Teacher of the Year

Science Teacher, Cielo Vista Charter School
Palm Springs Unified School District

Nichi has been teaching for over 15 years. She keeps the academic advancement of her students central to all she does and views her students as scientists in training. This belief drives her to stay at the forefront of educational technology, and as such, she is a facilitator on multiple topics as well as a certified educator in Google, Peardeck, and Nearpod. Nichi constantly asks herself, “What is the best thing that I could do for my students?” Nichi is a problem solver and teaches her students to do the same. She believes that creativity is much more important than rote knowledge so she teaches her students to be critical thinkers. Both students and parents give much praise for Nichi and her incredible ability to build strong relationships.

Nichi's Message

It is truly a representative honor to be chosen to become a Riverside County Teacher of the Year and a California Teacher of the Year. Coming into this country as immigrants from the Philippines was not easy. My family had its share of struggles growing up in a neighborhood where crime was rampant. My eldest brother succumbed to the lure of the streets and died at the tender age of 27 from drug related issues. We all become teachers for a reason, and I became a teacher to change lives. I had to find meaning in my brother’s early death and to help prevent other children from going down the wrong path. As teachers, the best that we can do is offer students the types of interactions and words that help them reveal the strength and potential that already exists in their own lives. These last two years revealed that teachers, along with frontline workers, are modern-day superheroes. We taught through the pandemic, social unrest, an election, Zoom fatigue, remote or hybrid learning, and great loss. Despite our fears, we showed up and created powerful learning experiences for our students. What we did required a level of resilience, ingenuity, and empathy that rivaled that of any CEO. Thank you educators and thank you Riverside County Office of Education for celebrating our noble profession.