Two elementary school teachers and one middle school teacher are starting off 2021 right. The three teachers learned today they are finalists for the 2022 Lake County Schools Teacher of the Year.

The three finalists were notified today by Superintendent Diane Kornegay, School Board members Mark Dodd and Stephanie Luke, and a caravan of representatives from the district, the Education Foundation of Lake County and Jenkins Auto Group. 

The entourage visited Rikki Parisoe, a first-grade teacher at Fruitland Park Elementary, Joshua Wintersdorf, an algebra teacher at Umatilla Middle School, and Shannon Clark, a fourth-grade teacher at Eustis Heights Elementary School to honor each along with their respective principals, school staff and students.

At a celebration on Jan. 28, one of the three finalists will be named Lake’s newest Teacher of the Year and will drive away with the grand prize, a 2021 Honda Accord from Jenkins Auto Group. The Lake winner will go on to compete at the state level for the title of Florida Teacher of the Year.

Read more about the Lake County Schools Teacher of the Year finalists here.