San Diego County Office Of Education Honors Social Workers Of The Year

SAN DIEGO, CA — Five social workers were honored Friday as School Social Workers of the Year in San Diego County, the San Diego County Office of Education announced. The County Office of Education also presented two honorees with special awards for their contributions to the profession.

"As we work to create environments where all students feel a sense of belonging and have the tools and resources needed to thrive, school social workers play an integral role in the school support team and achieving this goal," San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold said in a statement. "We are honored to recognize all of our school social workers and interns across the county and congratulate them on this achievement."

In its fourth year, the School Social Work Awards program honors school social workers and social work interns for the work they do to support students, families and communities. The Trailblazer Award honors an individual who has paved the way for future generations in the profession to grow and develop, while the Jenée Peevy Light Award recognizes individuals for their support of school social workers, according to the County Office of Education.

In San Diego County, there are more than 175 school social workers and nearly 150 interns from universities who provide social, emotional and mental health services to students, families and staff.

These are the award winners:

School Social Workers of the Year

• Carolina Bracamonte-Espinoza – San Diego Virtual Academy
• Jaime Hocanson – La Mesa-Spring Valley School District
• Carrie Thompson – Santee School District
• Ariana Vargas – Escondido Union School District

School Social Work Intern of the Year

• Taja Marbley – Harriet Tubman Village Charter School

Trailblazer Award

• Maria Osborn – South Bay Union School District

Jenée Peevy Light Award

• Jose Vallejo, tech center analyst, San Diego County Office of Education