2025 Golden Apple Award Finalists

Kalli Bruck of Loves Park is in her second year teaching early childhood at Caledonia Elementary School. She’s been teaching for 21 years.

Fifth grade teacher Lisa Wight of Rockton has taught 10 of her 11 years of teaching at Durand Elementary School.

Chelsea Rawhoof of Pecatonica has spent all her 13 years of teaching at Pecatonica Elementary School, where she has taught first through fourth grade. She is now a “looping teacher,” teaching second grade this year, but carrying this class forward teaching them third grade next year.

Danielle Vanek of Machesney Park is an English teacher. She’s taught the past five of her 15 years of teaching at South Beloit’s Willowbrook Middle School.

Shiana Robertson of Rockford has been teaching third grade at Rockford’s Washington Elementary School the past three of her 11 years as a teacher.

Amanda Nguyen of Belvidere, is teaches Kindergarten at Rockford’s West View Elementary, where she’s been the past 10 of her 12 years teaching.

Elizabeth Wecker of Rockton co-teaches fourth/fifth grade math, ELA and special education at Roscoe’s Kinnikinnick School, where she’s been the past four of her 13 years of teaching.

Belinda Roberts of Belvidere teaches bilingual early childhood classes at Belvidere’s Washington Academy, where she’s been the past 12 of her 29 years as an educator.

Ryanne Ludington of Rockford has been spent her whole nine-year teaching career at Rockford’s Bloom Elementary, where she teaches fourth grade.

Nicole Seaver of Rockford is a special education teacher for Kindergarten, first and second grades at Belvidere’s Lincoln Elementary, where she’s been the past three of her 14 years as an educator.