At a Kentucky Derby-themed banquet on Tuesday, May 6, Mansfield ISD announced its campus and district teachers of the year at the Dr. Jim Vaszauskas Center for the Performing Arts. Attendees wore dresses and suits topped with hats befitting of last weekend's Run for the Roses held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Teachers of the Year 

Summit High School Algebra I teacher Gerald Hodges II was named MISD's Secondary Teacher of the Year. Hodges is described as an inspiring educator who teaches ninth graders with purpose, passion, and a belief in the power of every student. As a Capturing Kids' Hearts champion and Class of 2027 sponsor, Hodges is a trusted mentor and positive force on campus. He’s currently co-writing a children’s book that shares his personal journey—from not knowing how to swim to becoming a state championship swimmer—an experience that shaped his educational philosophy. 

Hodges believes that all students can learn, though not all in the same way. His mission goes beyond teaching math; he strives to help students understand how they learn and how to confidently navigate school and life. For him, when belief is paired with effort and preparation, there are no limits to what students can achieve. 

Kim Griffiths, a second year Functional Academic Life Skills (FALS) teacher at JL Boren Elementary School was named MISD's Elementary Teacher of the Year. Griffiths is described as a dedicated and compassionate educator who supports and inspires her students. With a career in education that began in 1995, Griffiths has served in a variety of roles, including PPCD, Resource, fourth grade, and alternative curriculum, bringing a depth of experience and heart to everything she does. 

From 1996 to 2003, Griffiths also served as a Special Olympics coach and unified athlete, a reflection of her lifelong commitment to inclusion and empowerment. She believes that education goes far beyond academic content—it's about equipping students with the tools to advocate for themselves and become confident, contributing citizens. For Griffiths, Mansfield ISD isn’t just where she works—it’s a community where learning, living, and leading go hand in hand. 

 

Shining Star Award 

Officer Sean Lee is a true example of dedication, compassion, and service. Primarily serving at Timberview High School, he builds strong relationships with students and staff—knowing students by name, understanding their struggles, and celebrating their successes. His daily presence, from door checks to walking hallways and being visible at lunch, shows his deep commitment to safety and connection. Officer Lee takes every decision seriously, always considering the long-term impact on students' futures. Beyond Timberview, he also serves as a training officer for new recruits and as a department Glock armorer. His leadership, heart, and constant presence make him a true Shining Star in Mansfield ISD. 

Connie Marchabeyoglu is the very definition of a Shining Star. Her love for her students shines through in everything she does from the moment she opens her bus doors each morning with a joyful greeting and a warm smile. To Marchabeyoglu, every child is one of her "babies," and she treats each one with genuine care, compassion, and kindness. Whether she’s buckling seatbelts, wiping away tears, singing nursery rhymes, or ensuring every child is bundled up and safe, Marchabeyoglu goes above and beyond to make her bus a place of comfort, happiness, and safety. She builds strong connections not only with her students but also with their families, always attentive to their well-being and quick to notice if something seems off. Her heart, her joy, and her unwavering dedication to her kids are felt by everyone lucky enough to know her. Marchabeyoglu is more than deserving of the Shining Star recognition—she is already a shining light in the lives of so many. 

 

Heartbeat Award 

Beth Kirsch exemplifies what it means to lead with both heart and dedication. Her commitment goes far beyond simply performing her job in Accounts Payable—she truly cares about every individual in her department. Each morning, team members naturally find their way to her office, drawn by her guidance, wisdom, and encouragement before they even start their shifts. Beth’s impact extends well beyond professional matters; she listens with compassion to both work-related and personal challenges, offering unwavering kindness and support. Her ability to create such a welcoming and caring environment speaks volumes about her character. Even after all these years, Beth’s passion for her work and the people she serves remains as strong as ever. She is truly one of a kind, and it’s clear that she is more than deserving of this award. 

Brooke Parlin has dedicated her career to shaping not only talented performers, but outstanding young women of character. As a Drill Team Director, she poured her heart and soul into her students, serving as a mentor, a role model, and, for some, even a second mother. The values she instilled have left a lasting legacy, as many of her former students now return to Mansfield ISD as employees, continuing to pass on the lessons they learned from her. Brooke’s vision and leadership led to the creation of the Drill Team Move Camp, which has grown into a thriving district-wide summer camp now entering its seventh successful year. In her current role as Fine Arts Coordinator, Brooke continues to inspire, mentoring coaches across the district and teaching them how to lead with both excellence and compassion. She is widely recognized, both at Legacy and across MISD, as one of the very best—a true example of servant leadership and a champion for students and staff alike. 

When you think of a true Shining Star, you think of someone like Kim Sherlock. For over a decade, Kim has been a constant source of support, kindness, and reliability. No matter the need, she is always ready to step up and help—whether it’s within the Facilities and Bonds Programs Department or not. If she can’t assist directly, she makes sure you get connected with the right person, always with a smile that you can hear in her voice. Every interaction with Kim is a reminder of her unwavering commitment to serving others. There isn’t just one moment that defines her excellence—her consistent dedication and positivity shine through every single day. Kim truly embodies what it means to represent Mansfield ISD, and she is more than deserving of this recognition. 

 

Ambassador of Education 

Each year, MISD recognizes one community partner as its Ambassador of Education for supporting the district.  Common Ground has fed thousands of students by packing more than 26,000 food bags to take home for the weekend. Each year, they support Back to School Bash by providing volunteers and contributions toward the supplies students need to ensure they have a good start to the new school year. They also partner with the Mansfield ISD Clothes Closet which provides clothing and school supplies free of charge to Mansfield ISD students.  

Congratulations to Common Ground, our 2025 Ambassador for Education! 

Special thanks to H-E-B and Methodist Mansfield for sponsoring the event, and to EECU for providing $250 to each of our district teachers of the year. If you’d like to see the photos, visit our photo gallery. 

Campus Teachers of the Year 

Elementary Schools	Teacher Name
Alice Ponder Elementary	Cheyenne Eastwood
Anna May Daulton Elementary	Brady Wisch
Annette Perry Elementary	Arelene Carr
Brenda K. Norwood Elementary	Kristen Chapman
Carol Holt Elementary	Hina Sumdani
Charlotte Anderson Academy	Amy Webb
Cora Spencer Elementary	Ashley Davis
D.P. Morris Elementary	Kayla Polley
Elizabeth Smith Academy	Kathryn Cain
Erma Nash Elementary	Amber Young
Glenn Harmon Elementary	Jennifer Atmore
Imogene Gideon Elementary	Karyn Vela
J.L. Boren Elementary	Kimberly Griffiths
Dr. Jandrucko Early Learners Academy	Allison Mahon
Janet Brockett Elementary	Reagan Lawrence
Judy K. Miller Elementary	Tina Dobson
Kenneth Davis Elementary	Keisha Gray Mcglown
Louise Cabaniss Academy	Amber Mosqueda
Mary Jo Sheppard Elementary	Crystal Kempken
Martha Reid Academy	Julie Stone
Nancy Neal Elementary	Lauren Cooper
Roberta Tipps Academy	Kim Hill
Tarver-Rendon Agricultural Leadership	Chelsea Hakanson
Thelma Jones Elementary	Angela Ewing
Willie Brown Academy	Stephanie Brantley

Intermediate Schools	Teacher Name
Cross Timbers Intermediate	Brittany Moore
Della Icenhower Intermediate	Davante Starling
Mary Lillard Intermediate	Rona Simmons
Asa Low, Jr. Intermediate	Jennifer Turley
Alma Martinez Intermediate	Shelbee Goetzinger
Mary Orr Intermediate	Naquetta Simpson
Donna Shepard Academy	Colbi Beshel

Middle Schools	Teacher Name
James Coble Middle	Sarah Green
T.A. Howard Middle	Robert Weston
Linda Jobe Middle	Lance Oleson
Danny Jones Middle	Whitney West
Charlene McKinzey Middle	Margarita Del Angel
Brooks Wester Middle	Brady Cowen
Rogene Worley Middle	Rebekah Evans
Jerry Knight STEM Academy	Chelsea Lentz

High Schools	Teacher Name
Mansfield High	Erin Strange
Lake Ridge High	Renee White
Legacy High	Susan Floyd
Summit High	Gerald Hodges
Timberview High	Carrie Gonzalez
Ben Barber Innovation Academy	Jimmie Green
Early College High School	Jacob Bush
Frontier STEM Academy	Laura Christopher
The Phoenix DAEP	Michael Helbert
The Phoenix Academy	Roger Cox

 

Service Awards 

20 Years 

• Jennifer Abbott  
• Cynthia Adkison  
• Lisa Amoriello 
• Melanie Atkinson  
• April Becker  
• Larry Birchfield  
• Chelsea Bledsoe  
• Malisa Bobbitt  
• Elise Buchhorn   
• Lauren Cady  
• Cody Cannon  
• Shelly Carroll  
• Jeanne Clayton  
• Lori Cook  
• Jodi Crawford  
• Kirby Davis  
• Annette Debinski  
• Kevin Dodge  
• Jennifer Dodd  
• Lee Anne Dozier  
• Keli Ferrier  
• Andrea Gagnon  
• Robin George Feller  
• Karyn Gonzalez  
• Tiffany Grant  
• Kristen Hendrix  
• Christopher Hubbard  
• Marie-pierre Lamkin  
• Julie Lazarus Jager  
• Chauntel Lodatto  
• Patricia Londono 
• Sara Mata  
• Jennifer Mccool  
• Cynthia Messersmith  
• Amy Grace Moore  
• Judy Munoz  
• Kim Murphree  
• Cecilia Neufeldt  
• Kelly Nicolle  
• Charlotte Patterson  
• Kimberly Pena  
• Rebekah Rambo  
• Prince Ray  
• Laurie Remington  
• Mico Rhines  
• Jennifer Roberts  
• Jennifer Rothlin  
• Kelley Rudd  
• Stephanie Sampson Ivory  
• Kathleen Sanders  
• Jayme Schroeder  
• Jan Sheppard  
• Quena Simon  
• Tina Skinner  
• Carrie Strange  
• Sheryl Suchsland  
• Janell Tanner  
• Stefanie Thomas  
• Amy Vanbrocklin  
• Angie Villarreal  
• Leon Washington 
• Debora Watson  
• Kimberly West  
• Kimberly White  
• Richard Wickel  
• Brooke Wiggins  
• Greggory Williams  
• Tara Wright  

25 Years 

• Donald Counts  
• Lisa Fox  
• Kourtney Gates  
• Stacie Guerra  
• Cody Huckabay  
• David Johnson  
• Sara Kamphaus  
• Blake Lindsey  
• Margarita Longoria  
• Melanee Mccollum  
• Andrea Midgett  
• Donald Miller  
• Teretha Patterson  
• Roger Polson  
• Patricia Robinson  
• Tasha Sangalli  
• Angela Shipe  
• Rona Simmons  
• Amy Skipper  
• Brenda M. Steele  
• Narjes Taherpourzaky  
• Betty Villegas  
• Sendy Wilson  
• David Wright 

 

30 Years 

• Kelly Campbell  
• Brittany Giese  
• Cathy Gryder  
• Jeremy Larue  
• Brenda Mcmullan 

35 Years 

• Kindra Franklin 

 

Retirees 

• Cynthia Adkison  
• Linda Alfaro  
• Sharon Austin  
• Nicole Badovinac  
• Milt Barnum  
• Audra Birkeland  
• Dorean Bryant  
• Gerald Bunch  
• Ginger Busocker  
• Angela Byrd  
• Paul Cash  
• Alicia Castro 
• Michael Chesser  
• Pamel Conway  
• Donald Counts  
• Ladawn Crisenberry  
• Daniel Davis  
• John Davis  
• Irene Davis  
• Annette Debinski  
• Tina Dobson  
• Candice Driscoll  
• Carolyn Dyer  
• Patrick Easley  
• Sanna Eddie  
• Julie Etchison  
• Lisa Eubanks  
• Olga Felan  
• Cheryl Ferrell  
• Sherri Finger  
• Andrea Flores  
• Jennifer Foster  
• Kindra Franklin  
• Cliff Frederick  
• Vonda Garms  
• Brittany Giese  
• Philip Glenn  
• Stephani Gray  
• Lisa Griffin  
• Rene Grimaldo  
• Douglas Hadley  
• Edward Harper  
• Lance Harper  
• Jamie Hart  
• Jennifer Harvey  
• Sandra Higgins  
• Eudora Hundley  
• Patricia Johnson  
• Sonya Jones  
• Donna Kercher  
• Matthew Koceich  
• Jeffrey Kubal  
• Chauntel Lodatto 
• Rena Long  
• John Loranger  
• Janet Manning  
• Teresa Martin  
• Albert McCombs  
• Brenda McMullan  
• Vicki Mitchell  
• John Moody  
• Holly Najar  
• Jamie Norwood-Miller  
• George Olsen  
• Mary Pappalardo  
• Scott Parlin  
• Bethany Reirdon  
• Valerie Rollings  
• Adrian Sample  
• Laurenda Sanguinetti  
• Steven Sharp  
• Janna Sheppard  
• Lynne Sluder  
• Brenda Smart  
• Anne Marie St. John  
• Regina Stegman  
• Sherry Tipton  
• Kelley Tittsworth  
• Sandy Tobolka  
• Mary Troutt  
• Stephanie Vetere  
• Tiffany Walker  
• Malaika Warren  
• Margaret Wedgeworth  
• Kimberly West  
• Richard Wickel  
• Donna Wollenweber 
• Jennifer Young