Lehigh’s Golden Apple Winner to be honored in April

Happy teacher: Tilisa Skerczak, a pre-kindergarten teacher at Sunshine Elementary School shows her surprise when she is told she is one of the recipient of the Golden Apple of the Year. Photo by Mel Toadvine
Tilisa Skerczak says she is looking forward to April when she and a handful of other Lee County teachers will be honored at the Harborside Event Center in Fort Myers. She was Lehigh’s only Golden Apple winner last week.
She teaches at Sunshine Elementary School was surprised when a group from the Foundation of Lee County Schools burst into her room with the coveted Golden Apple. Her students were excited and the teacher threw her hands up with joy.
“Oh my gosh, oh, my gosh, I can’t believe it. Thanks so much,” she said.
Looking on in amazement with happy faces were several student in her advanced pre-kindergarten classroom.
They knew their teacher had been named a while back with a group of other teachers as a nominee to get a Golden Apple. And some of the youngsters said they believed their teacher would get it.

A kiss for the teacher: Tilisa Skerczak’s husband, Mark, gives his wife a kiss after she won one six Golden Apples given to outstanding teachers last week. Photo by Mel Toadvine
Tilisa has been teaching for five years, all at Sunshine Elementary, and one year at Pinecrest Elementary School.
A graduate of Valparaiso University in northern Indiana, and of Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Tilisa said her late father had a lot to do
with her getting a Golden Apple. She will be honored with six other teachers in the county at a banquet in their honor.
She said her father had been close to her as she grew up and had always told her she would be a good teacher. Tears filled her eyes when she
remembered what her father had said.

Students touching Golden Apple. All of Tilisa Skerczak’s students got to touch the Golden Apple she won last week. Photo by Mel Toadvine
The 27-year-old teacher grew up in Portage, Ind. She is married to Mark Skerczak and they live in Lehigh Acres. Mark is an account executive with U.S. Metro Telecommunications in Bonita. He came along with an cadre of Foundation people, school officials, and media with TV and still cameras.
“I feel fabulous. My students enjoyed this. They are an example as why I am getting the Golden Apple,” she said.
“I had known it was possible to get a Golden Apple,” Tilisa said, “but I put it in God’s hands and crossed my fingers,” she laughed.
The Golden Apple is recognized as one of the most honorable awards a teacher can get during his or her career. The ceremony with the recipients of the
Golden Apple will be televised later and Tilisa said she should get ready and write a speech, and smiled.

Teacher with Golden Apple in front of group. Tilisa Skerczak thanks the Foundation and others who came into her classroom last week and presented her with a Golden Apple. Photo by Mel Toadvine
She has the respect of students, teachers and staff members at the school.
Jeff Dobbins, Sunshine Elementary School’s principal said she was one of most enthusiastic teachers he has ever known.
“She’s filled with passion and she will do everything to help her students. She is a devoted teacher,” he said.
Dobbins laughed and said he has even got e-mails from her on Sundays about some plan for the school or something she wants to do with her class.
“I write her back and tell her to take Sunday off – that we would talk about it on Monday,” he laughed.

Teacher with principal: Sunshine Elementary School Principal Jeff Dobbins, right, congratulates teacher Tilisa Skerczak after she was given the Golden Apple. She said she is one of the most enthusiastic teachers he has ever known. Photo by Mel Toadvine
Eunice White, an assistant teacher who has worked in Tilisa’s classroom had good things to say, too.
“I think she’s great. My grandson is one of her
students. He’s Jimmy Braxton and he just loves her,” he said.
When the young students were asked what they thought of their teacher getting a Golden Apple, they used works like “awesome,” “a wonderful teacher,” and “we love her.”
Charles Reedy said he was surprised when the presenters burst into the classroom.
“It surprised me seeing them come in. She’s just a very good teacher. She takes a lot of time and
we have fun with activities to help us learn,” the little boy said.
After the Golden Apple team left to go to Bonita to present another Golden Apple, her husband showed the video in his digital camera’s small viewfinder.
“I followed them down the hall right into the classroom. Look here she is.
“Listen. She’s screaming ‘oh my gosh, oh my gosh’ and she’s so happy. I knew she was going to get a Golden Apple because the school called me and said the principal wanted to talk to me this morning and I knew. But I didn’t say anything. And neither did the principal and his assistant principal, Sherri Wipf.
“We kept the secret. Nobody here knew until they started coming up the walk with the media following them,” Dobbins said. Tilisa received her Golden Apple
last Wednesday, March 4.
Five of her students are also featured on the Colums Section on this website where they say how they feel about their teacher.
Winners who also received the five other Golden Apples included:
– Deborah Suhrie, a first-grade teacher at Trafalgar Elementary
– Debra Hornick, a second-grade teacher at Tice Elementary
– Jennifer Tomlinson, English teacher at Fort Myers High
– Leisha Roy, health teacher at Gulf Middle
– Mirta Torres, third-grade teacher at Spring Creek Elementary
As winners of the Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Program, each teacher is invited to a formal reception April 3 at the Harborside Event Center. They will be recognized alongside fellow staff and their students in the annual televised event.
Recipients are also awarded a genuine gold apple, a lapel pin, $3,000 cash award, membership in the Academy of Teachers and a leather portfolio. The
school that employs each winner receives a cash award of $1,000.
- A kiss for the teacher: Tilisa Skerczak’s husband, Mark, gives his wife a kiss after she won one six Golden Apples given to outstanding teachers last week. Photo by Mel Toadvine
- Students touching Golden Apple. All of Tilisa Skerczak’s students got to touch the Golden Apple she won last week. Photo by Mel Toadvine
- Teacher with Golden Apple in front of group. Tilisa Skerczak thanks the Foundation and others who came into her classroom last week and presented her with a Golden Apple. Photo by Mel Toadvine
- Teacher with principal: Sunshine Elementary School Principal Jeff Dobbins, right, congratulates teacher Tilisa Skerczak after she was given the Golden Apple. She said she is one of the most enthusiastic teachers he has ever known. Photo by Mel Toadvine