Twenty-four Alpine School District employees were honored with the Accent on Excellence award during a special gala on Tuesday, April 28, recognizing their outstanding contributions to students and school communities. The recipients include 20 teachers, three Educational Support Professionals, and one administrator and were selected from nearly 5,000 teachers, 4,000 support staff, and 300 administrators in Alpine School District.
Each school administrator nominated a Teacher of the Year, and finalists were reviewed by the Alpine Education Foundation Board before the final selections were made. Honorees received community-sponsored gifts and a $500 award.
“We’re blessed to work in an environment with many amazing and outstanding educators,” said Alpine Education Foundation Executive Director Tyler Vigue. “It’s very difficult to narrow that down and only be able to support a few of them. But those that we are able to honor are clearly worthy of this amazing recognition.”
The Accent on Excellence award reflects Alpine School District’s commitment to a culture of excellence. “Those who receive this award tend to make their environments better—not just the classrooms and the students that they support, but their peers, their teammates, and their school environments,” Vigue said. “They are truly what you think of as an overachiever; somebody who doesn’t just come to work and do the minimum, they show up early, stay late, do the maximum, and help their team members.”
The Alpine Foundation connects community support to classroom impact. “We feel it’s critical that our teachers and folks who work in our schools know that our community loves, honors, respects, supports, and celebrates them,” Vigue said. “We strive to bridge that gap and make sure that the people know that.”
For recipients, the recognition is both humbling and meaningful.
“I was really surprised. It’s an amazing award and I can’t believe that I would actually receive it,” said Andreina Mann, a dispatch specialist who received the award in Transportation. “I’m very thankful for all of the support I have in my office.” She added, “There is no way I could have done this or even received this award without the support of my team and the people in my office.”
2026 Accent on Excellence award recipients:
Julie Bailey – American Fork High
Ashley Billingham – Polaris High
Nicole Bullock – Vista Heights Middle School
Ben Byrd – Cedar Valley High
Stephanie Edwards – Desert Sky Elementary
Elizabeth Evans – Alpine Elementary
Maile Flanders – Orem Elementary
Alex Goold – Oak Canyon Junior High
Johnathan Hale – Parkside Elementary
John Hanks – Pleasant Grove High
Melanie Harmon – Canyon View Junior High
Rebecca Jensen – Rocky Mountain Elementary
Alan Kendall – Sage Canyon Middle School
Matthew Knight – Forbes Elementary
Jason Langlois – Lake Mountain Middle
Andreina Mann – East Transportation Services
Trevor Manning – Pleasant Grove Junior High
Krissi Mortensen – Black Ridge Elementary
Casey Robles – Grovecrest Elementary
Whitney Schoenfeld – Freedom Elementary
Fredia Shumway – Liberty Hills Elementary
Allison Terry – Lone Peak High
Wendy Wilson – Riverview Elementary
Shelli Yates – Lehi Elementary
“Virtually every teacher or employee that I’ve been privileged to work with and present this award to is giving their heart and soul to the work they do,” Vigue said. “So, it’s an honor to celebrate some of those that just stand out in a crowd of amazing contributors.”
Recognizing excellence remains central to Alpine School District’s mission—because when educators are supported and celebrated, students benefit most. Recognizing excellence inspires excellence.