2025 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership Award Recipients
Timothy Aberle
Shelbyville Community Unit School District
Shelbyville, IL
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Kindra Callahan
Kewanee High School
Kewanee, IL
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Matthew Erbach
South Elgin High School
Elgin, IL
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Erin Clifford
Bolingbrook High School
Bolingbrook, IL
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Dillin Randolph
Niles West High School
Skokie, IL
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Elizabeth Dribin-Khoshaba
Niles West High School
Skokie, IL
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
James Rowe
Clare Woods Academy
Wheaton, IL
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Kathleen Mahoney
Lake View High School
Chicago, IL
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Emily Feltes
North-Grand High School
Chicago, IL
Excellence in Leadership Award Recipient
Nick Anaya
Lindblom Math & Science Academy
Chicago, IL
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Victor Hurtado
Schurz High School
Chicago, IL
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
Mike LaScola
Everest Satellite High School
Belvidere, IL
Excellence in Leadership Award Recipient
Karen Engelmann
Cobden Jr./Sr. High School
Cobden, IL
Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient
The Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching & Leadership was the idea of Golden Apple founders Mike and Patricia Koldyke, who felt that excellent teachers did not receive adequate recognition for their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated society.
Every year since 1986, Golden Apple has selected master teachers to receive the prestigious Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2014, Golden Apple began honoring exemplary school leaders with the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership in honor of founding Golden Apple board member, Stanley C. Golder.
Golden Apple Award recipients play an important role in preparing the next generation of teachers by providing instruction and mentorship to future teachers in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs - programs dedicated to addressing the teacher shortage.
ACADEMY OF EDUCATORS
Golden Apple Award recipients become lifetime members of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators. These master educators help prepare the next generation of teachers through both our Golden Apple Scholars (for undergraduates) and Golden Apple Accelerators (for career-changers) programs.