Published February 15, 2022

Two Rolling Meadows High School teachers are in highly select company: named as finalists for the 2022 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching.

Miguel Parra Garcia, a world languages teacher, and Michelle Marconi, a senior English teacher—both at Rolling Meadows High School—are among only 30 high school teachers from across Illinois chosen as finalists. The Golden Apple Awards honor outstanding teachers for having lasting effects on their students and their school communities.

“I am beyond honored to be named as a Golden Apple finalist,” said Marconi, now in her 11th year at Rolling Meadows. “It is a bit surreal to be recognized for doing a job that I just wholeheartedly love. I am beyond fortunate to work with the amazing students and colleagues that I do. They inspire me every day to refine my thinking on grading, tweak my approaches in instruction, and continually seek ways to balance rigorous work with humor and grace. My real reward is in making meaningful connections with students and helping them to believe more in themselves; it is in seeing our AVID program grow and evolve on our campus; it is in helping students who have struggled previously in school recoup lost credit and confidence with the Learning Renewal Program; it is in the meaningful, fun, and collaborative spirit I have with my very talented and smart colleagues; it is in seeing my former students thrive when they leave Meadows.” 

“I am very humbled and honored to represent Rolling Meadows High School and District 214 for the Golden Apple Award in Excellence in Teaching,” said Parra Garcia. “My goal as an educator is to provide students with relevant learning experiences that will impact their lives inside and outside of the classroom. I believe in high expectations for all students and value the opportunity to teach young people from all walks of life.  My hope is that I am able to motivate my students in the same manner that my former teachers motivated me. I am grateful for everyone who has guided me in my teaching journey and for being a part of an exceptional educational community that values my professional growth. 

The winner(s) will be announced by the nonprofit Golden Apple Foundation this spring. Award recipients receive a $5,000 cash award and are eligible for a sabbatical, provided by Northwestern University. Recipients also become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, which helps prepare the next generation of teachers in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs - both designed to address the teacher shortage in Illinois, exacerbated by pandemic challenges.

Upon receiving the news about two members of her faculty, Principal Eileen Hart offered the following words of praise for both Michelle and Miguel:

“Michelle is a dedicated English teacher that academically and socially and emotionally supports all students, especially those that are the first generation to be a high school graduate, and the first in their family to go on to excel in college. Michelle is the AVID Coordinator at Rolling Meadows High School, where her enthusiasm and commitment to the AVID program is a main reason why the program has been so successful and impactful over these past ten years. Michelle is a wonderful colleague and educator, and we are so fortunate to have her on our Mustang faculty. 

Miguel is a caring and dedicated instructor and coach. He consistently demonstrates that he works respectfully with his peers to cultivate a school-wide culture of collegiality. Miguel encourages students to join athletci teams, extra-curricular activities, and the fine and performing arts programs so that they have a connection to their high school, as well find opportunities to meet new friends, have fun, and challenge themselves to learn new skills while at Rolling Meadows High School. We are fortunate that Miguel is a Mustang.”

On behalf of Rolling Meadows High school and all of District 214, we congratulate both Michelle and Miguel on this prestigious recognition!