Eight of the 30 Golden Apple finalists are from Cape Coral, North Fort Myers schools
Eight of the 30 2026 Golden Apple Finalist teachers are from Cape Coral and North Fort Myers schools.
The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, Inc. developed the Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Program as its first program 28 years ago. Since then, 219 educators have been awarded the prestigious award to recognize and reward excellence in teaching.
Students, parents, teachers, administrators and the general public are invited every year to nominate any School District of Lee County teacher who is making an extraordinary contribution to their students.
From there a selection committee, which is made up of community and business leaders, review and narrow down the nominations to 30. The finalists are personally interviewed and observed in their classrooms by the committee.
From the 30 finalists, six will be chosen as the recipients of the annual Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Banquet, a black-tie affair.
West Zone finalists include Jessica Alimonit, Diplomat Middle School; Quinn Schnabel, Diplomat Middle School; Alisa Brown, Diplomat Middle School; Ingrid Echeverria Sanchez, North Fort Myers High School; Megan Price, James Stephens Elementary School; Rhonda Rainer, Caloosa Elementary School; Krista River, Gulf Elementary School and Michaela Zawisza, Trafalgar Elementary School.
Price, who left the school district after the process, is being recognized as a finalist due to her high score.
Remaining finalists include: Jeffrey Armsworth, Lexington Middle; Jonathan Barr, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle; Michael Benfer, Dunbar High; Cameron Brooks, Tice Elementary; Danielle Callender, Franklin Park Elementary; Laurie Faye, South Fort Myers High; Wendy Fiore, Cypress Lake Middle; Lisa Flannery, Lee Virtual School; Steven Gainey, East Lee County High School; Brittany Gardiner, Oak Hammock Middle; Joseph Giangreco, The Sanibel School; Cheyenne Grant, Sunshine Elementary
Catherine Griffin, Dunbar High; Anne Hester, East Lee County High; Stephanie Liljegren, River Hall Elementary; Christina Marco, River Hall Elementary; Catherine Mattison, East Lee County High; Elizabth O’Connor, Ray V. Pottorf Elementary; Arial Raulerson, Lehigh Senior High; Christian Saravia, Harns Marsh Middle; Laurie Smiley, Dunbar High and Gabriel Waldinger, Three Oaks Elementary.
Jessica Alimonti, Diplomat Middle School
Alimonti began teaching 11 years ago for the School District of Lee County.
“It is where I went to middle school myself, where I began my teaching career, and where I still teach today. This school has shaped who I am, both as a student and as an educator,” she said.
Alimonti teaches 7th grade language arts.
“Being named a Golden Apple Finalist is such an incredible honor. I am still in disbelief that I was chosen as a finalist for such a prestigious award. This recognition truly belongs to my students,” Alimonti said. “Getting the opportunity to highlight them and showcase how amazing they are is what excites me most, because they are the reason I do what I do every day. My students, past and present, are truly the reason behind this recognition.”
The growth of a middle school student is what stands out the most as a teacher.
“Middle school is such a monumental and meaningful time in a student’s life. It is the stage where they begin to transition from being a little kid into becoming a teenager and discovering who they are. I love witnessing their growth in ways that go far beyond academics as they grow socially, emotionally, mentally, and personally. Being trusted to walk alongside them during this important journey is incredibly fulfilling and something I truly cherish,” she said.
The engagement of her students sometimes comes in creative, “crazy” themed lessons that are based on their literature in a relatable and meaningful way.
“I also believe engagement comes from building respectful positive relationships. When students know you genuinely care not just about the subject you teach but about them as individuals they are far more invested in learning,” she said.
Alicia Brown, Diplomat Middle
Brown began teaching eight years ago in the School District of Lee County, five of which have been spent at Diplomat Middle School. She teaches eighth grade science and STEM.
“Being named a Golden Apple finalist is an absolute honor. Teaching, I would argue, is one of the most important career paths that helps mold children into the people they are supposed to be and develops the future leaders of our world,” she said. “It is already a privilege to do the job we do, impacting kids’ lives daily, but it is incredibly humbling to be named a finalist among the thousands of phenomenal educators in our district. I am a proud product of the School District of Lee County, and to be nominated and selected at my former middle school feels even more special and full-circle.”
Brown said she has the unique privilege of teaching at her former middle school alongside many of her former teachers who are now colleagues and friends.
“Teachers like my fellow finalist, Mrs. Quinn Schnabel, and our Assistant Principal, Mrs. Tanya Norris, are the reasons I fell in love with learning as a kid. After attending Diplomat Elementary, Diplomat Middle, and North Fort Myers High, I graduated from the University of Florida in 2018 and returned home to teach at Hancock Creek Elementary for three years,” she said. “A science position opened up at Diplomat Middle in 2021, and though I never imagined teaching middle school, or even teaching science full time, I took a risk and I am eternally grateful that I did.”
Relationships, Brown said, are the best part of teaching as it turns into a lifetime impact.
“Middle schoolers are a part of one of the most misunderstood age groups, but you quickly realize they are still just kids who want to be seen, loved, and feel connected. Being a teacher gives you the opportunity to not only teach students content and keep them curious, but to help develop them into the amazing individuals that they are and help them see their potential and worth for themselves,” she said.
With the constant distractions of technology and social influencers, Brown’s engagement is a little more intentional than a traditional classroom.
“To keep my middle schoolers engaged, I am always working to give them opportunities to practice real-world, hands-on science. Whether we are building roller coasters to model energy transformation, cooking pancakes to demonstrate chemical and physical changes, or testing the pH of unknown liquids to learn about acids and bases, my kids are always doing something collaboratively and engaging,” she said.
Quinn Schnabel, Diplomat Middle School
Schnabel began her teaching career in the School District of Lee County 25 years ago, which has all been spent at Diplomat Middle School. She currently teaches eighth grade Language Arts.
“It’s an honor to be selected to represent the amazing teachers we have in Lee County. It’s also so special to be able to share this with two of my wonderful colleagues, and former students, at Diplomat,” Schnabel said. “I’m just grateful for this opportunity to showcase my students and my school.”
The lightbulb moment that her students experience is what she enjoys most about teaching.
“What I enjoy most – seeing my students overcome their struggles and insecurities to have those lightbulb moments where it all comes together and they feel pride in themselves and accomplishment,” she said.
With more than two decades under her belt, she said she’s learned the most important thing with engaging students is to learn and grow and change with them.
“I love bringing learning to life in a fun, creative way in my classroom,” Schnabel said.
Michaela Zawisza, Trafalgar Elementary
Zawisza, who began teaching 15 years ago in the School District of Lee County and at Trafalgar Elementary School, said it is truly an honor to be named a Golden Apple Finalist. She is a kindergarten teacher.
“There is nothing more rewarding than watching students grow and flourish as they learn, especially in their first year of formal education,” Zawisza said. “I work to keep my students engaged by creating a joyful, structured and interactive learning environment that meets their developmental needs.”
Rhonda Rainer, Caloosa Elementary
Rainer earned her teaching of English degree more than 37 years ago in Chicago, Illinois. When life took her in a different direction, she became a paraprofessional at Caloosa Elementary School in 2011 before being hired as an ESE teacher of students on the autism spectrum in 2018 at Caloosa Elementary School.
“Being named a Golden Apple finalist is truly an honor and humbling experience. I am grateful for the support I have received from my administrators, my fellow educators, my mentors, and from my students and their families,” she said. “I have been fortunate to have wonderful paraprofessionals and our Caloosa Elementary staff creates a positive learning environment where students thrive. I especially want to thank my daughter, Rebecca Sullivan, for partnering with my class each year to build solid relationships and real-life social skills.”
Rainer said expressed gratitude to the foundation and its sponsors for the wonderful opportunity.
She teaches in a self-contained classroom named social-functioning with many students with on the spectrum, as well as some other exceptionalities.
“This year my students are in first and second grade. We work on social communication, independent functioning, and academics. I enjoy watching my students grow and learn. I am fortunate to have many of my students for several years, which allows me to not only build relationships with them, but with their families. I enjoy helping the families with resources for their students’ education and within the community,” Rainer said. “I have an adult son who has autism and intellectual delays and apply my experiences from raising him into the classroom to support and engage my students. Some of my students learn differently and I incorporate their learning styles into my instruction to keep them engaged. This involves hands-on learning with movement breaks built in, while recognizing their sensory needs.”
Krista Rivera, Gulf Elementary School
Rivera began teaching in the School District of Lee County 11 years ago, and is in her third year at Gulf Elementary School. She said she has had the privilege of teaching at two of the schools she attended as a student, as well as working alongside some of her former teachers.
Rivera teaches fourth grade English language arts and social studies. She said she also teaches kindness, resilience, and the value of learning and growing.
“To be recognized alongside such dedicated and inspiring educators is an incredible honor. I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my family, colleagues, community, school, and the foundation. This recognition is a reminder that teaching is never done alone. I am fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing village,” she said. “I am proud to give back to the district and community that helped shape who I am today. I hope to inspire students to dream boldly, lead with kindness, and recognize the power they have to make a positive impact on the world, just as my teachers did for me.”
Her students are by far the best part of teaching, she said.
“I will forever cherish my time with them. Teaching has shown me that the relationships formed in the classroom often last a lifetime,” Rivera said. “My students become family, and I am deeply grateful that many continue to share their accomplishments with me years later. It is particularly meaningful to have former students return as teaching interns, choosing to follow the same path and entrusting me to guide them once again. My students bring me immeasurable joy, and I feel tremendous pride seeing them succeed in their endeavors in and out of the classroom.”
Ingrid Echeverria Sanchez, North Fort Myers High School
Echeverria Sanchez began teaching 36 years ago with the bulk of that time spent in Colombia teaching. She has taught for six years in the United States, four of which have been at North Fort Myers High School teaching chemistry.
“Being named a Golden Apple Finalist signifies that excellence in education knows no boundaries. It validates my 30-year journey from Colombia to the United States, demonstrating that my passion for science and commitment to students are universal values. It is an honor that acknowledges the resilience it took to rebuild my career and the high standards I maintain in my chemistry lab every day,” she said. “It serves as a symbol of hope for my students, showing my bilingual and immigrant students that their backgrounds are assets, not barriers. Being recognized means I can exemplify that through hard work, passion, and love for what we do, we can achieve excellence.”
Echeverria Sanchez said being in the United States has been a transformative experience that renewed her passion for education.
“It has taught me that while I bring 30 years of chemistry expertise from my country, I am still a lifelong learner. I am honored to contribute my global perspective to the Lee County community, proving that when we embrace our diverse backgrounds, we create a richer, more innovative future for all our students,” she said.
The “aha” moment is one that Echeverria Sanchez treasures.
“I love witnessing the aha moment when a student master a complex concept. I also enjoy the mutual exchange of knowledge, while I teach my students chemistry, they inspired me to teach with new perspective each day. It is also loving the moment when my students transition from following to be real thinkers. Watching them find their own voice through science is incredibly rewarding,” she said.
The engagement in her classroom comes from using students as a teacher model.
“When I empower students to lead lab, class activities or be tutors, in this way they share their own expertise, they take ownership of their learning and stay deeply invested in the results,” Echeverria Sanchez said.