Chelan County Excellence Award Winners 2019

Brian Higgins, Elissa Johnston, Gabriela Mejia, Esther Covarrubias have been named Chelan County Excellence Award winners for Wenatchee School District for 2019. The Award honors extraordinary educators and is sponsored each year by North Central ESD and school districts in Chelan, Grant, Douglas and Okanogan Counties.

Classified winners are Gabriela Mejia and Esther Covarrubias.

Gabriela Mejia is a secretary at Sunnyslope Elementary. She was nominated through the Chelan County Excellence process by Sunnyslope Principal Dave Perkins and Office Manager Deanne Erikson.

“Gabriela is deserving of this award because her dedication to helping elementary school students above and beyond academics is commendable,” said Erikson in her nomination of Mejia. “Her philosophy is to assist the whole child to ensure their day is without worry and offer the possibility of finding some joy during their time with us.”  

Esther Covarrubias serves as a bilingual paraeducator at Columbia Elementary. She was nominated through the Chelan County Excellence process by Columbia teacher Shelley Ryan-Kelzenberg.

“Esther Covarrubias is the welcoming face at the window at the office at Columbia Elementary.  She has a huge heart and puts kids first,” writes Ryan-Kelzenberg. “She buys gloves, hats, and coats for students in the winter, she has an endless supply of love and stickers, and Esther has a way of communicating care yet also encouraging children to better behavior and higher achievement.  She knows our student's families, and tirelessly works to connect them with resources in the school and community. Ms. Esther not only loves our students but also loves and serves our staff with hugs, jokes, stories, soup, and salsa.  We are so fortunate to have her at our school. ¡Gracias por todo su amor, cariño y esfuerzo!”

Brian Higgins and Elissa Johnston are the certificated award winners. Johnston was nominated through the Going the Extra Mile (GEM) process and Higgins was nominated through Chelan County Excellence process

Brian Higgins teaches Language Arts at Wenatchee High School. He was nominated through the Chelan County Excellence process by Wenatchee High School Assistant Principal Donna Moser and math Teacher Vann Berryman.

“Brian's enthusiasm, dedication, and willingness to meet each and every student where they are creates an environment for all to learn at high levels,” said Moser.

Elissa Johnston is a reading intervention specialist at Foothills Middle School and was selected from her GEM quarterly award. She was nominated by Foothills teachers Aaron Hansen, Laura Borden, and Kaya McLaren.

“When asked who inspires you, most people will name someone famous like Gandhi or MLK.  For me, it’s a teacher down the hall: Elissa Johnston,” said nominator and fellow Foothills teacher Aaron Hansen. “She has the wisdom of a veteran teacher, the energy of a teenager and the heart of a saint.  In the classroom and the staffroom, she’s a strong advocate for all students. Our community is so lucky to have someone like Mrs. Johnston serving our children”

The award winners will be honored on at the 2019 Chelan County Excellence Banquet on April 23, 2019, at the Wenatchee Convention Center.