EDUCATOR award
For empowering individuals and strengthening our community through outstanding contributions to education and lifelong learning.
Award Presented By: Bill Lemon, Associate Director of Business Services, Waterloo Region District School Board
EDUCATOR NOMINEES
Jan Basso
Jan Basso is the assistant vice-president of Experiential Learning & Career Development at Wilfrid Laurier University, where she has been instrumental in the design and delivery of career development services since 1976. Jan is committed to the provision of comprehensive services enabling students and alumni to realize their career goals. Jan values strong employer relationships and has established a wide range of services to assist employers in successfully meeting their recruiting needs. Jan is a Laurier alumnus, holds a Master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Toronto and is a nationally-recognized leader in the field of career development.
Mackenzie (Kenzie) Beisel
Kenzie is a passionate early childhood educator whose warmth, patience, and deep care have profoundly impacted every child and family she's worked with. She treats each student as her own, nurturing their individuality, curiosity, and emotional well-being. Her dedication goes far beyond the classroom—offering parents daily updates, FaceTiming students during her medical leave, and constantly striving to create enriching learning experiences.
In 2023, just before transferring to a new daycare, Kenzie was diagnosed with Acute AML Leukemia. Despite this life-altering news, she continues to connect with her students, uplifting others even while facing her own battle. Kenzie embodies the heart of education—compassion, resilience, and selflessness. Her dream to return to the classroom is a testament to her unwavering commitment to children’s growth and care.
Paula Bender
Paula has been a respected educator for over 20 years. She has demonstrated her commitment to our region’s students as a classroom teacher, Vice Principal, and Principal. She began her career as an History teacher at Preston High School in 2003. She moved to Huron Heights and became the student leadership teacher, supporting student leadership and extracurricular activities. She became a VP at Huron Heights in 2008 and then moved to Forest Heights as VP in 2013. In 2018 she became the Principal at Preston High school, and in February of 2024 she returned to Forest Heights as Principal.
Hannah Brown
Hannah Brown is a learning strategist, educator, and award-winning designer with 25 years of experience transforming workplace learning. She empowers leaders to cultivate a culture of continuous growth. Hannah is the author of Training that Clicks: Virtual Design Playbook (2022) and Into the Hands of Leaders: Employee Growth through Learning (2024). Her second book and podcast, Employee Growth through Learning: Leadership Conversations for Employee
Development, identify the importance of embedding learning into the DNA of teams. With an M.Ed. in Adult Education and multiple certifications, Hannah ensures learning isn’t an event, but a way of working and thriving.
Sarah deHart
Sarah was born and raised in Coastal British Columbia where she attended VCM for Classical Piano Performance. After
moving to Ontario and having kids, she began teaching Music Together in 2015 and fell in love with inclusive community
music. She then went on to receive a Masters in Community Music from Laurier and has since become the Owner and Director for Music Together of Kitchener Waterloo. Sarah feels passionately about using music to educate, connect and support our community, and showing families all over the region how to use music in all aspects of their daily life.
Julie Hohner
Julie is an exceptional educator and leader whose dedication has shaped students across multiple educational levels. Residing in Linwood, she has spent over 24 years in education, teaching secondary and elementary students. Beyond the classroom, she has volunteered as a coach and led educational trips across Europe, including a visit to Auschwitz that provided students with life-changing learning. Since 2014, she has served as a vice-principal and now as a principal, fostering a supportive school environment. Julie also teaches in Western University’s Master of Education program, mentoring future educators.
Lili Liu
Dr. Lili Liu is currently Professor in the School of Public Health Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Health at the
University of Waterloo. Her background in Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences has been fundamental in
guiding and training students towards career paths in health. Her mentorship amongst colleagues and leadership within the Region of Waterloo has led to meaningful health outcomes, such as advancing how technologies can help older adults. Additionally, she has fostered unique learning opportunities through Indigenous initiatives in our region. Together, these efforts have led to several awards, including Canada’s AGE-WELL Honorary Fellow Award.
Laura Matheson
Laura is a passionate and enthusiastic educator who creates diverse learning opportunities for her students and others within the community. Over her 15-year teaching career at Humber and Conestoga colleges, Laura has influenced thought, behaviours, and action regarding sustainability. Her innovative and inclusive approach to learning and education is demonstrated in the variety of learning opportunities she creates such as a professional speaker series, a Community of Practice, annual alumni panels, and real-world projects that impact student success. Laura is an ideal nominee for this inaugural Educator of the Year Award.
Tham Nguyen
Tham Nguyen, visionary founder of Smartizen Academy, is reshaping early childhood education through neurosciencebased, holistic learning. After 13 years in senior roles at Shopify and Uber, she now channels her expertise into empowering young minds and future educators. Tham launched apprenticeship programs for racialized and marginalized youth, creating career pathways in early education. She partners with the City of Waterloo to expand access to structured learning especially for underserved families, she leads parenting workshops and inclusive children’s events. Her mission is bold: ensure every child thrives from the start—and that every aspiring educator gains tools, mentorship, and purpose to lead.
Lindsay Nickel
Lindsay Nickel is a grade 3 teacher at KW Bilingual School, where she has been inspiring young minds for the past 10
years. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo (2013) and a Bachelor of Education from Wilfrid Laurier University (2014). After teacher’s college, Lindsay taught in London, England. Her time there—including exploring countries like France, Greece, Switzerland, and Ireland—helped shape her creative and inclusive approach to education. Lindsay is a loving wife and stepmom and her two dogs are frequent stars in classroom stories. She brings warmth and joy to her teaching, forming meaningful bond.
Camelia Nunez
Camelia Nunez is an educator, entrepreneur, and changemaker who spent 20 years teaching and inspiring over 4,000 learners of all ages. From teaching English to newcomers and Spanish to language enthusiasts to shaping the next generation of entrepreneurial thinkers, she equips students with the skills, mindset, and confidence to take action and
create value. Now a Professor at Conestoga College’s School of Business, Camelia believes that learning—whether a new language or entrepreneurship—is about expanding perspectives. As an immigrant herself, she is committed to inclusivity, mentoring international students, and volunteering to support youth, women in tech, and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Kennedy Paule
Kenndy Paule is an educator "extraordinaire". After achieving her degrees in Honours Science from University of
Waterloo and Education from Brock University, she joined Galt Collegiate Institute as a science and MLL (multi language learner) teacher. Quickly she became a valuable gem in the GCI community, teaching, coaching volleyball and track and being the advisor to the Black Student Union. A third generation Filipina-Canadian, Kennedy is an accomplished coach, vocal and instrumental musician and talented science and language teacher, and is a role model to her colleagues and students.
Krysta Traianovski
Krysta is the Associate Director of Founder Development at Velocity, where she connects student entrepreneurs with
programs, advisors, and resources to build their skills. She champions accessible entrepreneurship, believing successful founders often emerge from unexpected paths. As a co-founder of BrightGuide in 2016, Krysta gained valuable startup
experience supporting dementia care. Later, she helped small businesses with digital marketing through her consulting firm, Weave Digital. Her diverse background in software, deeptech, and local industries provides a unique perspective on entrepreneurship. Krysta holds a BSc in Chemistry and an MBET from the University of Waterloo.
Meredith Woodwark
Dr. Meredith Woodwark is an Associate Professor in the Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Management at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University which she joined in 2014. She is an expert in leadership behaviour, the role of teams, and management education. Her teaching has been at the undergraduate, graduate and executive leadership levels in organizational behaviour, leadership, management consulting, and experiential learning. Meredith is also an experienced, certified project manager (PMP). Prior to academia, she worked in the public sector as a senior manager in health care, utilities and higher education.