Learning More About Sara Mazhary, Golden Apple Award Winner

Earlier this month, 10 Illinois educators were named recipients of the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching– a prestigious and highly competitive award given to teachers who demonstrate a significant, positive impact on their students’ growth and learning. Among these 10 educators is Sara Mazhary, a K-3rd, 5th, and 7th-grade teacher at Marvin Camras Children's Engineering School.

Surrounded by students she had taught in years past and her colleagues, Ms. Mazhary learned she was a Golden Apple winner during a career panel assembly that was actually a celebration in her honor. She was also surprised when the stage curtains opened to reveal her husband, who had supported her throughout her career, and her children, who she described as “over the moon” for her achievement, waiting to celebrate her.

“I'm grateful for everybody who's in my circle. Aside from my family, my principal, our school’s STEM coordinator, and a long-time colleague of mine have been my number one supporters since the beginning,” said Ms. Mazhary.


The leaders of the Golden Apple Foundation believe that “great teaching shapes how students learn, grow, and see what’s possible for their future.” Ms. Mazhary exemplifies this by fostering ethical reasoning, creativity, and collaboration among her students to solve everyday challenges. She has helped create a comprehensive STEM curriculum at Camras, when none existed, translating materials into Spanish and using digital tools to foster inclusion, ensure accessibility for all students, and support social-emotional learning.

Aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards for Engineering, students in Ms. Mazhary's classroom identify real-world problems and work within a budget to design prototypes that address those issues. Her goal is to teach her students empathy through a design-thinking process. Whether it’s creating a program to assist parents with babysitting, developing tools for individuals with arthritis, or creating an app to help students coordinate travel to school together, her students are encouraged to understand others' perspectives and find solutions to real problems.

Ms. Mazahary’s school community describes her as a vital resource whose work elevates instructional standards and transcends mere effective teaching. While it may seem like something that comes easily to her, she acknowledges that teaching takes time to master and encourages fellow educators to persevere through the challenges.

“While there are times that it feels like an impossible task, it’s important to hang in there and keep going,” said Ms. Mazhary. “Know that it’ll get hard before it gets a whole lot better, and you’ll eventually master your craft with time and practice.”

Watch Ms. Sengupta’s surprise Golden Apple Award celebration here and read the Golden Apple Foundation press release here. Learn more about the Golden Apple Foundation and see the full list of award recipients here.