Thirty teachers from Lee County schools have been named finalists in the annual Golden Apple Teacher Recognition Program. The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools began honoring teachers with this award 38 years ago.

Early each year, anyone can nominate extraordinary teachers in Lee County. From a whittled down list of 30 finalists, six are chosen as Golden Apple recipients and honored at a banquet later in the year.

The finalists and the schools in which they teach are:

Jessica Alimonti, Diplomat Middle
Jeffrey Armsworth, Lexington Middle
Jonathan Barr, Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle
Michael Benfer, Dunbar High
Cameron Brooks, Tice Elementary
Alisa Brown, Diplomat Middle
Darielle Callender, Franklin Park Elementary
Ingrid Echeverria, North Fort Myers High
Laurie Faye, South Fort Myers High
Wendy Fiore, Cypress Lake Middle
Lisa Flannery, Lee Virtual School
Steven Gainey, East Lee County High
Brittany Gardiner, Oak Hammock Middle
Joseph Giangreco, The Sanibel School
Cheyenne Grant, Sunshine Elementary
Catherine Griffin, Dunbar High
Anne Hester, East Lee County High
Stephanie Liljegren, River Hall Elementary
Christina Marco, River Hall Elementary
Catherine Mattison, East Lee County High
Elizabeth O’Connor, Ray V. Pottorf Elementary
Megan Price, James Stephens Elementary
Rhonda Rainer, Caloosa Elementary
Arial Raulerson, Lehigh Senior High
Krista Rivera, Gulf Elementary
Christian Saravia, Harns Marsh Middle
Quinn Schnabel, Diplomat Middle
Laurie Smiley, Dunbar High
Gabriel Waldinger, Three Oaks Middle
Michaela Zawisza, Trafalgar Elementary