The 10 Golden Apple Award-winning teachers for this school year in The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington were honored at a May 15 awards dinner at the Hotel at the University of Maryland in College Park.
The teachers each received a golden apple and a monetary award of $5,000 from the Donahue Family Foundation, which sponsors the annual award for teaching excellence and dedication to Catholic education.
Jack and Rhodora Donahue, founders of the Pittsburgh-based foundation, sent their 13 children to Catholic schools. To express their deep appreciation to Catholic school teachers for providing a quality academic and faith-filled education for their children, the Donahues through their foundation have established this award in five dioceses around the country.
Here are the 10 Golden Apple Award-winning teachers for 2025 from Catholic schools in the archdiocese:
Melissa Barr, a 2025 Golden Apple Award winning teacher from St. Mary’s School in Rockville, Maryland, said in a reflection that “for as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a teacher.” As a child, she set up her bedroom as a classroom to teach math and reading skills to her younger brother.
Since 2006, she has taught at St. Mary’s School, first as a fourth grade teacher, and then in recent years as a middle school social studies and language arts teacher. As a Catholic school teacher, Barr said she “can follow in the footsteps of Jesus, our first teacher,” and shape the minds and hearts of young people.
Msgr. Robert Amey, the pastor of St. Mary’s Parish, said in a letter nominating Barr for the Golden Apple Award that “the middle school years can be challenging for young people as they are growing to learn who they are. Rising to the challenge, Melissa helps our students understand the world around them in the light of our Catholic faith.”
Debra Eisel, St. Mary’s principal, has known Barr for these past 18 years, first as a teaching colleague and later from the perspective of being a school parent. Eisel said when her daughter was in Barr’s fourth grade class, the teacher “cultivated a love for reading and a strong work ethic in my daughter that continues to this day.”
The principal also noted how Barr earned a Master of Arts in Leadership in Special Education degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University in 2023, after “recognizing the need to help students and their growing needs due to the pandemic.” Barr said she earned that degree while continuing to teach full-time, because “I could see that today’s world was having an impact on students, and I needed to find new ways to meet their needs.”
The Golden Apple teacher also noted that she is “lucky to live in the same town where I teach, so I often see my students outside of school. From going to multiple games, plays and dance recitals of current and former students, I love seeing the many talents of our students and supporting them as they achieve their goals.” She added, “Our jobs as teachers do not stop when we leave our classroom.”
Heather Campos, a 2025 Golden Apple Award-winning teacher at St. Jerome Academy in Hyattsville, Maryland, sees her work as “a call to teaching” in that Catholic school.
“I rely on God’s grace to help me empathize with my students of varied abilities and their families, and I believe the Lord has guided me on the path to serve my students and their families,” she wrote in a reflection.
After volunteering at St. Ann’s Infant and Maternity Home in Hyattsville when she was a student at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, Campos knew she wanted to work with children.
In a letter nominating her for the award, Father Scott Hahn – the pastor of St. Jerome’s Parish – noted how Campos grew up as a parishioner there, attending St. Jerome’s School, and as a college student, she began to work there in the aftercare program, and later as a kindergarten aide, summer camp employee, substitute teacher and tutor.
After graduating from the University of Maryland in College Park with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in 1996, Campos began working as a kindergarten teacher at St. Jerome Academy.
Campos said that in her return to St. Jerome’s, she was “blessed to work alongside the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who had taught me and had set the tone for my role as a teacher.”
Father Hahn noted the teacher was instrumental in leading St. Jerome Academy’s transition to its classical curriculum, and she has assisted teachers in schools across the country in sharing resources for that model of learning.
St. Jerome’s parents nominating her for the honor pointed out how Campos navigated the challenge of teaching kindergarten during the pandemic, and also how she is known for providing a loving environment for children with different learning needs.
Campos, the school’s department chair, is known for mentoring new teachers. To expand her own skills, she recently took special education classes. Campos in her reflection said that as an educator, it’s important “to be a lifelong student myself.”
Describing her work teaching at Little Flower School in Great Mills, Mary Beth Cudd, a 2025 Golden Apple Award winning teacher, said, “I am home.”
Mary Beth Cudd, a middle school math teacher at Little Flower School, is a graduate of the school and returned to teach there from 2007-2010, after earlier teaching for two years at Mother Catherine Spalding School in Helen. After teaching for a year in a public school dropout prevention program, where she refined her ability to build relationships and set high expectations, she returned to teach math at Little Flower School in 2021.
In a reflection on her work, she wrote, “Walking the same halls where my own faith was nurtured as a child, I felt an overwhelming sense of purpose and belonging. Now I am exactly where God wants me to be.”
Cudd said “teaching is more than my profession – it is my ministry… Now I can fully live my vocation, integrating my passion for teaching with my love for Christ.”
She is a lifelong parishioner at St. George Parish in Valley Lee, and her son and daughter attend Little Flower School. In 2012, she earned a Master of Arts in Leadership in Teaching degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University.
Caitlin Keeton, Little Flower’s principal, noted “it is such a wonderful testimony to our school that our alumni return to teach here and send their children here, because of the experience they had and their belief in our mission.”
The school’s principal pointed out how Cudd’s math students work daily on Chromebooks to solve problems, and their teacher also helps plan school traditions like the May procession and crowning and eighth grade graduation, and she played a nun in the spring musical, “The Sound of Music.” She created elective choices for middle school students, including podcasting and country line dancing.
“Mrs. Cudd wants our school to be the best it can be and is invested in doing everything she can to make it so,” Keeton said, adding, “Little Flower School is a better place because Mrs. Cudd is here.”
Becky Guerre, a first grade teacher at Father Andrew White, S.J. School in Leonardtown, Maryland who is a 2025 Golden Apple Award-winning teacher, says “Catholic schools have a special place in my heart.”
In a reflection on her work as a Catholic school teacher, she explained, “When my oldest son began attending Father Andrew White in second grade, my family was not Catholic. It was through this school that my family learned about the Catholic faith, and shortly thereafter we entered the Church as a family.”
Guerre, who had earlier taught in schools in Maryland, Texas and Florida, began teaching the first grade at Father Andrew White, S.J. School in 2021. “After much prayer, I felt that this was where God called me to be,” she said.
All six of her children have attended that Southern Maryland Catholic school.
Praising the teacher’s work, Janet Szoch, Father Andrew White’s principal, noted that Guerre “requires excellence from her students while incorporating many fun and active learning opportunities,” including taking her first graders on visits to the fire station, a pumpkin patch, a pizza restaurant and a strawberry farm. Guerre’s first graders keep journals, do writing activities, and practice math skills such as counting and fractions.
Guerre said that as a teacher, “I use my love for reading along with my passion for teaching to help children discover their own love for literature.”
Guerre’s first graders participate in service opportunities including the Walk for the Poor, providing support for a pregnancy center, collecting food for a pantry and collecting books and socks for the homeless.
Reflecting on her work, Guerre said, “I teach at a Catholic school because I see it as the mission field I have been called to by God.” She added, “I am thankful every day that our family was brought to Father Andrew White School, and am so glad that I have been able to give back to the school as a teacher.”
For Alexandra Lopez, a 2025 Golden Apple Award-winning PreK 3 teacher at St. Jude Regional Catholic School in Rockville, Maryland, her journey to becoming a Catholic school teacher was inspired by the impact the school had on her son, who attended there from kindergarten through the eighth grade.
In a reflection on her work, Lopez said, “I teach in a Catholic school because I was first a parent in a Catholic school. As a parent, I quickly learned the immense benefits of deciding to give our child a Catholic school education.”
Lopez, who had earlier been a teacher in the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, joined the St. Jude’s staff as a prekindergarten teacher in 2013.
“When St. Jude announced the expansion of its PreK program to include a place for 3-year-olds, I quickly responded to the call. I wanted to help create the program,” she said, adding, “I realized as a classroom teacher, I could help my students and families feel the same support and love that our family received from St. Jude’s Catholic community.
Lopez also said that as the child of immigrant parents from Portugal, she relates to the diverse students and families at St. Jude Regional Catholic School. “I believe my experience helped foster in me a deep sense of empathy and cultural sensitivity,” said Lopez, who speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese in her classroom to help students feel welcome. “In a Catholic school, the acceptance of all individuals regardless of one’s background is important, not only to an individual child, but (it also) supports unity and understanding in the school community.”
The PreK 3 lead teacher and team leader at St. Jude’s earned a Leadership in Teaching master of arts degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University in 2022.
In a letter nominating Lopez for the Golden Apple Award, Jeanne Donatelli, St. Jude’s principal, said, “Inside her classroom, learning is a dynamic and joyful experience,” as the young children learn about numbers, letters and God’s love. The principal noted, “One of the most beautiful sights in her classroom is witnessing the children praying, their tiny hands folded in devotion as they face Jesus. The presence of the Holy Spirit is truly alive in her classroom.”
MaryJo O’Keefe, a 2025 Golden Apple Award-winning teacher at St. Peter’s School in Olney, Maryland, who teaches middle school religion, “is a pillar of our school community,” said Lauren DeZinno, the principal there.
DeZinno noted how O’Keefe offers engaging lessons and heartfelt discussions in her religion classes, meticulously plans school Masses, and designs and crafts elaborate props and costumes for the school’s spring musical, giving students a chance to shine on stage.
When O’Keefe learned about her Golden Apple Award at a surprise assembly on April 3, St. Peter’s students performed a song-and-dance from this spring’s musical, “Aladdin Jr.,” to honor their teacher.
Praising how O’Keefe “lives out her vocation as a Catholic educator,” the principal said, “Whether she is comforting a student who is struggling, encouraging a reluctant reader, celebrating a child’s success, or simply greeting students with a warm smile in the hallway, she radiates the love of Christ in all that she does.”
In a reflection on her work, O’Keefe pointed out how she teaches the Ten Commandments to her students in a way that they can apply the commandments to their daily lives, because “middle schoolers are at a stage where they are forming their moral compasses.”
O’Keefe explained that she uses “scenarios and discussions to explore moral dilemmas they might face like cheating on a test, lying to avoid trouble, or disrespecting their parents. I encourage reflection on how they can live out the commandments in their friendships, social media use, schoolwork and family life.”
The teacher encourages eighth graders to take on leadership roles at school Masses as ushers, lectors and cantors. “I challenge them to continue to serve the Church when they leave our school, and I am inspired when I see lectors, altar servers and ushers at Sunday Masses that were once my students,” she said.
Reflecting on why she teaches in a Catholic school, O’Keefe said to her it is “a calling – a deep desire to shape young minds and hearts… I help them see the world through the lens of God’s love.”
Andrew Price – a physical education teacher at St. Raphael School in Rockville who was named a 2025 Golden Apple Award winner – said he always wanted to teach in a Catholic school.
In a reflection on his life as a teacher, he noted that school was not easy for him. He was diagnosed with a learning disability in first and second grade, and in college he was later diagnosed with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder).
“It was extremely difficult for me to learn how to read, but I will never forget the care and compassion my Catholic school teachers showed me,” Price wrote. “These teachers demonstrated Christ’s love to me, and it inspired me to choose to teach at Catholic schools.”
Price, who attended Catholic elementary school and high school before graduating from Canisius College – a Jesuit university in Buffalo, New York – worked as a third grade teacher at St. Andrew Apostle School in Silver Spring, Maryland for a year, and then taught third grade at Our Lady of Victory School in Washington for 11 years before beginning to serve as a PE teacher and lunch and recess coordinator at St. Raphael School six years ago. In 2013, he earned a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Trinity Washington University.
Reflecting on his work as a Catholic school teacher, Price wrote, “I continue to love teaching, especially being able to share my faith, prayers and the Gospel teachings with my classes even as a PE teacher.”
Father Michael Salah, St. Raphael’s pastor, noted, “Andrew starts each PE class in prayer, and his faith permeates his PE lessons and recess activities.”
A St. Raphael’s School aide and fellow member of the lunch staff, Ewa Kowalska, said Price has “cultivated a culture of health and fitness within the school community” and teaches students the value of sportsmanship, “how to be good teammates and exhibit kindness and respect on and off the field.”
Taylor Cotting, St. Raphael’s principal, pointed out how Price works hard to create special experiences for school-wide events, including spirit days, pep rallies, staff versus students basketball games, an all-school field day, and a World Cup soccer tournament there. He teaches pickleball to students from kindergarten through the eighth grade, and during the pandemic, he prepared virtual PE classes for students studying at home.
“He stands out as a Catholic educator who lives his faith and models it for his students, our staff and our whole school community,” Cotting said.
To Stephanie Smith – a fourth grade teacher at St. Mary’s School in Bryantown, Maryland, and a recipient of a 2025 Golden Apple Award – teaching in a Catholic school is a blessing.
Smith has taught at St. Mary’s since 2017, after teaching technology for 10 years at Father Andrew White, S.J. School in Leonardtown.
In a reflection on her work, she wrote, “As a teacher, I guide my students through their journey, nurturing a lifelong love for Jesus, each other, and learning. I feel blessed to share my days teaching young children all they need to know, especially God’s love for them.”
In a letter nominating Smith for the Golden Apple Award, Catherine Silverstone, St. Mary’s principal, praised her as an exceptional educator who is also the school’s “go-to” for anything tech-related. Smith volunteers to provide tech support to fellow teachers and is the administrator of St. Mary’s Google for Education platform and its security software.
“Her deep understanding of technology and her proficiency with all of our software programs have significantly improved our school’s efficiency and effectiveness,” Silverstone said.
The principal also noted how Smith has volunteered to lead many school initiatives, serving as a faculty mentor for the National Junior Honor Society, working with students to organize food drives for the Southern Maryland Food Bank, supporting the Humane Society of Charles County and organizing beautification projects on the school’s campus.
Ashley White, a Spanish and religion teacher there and a fellow Golden Apple Award recipient, said Smith is a dedicated and inspiring teacher who makes St. Mary’s School in Bryantown “a better and brighter place.”
Smith in her reflection said she wants to make a difference in the lives of her students. She adopts different teaching strategies to help them reach their full potential and offers them math and reading workshops.
“I teach in a Catholic school because it feels like home,” Smith wrote, adding, “my calling has always been to be a teacher, and my childhood Catholic education influenced me to teach in a Catholic school.”
Noting how St. Mary’s students begin and end their school days together in prayer, Smith said, “I consider my students saints in the making, and I am guiding them day by day in the footsteps of Jesus.”
Shelly Taguchi – a Pre-K3 teacher at Our Lady of Victory School in Washington and a 2025 Golden Apple Award recipient – said teaching “requires a toolbox of skills and tricks, values, patience, energy, and of course, love.”
In a reflection, she wrote about what it’s like to teach the 3-year-old students at that Catholic school, after having taught at many grade levels, including at a Christian missionary school overseas. She taught first graders at Father Andrew White, S.J. School in Leonardtown, Maryland, from 2017 to 2021 before joining Our Lady of Victory’s staff as a pre-kindergarten teacher. In 2020, Taguchi earned a master of arts degree in Early Childhood Education from Towson University in Baltimore County.
“What a delight it has been teaching Pre-K these four years,” Taguchi said. “I am the teacher who does not fear glitter, paint or even goopy science experiments. From raising caterpillars to experimenting with buckets of snow… I seek to provide experiences where the children can allow their creativity to flow freely.”
Taguchi said it was a joy for her to transition to Catholic education, “especially since we can freely talk about Our Lord and Our Lady. I find my deepest joy in sharing the message of the Gospel and His love… We speak about Jesus as though He is our best friend.”
In a letter nominating Taguchi for the Golden Apple Award, Sheila Martinez, the principal of Our Lady of Victory School, said the 3-year-olds in her class know about the lives of saints and can recite prayers and Scripture verses. The principal noted the prekindergarten teacher partners with parents to meet the young children’s different learning needs.
At her Southern Maryland parish, St. Mary’s in Bryantown, Taguchi sings as a cantor at Masses and leads a Bible study for women. Katie Sague, the vice-principal of Our Lady of Victory School, noted that Taguchi “has an angelic singing voice, and she uses it for engagement in the classroom. Students sing and dance their way through letters, numbers, science and social studies.”
Praising Taguchi in a letter nominating her for the Golden Apple Award, Sague said, “Through creativity and patience, she ignites a love for learning in young children.”
Leslie True, a first grade teacher at St. Mary’s School of Piscataway in Clinton, Maryland, and a 2025 Golden Apple Award recipient, sees being a Catholic educator as her vocation.
In a reflection on her work she wrote, “Not only is it my job, but (it’s) a way of life.”
For the past 28 years, she has taught at St. Mary’s School of Piscataway, earlier teaching pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, second grade, third grade and religion to fourth and fifth graders there. From 1987 to 1996, she taught kindergarten and second grade at St. Mary Star of the Sea School in Indian Head, Maryland.
True noted how she “was able to witness the dedication and commitment required to make a Catholic education possible” as she and her siblings were able to attend 12 years of Catholic education, and then she and her husband followed her parents’ example and did the same for their three children.
“We both agreed that the financial sacrifice for my vocation (to teach in a Catholic school) outweighed the higher salary of a public school teacher,” she said.
In a letter nominating True for the Golden Apple Award, Jack Schaefer, the principal of St. Mary’s School of Piscataway, noted that she has an “unwavering commitment to student success. She not only fosters an engaging and inclusive classroom environment but also works tirelessly to ensure that every scholar receives the individualized support they need to thrive academically and personally.”
The principal said True demonstrates that by “staying after school to provide extra help, mentoring students beyond the classroom” and “developing innovative lessons that inspire curiosity.”
“Mrs. True exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding teacher, going above and beyond for her students, her colleagues and the entire school community,” Schaefer said.
Reflecting on her life as a Catholic school teacher, True said, “My classroom is not Instagram or Facebook worthy. It can be chaotic, loud and messy. My students do not walk down the hall in a quiet straight line. I have not done anything extraordinary or spectacular… But at the end of the day, it is my hope that through my words and actions, I have planted the seed of not only the importance of a solid education, but a genuine love for Christ and a willingness to build a strong, lifelong relationship with our heavenly Father.”
Cardinal McElroy thanks Golden Apple Award-winning teachers for molding the minds and hearts of students
