Anne Arundel schools honor students, educator, employee and volunteer at board meeting

Anne Arundel County Public Schools recognized five students and several staff and volunteers at its board meeting on Feb. 5, 2025, honoring winners of the 2025 Mo Gaba Positivity and Perseverance Awards and naming its February educator, employee and volunteer of the month.

The recognition program presented student awards in four school-level categories and a legacy award. Manika Monk, director of communications for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, said the Mo Gaba committee reviewed 66 nominations and that the Education Foundation of Anne Arundel County Public Schools contributed $500 in each winner’s name toward kindness initiatives at their schools.

Winners announced were Micah Shiflett, elementary primary (Brooklyn Park Elementary School); Ariana Bowles, elementary intermediate (Mills Parole Elementary School); Andre Turnage Jr., middle school (Wiley H. Bates Middle School; not present); JVN Johnson, high school (Northeast High School); and Isabella Garcia, the Mo Gaba Legacy Award (Belle Grove Elementary School). Manika Monk introduced the student honorees and invited Sonzi Gaba, Mo Gaba’s mother, and Lynn Leach, his longtime aide, to join the presentations.

In separate recognitions, the board named Kelly Gofort (North County High School) as educator of the month for February 2025 for her leadership in expanding AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) practices at her school and supporting North County’s attainment of AVID National Demonstration School status. The superintendent’s remarks noted that North County is one of three AVID national demonstration schools in Maryland and the only system in the state with such demonstration schools at both the middle and high school levels.

The board also honored Victoria Huracan, a teacher assistant at Cape St. Clair Elementary, as employee of the month, citing her classroom support, parent communications and extra duties. Tatiana Comina of Glen Burnie Park Elementary was named volunteer of the month for January 2025 for long-term volunteer service that included lunch monitoring, organizing the volunteer station, playing piano and teaching Russian to students.

The awards segment included presentation photos and brief remarks from honorees and guests. Manika Monk closed the portion of the meeting by noting the board’s intention to remember and celebrate students and staff who have died and to continue the positivity the awards are intended to honor.

The recognitions were ceremonial and did not require board votes. The awards were presented during the meeting’s recognition segment and followed by a short recess for photographs.