Nine Washington Teachers Win $1,500 Crystal Apple Awards

Nine teachers walked away from Thursday's ceremony with glass-blown apple trophies, $1,500 checks, and recognition for making a lasting difference in students' lives. The 28th annual Crystal Apple Awards, hosted by ESD 123 in Pasco, Washington, celebrates educators who bring creativity, compassion, and excellence to their classrooms every single day.

The honored teachers come from nine different school districts across the Mid-Columbia region. They teach everything from kindergarten to high school agriculture mechanics, from special education to physical science.

With this year's winners, 299 Tri-City educators have now received Crystal Apple Awards since the program started in 1999. Each winner also becomes a nominee for Washington State Teacher of the Year.

The winners include kindergarten teacher Kori Cannon from Kennewick's Westgate Elementary, special education teacher Elizabeth Copsey from Pasco's Maya Angelou Elementary, and agriculture science teacher Charlie Dansie from Connell High School. Sydney Freitag teaches English and STEM at Finley Middle School, while Beth Kalinga brings physical science to life at Ki-Be Middle School.

Angie Boothe serves as a math and English interventionist at Columbia Middle School in Walla Walla. Tonya Lewis teaches math at Othello High School, Sydney Charvet leads fifth graders at Heights Elementary in Prosser, and Nicole Tamura teaches life skills at Richland High School.

The Ripple Effect

The ceremony included a moving first-time tribute to Gerry Ringwood, who dedicated over 40 years to career and technical education before passing away in February 2025. He started teaching agriculture in the Finley School District and eventually became director of the Tri-Tech Skills Center.

Ringwood worked with industry leaders and legislators across southeastern Washington to improve hands-on learning programs for students. ESD 123 Board Member Teri Kessie described him as someone who listened carefully and spoke rarely, but when he did, his words carried experience and wisdom.

His influence reached thousands of students, teachers, and even farmers throughout the region and state. Paul Randall, the current Tri-Tech director, accepted the posthumous special achievement award on Ringwood's behalf.

The Dream Builder's Educational Foundation has managed the Crystal Apple Awards since 2010, continuing a proud tradition of honoring teachers who go the extra mile for their students.

These nine educators prove that excellence in teaching looks different across grade levels and subjects, but always includes dedication, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to helping students succeed.