Living Out Their Sacred Calling: The 2025–26 Educators of the Year

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

The Columbia Union Conference Office of Education honors four educators with the 2025–26 Outstanding Educator Awards.

“Our Columbia Union educators are living out a sacred calling as, day after day, their dedication prevails in the quiet, unseen moments when extra time is given, care for each student is shown and the love of Jesus is expressed,” says Ruth Nino, associate director at Columbia Union’s Office of Education. “They go beyond a career by investing their hearts and creating spaces where students feel seen, valued and empowered.”

Nino adds, “The teacher's work is a fulfillment of the Great Commission in teaching. It’s ministry in action.”

Administrator of the Year: Miya Kim, Principal, Atholton Adventist Academy

Long before she understood leadership, Miya Kim says she learned that education shapes the soul.

“My educational philosophy was formed early through my parents—especially my mother—and godly teachers who demonstrated that education is more than academics; it is formative, spiritual and purposeful. From those influences grew a clear conviction: Education should draw students closer to God and prepare them to serve with character, wisdom and compassion. That conviction continues to guide my leadership,” she says.

Before stepping into her role as principal of Chesapeake Conference’s Atholton Adventist Academy (AAA) in 2020, Kim served as vice principal, and, prior to that, in the classroom. 

“I found deep fulfillment as a classroom teacher, walking closely with students during pivotal seasons of growth. Administration was not a role I initially sought, but leadership often emerges not from comfort, but from calling. I stepped into administration during a time of transition, recognizing the need for stability from someone grounded in the school’s mission and community,” she says.

Leadership changes at AAA and the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and financial strains made it clear that the school needed steady, faith-anchored leadership, says Kim. 

In addition to leading effectively during this challenging period, Kim guided the process of AAA becoming a full high school academy.

“I lead with the belief that God equips individuals for the roles He calls them to, even when those roles feel unexpected,” she adds. 

Elementary School Educator of the Year: Courtney Brown, Takoma Academy Preparatory School, Homeroom Teacher; Math and Innovations Director

“My professional mission statement prayerfully implemented daily in my service as a teacher is to develop and sustain a Christ-centered mathematics and STEM learning culture, rich in creativity, curiosity and collaboration,” says Courtney Brown.

Brown lived out this statement when she developed and implemented the K–8 Innovation program in 2023 at Potomac Conference’s Takoma Academy Preparatory School in Takoma Park, Md., noting she has been “empowered by how inspired and motivated students have been to learn about engineering, design thinking, coding, robotics, broadcasting and music production.”

She also worked to ensure the completion of the newly renovated, multi-use Innovation Lab space in 2024, and leads the school in running two robotics programs: LEGO® League Robotics and SeaPerch Underwater Robotics.

Gabriel Madrid, Potomac Conference’s vice president for Education, says he hopes Brown inspires her students to also teach, because she “is the type of teacher we need across the board ... she is what a teacher should be.”

New Educator of the Year: Hannah Olin, Manassas Adventist Preparatory School, 7–8 Homeroom Teacher; Middle School Social Studies and Language Arts Teacher

“As soon as you enter Hannah Olin’s classroom, you immediately feel calm,” says Madrid. “In her gentle nature, she commands the respect and attentiveness that she receives from her students.”

Maybe one of the reasons for the success in creating such an environment is her proclaimed mindset of “loving her students first,” which influences her interactions with them.

A teacher at Potomac Conference’s Manassas Adventist Preparatory School (Va.), she adds, “Education should be an active process that engages students and makes them partners in their learning, which motivates and drives their success. As a teacher, I also have a responsibility to continually seek new ways to improve, differentiate and grow professionally.”

To do this she tries to “put learning into students’ hands as much as possible, using projects, activities and inquiry-based learning [to] drive intrinsic motivation and a love of learning,” she says.

Secondary Educator of the Year: Dillon Zimmerman, Spring Valley Academy, Chemistry/Physics/Intro to Engineering Teacher

In describing Dillon Zimmerman, Rick Bianco, Ohio Conference’s education superintendent, says “There is no one that I have come across that does what he does.” 

In his first year at Spring Valley Academy in Centerville, Ohio, he “created a new curriculum for Forensic Science where students use STEM skills to process crime scene evidence in hands-on activities. They also connect with local law enforcement and FBI specialists, highlighting Seventh-day Adventist members serving God through law enforcement,” Zimmerman explains.

Zimmerman has also provided resources for the school by securing a Versacare Foundation grant, partnering with administrators to acquire materials for a makerspace utilizing 3-D printers, laser engravers and CNC machines. 

“This space allows students to create meaningful solutions to real problems in their classes, while also serving as the base for our Adventist FIRST Tech Challenge high school robotics team,” he says. “As their coach and administrator, I have the privilege to create a space that provides a venue for students to develop technical skills in design and programming, while also practicing soft skills in communication, teamwork, advertising and community engagement.”