Santa Maria teacher receives county-wide education award
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – This years recipient of the Bill Cirone Heart of Education Award from the Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO) is Eduardo Gonzales-Ramos.
Gonzales-Ramos is a Ag Farm Diesel Mechanics Teacher at the Mark Richardson Career Technical Education Center within the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD).
First hired by SMJUHSD in 2018 as a full-time service technician of the school district's bus, vehicle, and golf cart fleet, Gonzales-Ramos was eventually promoted to the district's lead mechanic.
In 2022, Gonzales-Ramos earned his preliminary CTE teaching credential and started his award-winning journey as an instructor.
“Eduardo embodies what we try to do for our students at the SMJUHSD, which is to provide them with viable options for their futures,” said Antonio Garcia, superintendent of Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. “He has grown up in our community, went to school in our district, worked in our district, and now to see him thriving as a teacher, having this amazing impact on our students, and seeing him succeed in this role, sets a wonderful example for both students and staff alike.”
Gonzales-Ramos will be formally acknowledged at Santa Barbara County Education Office's celebration event on May 11 according to Director of Teacher Programs and Support, Steven Keithley.
