know that I’m happy they’re there.
As they leave, I always give them a fist bump and wish them a great day as they walk out the door.
I want my students to know that they have a place where they’re welcomed and supported, no matter what kind of day they’re having.
Noozhawk: Share a student success story that stays with you (no names needed).
LG: Last year, I had a student who seemed very lost and had little connection with school. He wasn’t engaged in his classes and made a few mistakes here and there, but he had a lot of potential.
One day, I assigned an autobiography to my students, which he was in, in the Allan Hancock concurrent college and career planning course I taught. He opened up about his life, which had been very difficult for someone his age.
In his autobiography, despite the darkness he had experienced, there was a glimmer of light: his interest in acting. This interest helped me connect the dots, as I remembered that throughout the assignments he had completed, he had consistently shown an interest in movies and shows.
I referred him to his counselor to see if he could be added to drama, and now, this year, he’s part of our school’s upcoming play!
Later on, he also joined the Robotics Club, where he has shown great potential in engineering and has continued to build connections and friendships with those around him.
Seeing him laugh and become involved in the things he’s interested in reminds me every day to pay attention to what students care about and encourage them to pursue those interests.
Sometimes, all it takes is showing them that there’s someone who believes in them.
It makes me think about all the people who have believed in me throughout my life, and now I feel a responsibility to do the same for my students, and make sure they know that someone sees their potential, believes in them and is rooting for them.
Noozhawk: What’s one change you made this year — tool, routine or strategy — that moved the needle?
LG: Incorporating vertical whiteboard learning. I have eight whiteboards on the wall, and I also use a window as a whiteboard!
Students spend six or seven periods mostly sitting down and are expected to stay seated throughout the day. I’ve found that having students stand up and work through problems on whiteboards helps them become more engaged with the content.
It gives them a chance to stretch their legs, move around, and interact with others in a different way.
Noozhawk: What advice would you give your first-year teacher self?
LG: To remind myself that I am not an island. I have a great support system, and I need to ask for help when I need it.
I don’t need to staple or organize 100-plus papers by myself. I have friends, family and TAs!
Noozhawk: Who are your mentors?
LG: I’m grateful that I’ve had so many mentors who have supported me throughout my life. From my father, who taught me how to write my name in cursive and change a spare tire, to my mother, who taught me how to fold money into origami, I’ve learned so much from the people around me.
The teachers of Santa Maria, like Ms. Wolf, Mrs. Hebert, Ms. Hays and Mrs. Leornas, who not only gifted me with knowledge but also helped me build confidence in myself.
I’ve learned from friends and co-workers, too, like Roxanna, who taught me how to feed a snake when I worked with her at our local pet store, and my partner, Phillip, who has taught me how to enjoy life to the fullest.
Noozhawk: Who are the people in your life and work environment who support you every day?
LG: My parents play an important role in supporting me every day. They’ve always supported my dreams and cared about me choosing a path that makes me happy.
They’ve worked hard to make my brother’s and my lives easier, sacrificing many of their own dreams to help make ours a reality.
My partner, Phillip, supports me in every way. He’s always willing to take on some of my own responsibilities when I’m being spread too thin, and he never complains once.
Trina Leornas, my AVID teacher and now colleague, has supported me since I was 14 years old and came to her with puffy eyes after crying about the stresses of high school to the end of high school through the COVID-19 pandemic. She supported me throughout college, gave me opportunities to tutor, and continues to support me as a colleague by answering every silly question I ask at 11 p.m.!
Lastly, I’m grateful for the amazing staff at Pioneer Valley High School.
Dr. Paul Robinson supports our robotics program and works to give teachers what they need to be successful and better serve our students.
Jeff Cooper, our district robotics coordinator, provides more opportunities for our students to compete in robotics competitions.
I’m also grateful to Tyson and Armando’s day and night maintenance crews, who come in early to open the gates for us at the crack of dawn when we need to leave for robotics competitions, or help us clean up and move robotics parts across campus.
I’m thankful to be surrounded by so many people who support our students and our school.
Noozhawk: What is your favorite quote?
LG: “No human is an island.” I first came across this quote in a syllabus for a university course at UC Santa Barbara. It was followed by mental health resources, and it was the first time a syllabus really got me to stop and think.
This was during a very difficult time in my life, when I was commuting from Santa Maria to UCSB at 6 in the morning, student teaching, attending night classes, and getting home at 9 p.m. five days a week.
I think about this quote a lot when I feel bad about asking others for help. It reminds me that I don’t have to do everything on my own, and it also pushes me to be there for others when they need support.
Noozhawk: How does it feel to be honored as part of A Salute to Teachers?
LG: It’s a great honor! I wouldn’t have been able to get this far without the countless people who have supported me throughout my life. I’m incredibly grateful for this honor!
