Es Swihart

For the second year in a row, a faculty member at Riverview High has been named Sarasota County Teacher of the Year. Es Swihart, who teaches English at the school, was chosen from among three other finalists. “Teaching is about helping students who are struggling to find out who they are and helping them find a space to be themselves,” Swihart said at a special event Wednesday. “It’s our job to help them grow.”

The other finalists for the award included Bethany Burnett, a fifth-grade teacher at Venice Elementary, and Allison Cohen, a math teacher at Booker Middle. Swihart received the honor at the Ignite Education awards ceremony produced by the Education Foundation of Sarasota County and held at at The Westin Sarasota. The event was also attended by 37 other educators named as Teacher of the Year for the public schools in the district where they teach.

“Each year, this is an opportunity we use as a platform for Teacher of the Year, but also to honor all teachers, who have chosen what we consider to be the most noble profession in the land,” says Jennifer Vigne, president of the Education Foundation.

Swihart, who has taught for 11 years total including five in Sarasota County, will now represent the district at the state Teacher of the Year competition.

The ceremony also honored James Tollerton, the first president of the Board of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, with the Alumni of Distinction Award. “I had great teachers here in Sarasota County who made a difference in my life,” said Tollerson, who works in insurance and continues to serve on a number of community boards.

And this year, the Ignite Education award, given to a campus Teacher of the Year winner who used innovation the classroom, went to Robbie Wolf, who teaches plumbing technology and apprenticeship at Suncoast Technical College. Wolf is also the owner of Cy Blue Plumbing. “Being a leader is not about standing on a pedestal barking orders, but being in the trenches and leading by example,” Wolf said.

Es Swihart