Honorees Named for Inaugural Kern County PURPOSE Awards Oct. 8

Kern County Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Mendiburu announced today the individuals and teams who will be honored at the inaugural Kern County PURPOSE Awards on Oct. 8 at Bell Tower Plaza.

The 11 honorees represent some of the best of Kern County education, from students turning their own experiences into opportunities to educators and school teams finding innovative ways to strengthen teaching, connect families and prepare students for the future.

The concept for the awards grew from Mendiburu’s vision to recognize the people and programs bringing KCSOS’ Purpose Statement to life across Kern County. Centered on three key commitments — Growth, Engagement and Support — the awards celebrate those making a meaningful difference for students, schools and communities.

“The PURPOSE Awards give us an opportunity to shine a light on the extraordinary work happening throughout Kern County,” Mendiburu said. “Each of these honorees represents what is possible when people put students at the center of their work and find meaningful ways to help them succeed.”

2026 PURPOSE Award Honorees

Achievement Leaders — Kernville Union School District
Student Success Award
Sarah Cole, Sheila Gallis, Jonathan Chris Lassen, Stacey Sanders, Meg Hairell and Alicia Wild provide hands-on support to teachers across the district, from modeling lessons and analyzing student data to strengthening classroom management. Their work has helped improve student achievement, attendance and school culture.

Achievement Leaders interact with students.

Jennifer Ayers-Freeman — CTEC, Kern High School District
Bright Future Spark Award
In just four years as an educator, Ayers-Freeman has transformed opportunities for students exploring health careers. She established a three-week hospital job-shadowing experience with Kern Medical Center, incorporated advanced anatomy technology and grew CTEC’s HOSA chapter from about 20 students to nearly 100.

School Parenting Partners Leadership Team — El Tejon Unified School District
Heart of Education Family Partnership Award
Rachelle Roldan, Katie Gonzalez, Corey Hansen, Jessica Brown and Martha Cortez have worked to strengthen relationships between families and schools, creating opportunities for parents to become more engaged partners in their children’s education.

Cy Silver — Norris School District
Safer Schools Coalition Award
Silver helped launch the Northwest Safe Schools Coalition, bringing Fruitvale, Norris, Rio Bravo and Rosedale school districts together to strengthen and align school safety practices, training and partnerships with first responders.

Johnny Melendez — KCSOS
Student Champion Award
A graduate of KCSOS’s RISE program, Melendez spent two years participating in the program’s weekend EV Auto Trades Workshop before turning those skills into a career with KCSOS Transportation. His journey has become an example for current RISE students of what can be possible through persistence and opportunity.

Mia Salas — Highland High School
Student Champion Award
Salas has represented Highland High School and Kern County on local, state and national stages while remaining committed to mentoring and advocating for others. Her accomplishments are matched by a reputation for compassion, humility and service to her fellow students.

Mia Salas, left, performs in Highland High School’s production of Highland High School’s production of “Hadestown: Teen Edition.”

Alana Villalpando — El Tejon Unified School District
Student Champion Award
Villalpando, second from right, has turned her own experiences into opportunities to support others through student leadership, FFA, school safety and community engagement. Her work has included supporting families experiencing food insecurity, advocating against bullying and helping younger students find their voices.

Michelle Blalock — Kern High School District
Focus Award
As KHSD’s McKinney-Vento and Foster Youth Liaison, Blalock has built a comprehensive network of support for students experiencing homelessness and those in foster care, connecting them with transportation, supplies, mental health resources, advocacy and other services designed to keep them connected to school.

Stacey Stansberry — Taft Union High School District
Community Bridge Builder Award
Stansberry has spent her career connecting technology, instruction and community resources to student needs. Among her efforts was helping establish internet connectivity for underserved West Side families during the pandemic, while her broader leadership has supported measurable gains in student achievement and college and career readiness.

Delano Union School District Instructional Programs Department
Golden Apple Visionary Leadership Award
Through initiatives including Promise 180: Every School Day Counts, the department has combined data, instruction and whole-child support to address barriers affecting attendance, achievement and engagement while keeping a central focus on the potential of every student.

Kyle Kuhlmann — Regional Occupational Center, Kern High School District
Golden Apple Visionary Leadership Award
Kuhlmann is helping students prepare for emerging careers through drone technology, entrepreneurship and real-world industry partnerships. His program has introduced students to technology such as agricultural spray drones while connecting classroom learning with certifications and careers in fields including precision agriculture.