The Santa Cruz County Office of Education (Santa Cruz COE) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Santa Cruz County Educator of the Year Awards, which recognize exceptional educators, support staff, and partners from across Santa Cruz County who embody the values of our school community.
Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Faris Sabbah and the Santa Cruz County Board of Education will recognize the honorees at the May 15 meeting of the Santa Cruz County Board of Education. There, honorees will receive a plaque recognizing their service to Santa Cruz County, and their names will be engraved in the Educators of the Year perpetual plaque hanging in the foyer of the Santa Cruz COE.
“Congratulations to these outstanding honorees, each of whom represents the heart of public education in Santa Cruz County,” said Dr. Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools. “Through their exceptional talent and steadfast commitment to equity, integrity, and service, they empower students and set a standard of excellence that inspires our entire school community.”
The 2025 honorees are as follows:
- Teacher of the Year: Minc Robinson Brooker, Education Specialist, Pajaro Valley High School, Pajaro Valley Unified School District; and John Postovit, Teacher, Scotts Valley High School, Scotts Valley Unified School District
- Classified Employee of the Year: Jessica Serna Castaneda, Parent/Community Support Coordinator, Santa Cruz City Schools
- Counselor of the Year: Sylvia Alba, Counselor, Watsonville High School, Pajaro Valley Unified School District
- Administrator of the Year: Amy Hedrick-Farr, Food and Nutrition Director, Santa Cruz City Schools
- Community Partner of the Year: X Academy
A selection committee reviewed nominations using the California Standards for the Teaching Profession, the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders. Due to a tie in the selection process, two individuals were selected as 2025 Teacher of the Year. Criteria considered by the committee include:
- Ability to create a passion for learning
- High expectations for all students
- Strong communication and collaborative skills
- Strong sense of values, integrity, and professional ethics
- Knowledge of subject and curriculum content
- Commitment to the community they serve
Honorees will be recognized at the Santa Cruz County Board of Education meeting on Thursday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room at the County Office of Education, 400 Encinal St., Santa Cruz.
2025 Educator of the Year Award Honorees
2025 Teacher of the Year
Honoree: Minc Robinson Brooker, Education Specialist, Pajaro Valley High School, Pajaro Valley Unified School District
Minc Robinson Brooker is an Education Specialist with more than 30 years of experience and impact in education, including 18 years as a classroom teacher. Over the course of her career, Minc has served students and colleagues across six school districts in a wide range of roles, from Paraeducator and Crossing Guard to union Site Rep and Negotiator. She’s worked with organizations including NASA and Professional Tutors of America, and has been honored by NASA, the Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce, and Sonoma State University for her contributions to education. At Pajaro Valley High in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Minc serves as the school’s first Black Student Union advisor and helped lead its 2nd annual Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, joining students, colleagues, families, and community members in celebration. In the classroom, her “Brilliant Scholars” thrive through creative, identity-affirming projects that encourage self-advocacy and discovery. Known for her warmth, humor, and love of cats, Minc builds lasting connections with students and uplifts colleagues across her campus. Minc believes deeply in the role of teachers as connectors—between students and administrators, students and families, and students and the community. She considers it an immense honor to serve in this profession and celebrates the many educators who have supported her journey along the way.
Honoree: John Postovit, Teacher, Scotts Valley High School, Scotts Valley Unified School District
John Postovit began his teaching career in 1992 following work in the night vision goggle industry. Over the years, he has taught physics and every level of high school math, from pre-algebra to calculus and differential equations, in King City, Carmel, and Scotts Valley. He has been a faculty member at Scotts Valley High School since 2009, where he currently teaches two levels of physics and IB Math HL. He also serves as the school’s IB Coordinator and WASC Accreditation Coordinator. His contributions have been recognized with several honors, including the 2014 IB Educator of the Year for California and Nevada, 2015 California League of High Schools Educator of the Year, and 2016 Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year.
2025 Classified Employee of the Year
Honoree: Jessica Serna Castaneda, Parent/Community Support Coordinator, Santa Cruz City Schools
Jessica Serna Castaneda is a proud first-generation college graduate and former English Learner who brings both lived experience and professional dedication to her work in supporting all students, academically, socially and emotionally, with a focus on bilingual and newcomer students. Over the past six years, she has served in various roles within Santa Cruz City Schools, contributing to student success and community connection. She plays a key role in family engagement, student wellness initiatives, and culturally rooted programs such as Joven Noble. She has contributed to several district and countywide efforts focused on equity and access for multilingual families. Jessica was born and raised in Santa Cruz and is the daughter of Ilda and Heraclio, and sister to her two younger brothers, Ezekiel and Alejandro, who continue to inspire her commitment to community and education.
2025 Counselor of the Year
Honoree Sylvia Alba, Counselor, Watsonville High School, Pajaro Valley Unified School District
Sylvia Alba began her career in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) in 1985, shortly after graduating from college and returning to her hometown of Watsonville. As she decided her next steps in life, she took a job at PVUSD as a Bilingual Classroom Aide at Pajaro School to test the waters as an educator. This decision led to her amazing career with Migrant Education, Region XI. Since 1987, Sylvia has worked for PVUSD, Migrant Program, first at Pajaro School and then at Watsonville High School, her alma mater. At Watsonville High School, she coordinated the Migrant Outside Work Experience Program for many years, hiring over a hundred students yearly to work after school. She has been the Migrant Student Association Advisor for more than thirty years, organizing many weekend college field trips and the yearly field trip to El Teatro Campesino’s holiday season play. As an advocate for migrant students and families, Sylvia works closely with the Academic Counselors to provide migrant students and English Language learners the support, resources, skills, and guidance they need to successfully graduate from high school and pursue higher education either at a 4-year university, community college, trade school, apprenticeship, or enter the workforce. Sylvia enjoys traveling and hiking with her husband, Herman, and three children, Rachel, Jonathan, and Maya, all proud Watsonville High School alumni.
2025 Administrator of the Year
Honoree: Amy Hedrick-Farr, Food and Nutrition Director, Santa Cruz City Schools
Amy Hedrick Farr is the Food and Nutrition Director for Santa Cruz City Schools, bringing 29 years of experience in school food service. Throughout her career, she has led three districts from financially strained nutrition programs to balanced, thriving operations. In 2006, she founded the Central Coast Purchasers Cooperative, which now
serves 22 school districts across three counties and supports over 100,000 students daily by increasing access to local, organic, and whole foods. Amy is recognized as a trusted resource among her colleagues and community, known for her leadership, innovation, and unwavering commitment to school nutrition. Outside of work, Amy finds joy in time with family and continues to advocate for healthier, more sustainable food systems for future generations.
2025 Community Partner of the Year
Honoree: X Academy
The X Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed in 2014 to provide STEAM enrichment programs to kids throughout Santa Cruz County. Founded by Tim Sylvester and Barbara Meister, the X Academy was inspired by the Math Circles operating in Silicon Valley. Since launching the Santa Cruz Math Circle in 2014, they’ve organized over 100 weekly math sessions at Cabrillo College for more than 500 students from 62 different schools. The X Academy has also hosted six Julia Robinson Math Festivals, the AMC 8 and Math Kangaroo competitions, and enabled 8 students to attend national math camps. When the pandemic shuttered the Math Circle, Tim and Barbara opened their garage door and backyard in 2021, to its first high school robotics team to compete in the MATE ROV underwater robotics competition. In 2023, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education formed a partnership with X Academy to expand county-wide. Along with a dedicated team of mentors, the X Academy has engaged over 140 students from 15 schools, leading 3 teams to qualify for the MATE ROV World Championship. In 2024, the Hephaestus Robotics team won 3rd place in the World. They will travel to compete at Lake Michigan this June with dreams of winning first place! Find out more about the X Academy at xacademy.org.