The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge announced its 10 recipients of the 2025 Dawbarn Education Awards this week.
For the past 31 years, the Community Foundation has honored community members for their significant impact on youth in the three local public school systems: Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro.
The award comes with a $10,000 prize and a special ceremony in the fall.
“While all community foundations share many common traits, our founder (Buz Dawbarn) had the vision to create something truly extraordinary when he established the Dawbarn Education Awards,” said Dan Layman, CEO of the Community Foundation. “The employees of our public school districts do their absolute best with the resources available to them, and many go well beyond the expectations of their profession every day, because they love seeing their students succeed. Through the Dawbarn Education Awards, we have the great privilege of honoring these individuals for that commitment and demonstrating our appreciation for them with a significant financial award. This program is one of the highlights of our year.”
The 2025 Dawbarn Education Awards recipients are:
Russell Beverly, bus driver and custodian, Hugh K. Cassell Elementary
Pete Echols, band teacher, Kate Collins Middle School
Paige Heizer, elementary school teacher, Riverheads Elementary
Blair Hoffman, agriscience teacher at Gordon Stewart Middle School
Stacey Mooneyham, business/technology teacher, Shelburne Middle School
Adreana Sprouse, preschool teacher at Wayne Hills Preschool
Jonathan Steck, social worker, Waynesboro High School
Beth Thompson, secretary, Valley Academy Regional Alternative School
Tyson Thompson, physical education teacher, Arthur R. Ware Elementary
Jonathan Wilson, band teacher, Staunton City Schools
Miriam Burrows, the director of educational programs at the Community Foundation, made surprise visits to inform this year’s 10 recipients in person.
“Buz Dawbarn believed that education was the foundation of our democracy, and that the people lifting up our kids every day deserve to be lifted up themselves,” Burrows said. “When we hand out a Dawbarn Education Award to a teacher, bus driver, or school secretary for their kindness, integrity, and service, we’re not just recognizing their hard work. We’re celebrating their humanity. We’re holding these people and these values up in front of our children – our students - and saying, ‘This is what success looks like. These are the qualities that we reward in our community.’”
The superintendents from the three school divisions joined Burrows on the surprise announcements to the recipients in their respective jurisdictions.
“I think it’s a thank you from our community – the broader community outside of our school division – for our employees, for the good work they do,” said Dr. Jeffrey Cassell, superintendent of Waynesboro City Schools. “I think the exciting part is that it goes from support staff to teachers and administrators. It recognizes the people in the community that support our youth.”
Dr. Eric Bond, superintendent of Augusta County Schools, is thankful to work in a school division that honors heroes making a difference in the lives of public school students.
“It’s a celebration of public education as a whole,” Bond said. “Our employees work so tirelessly to take care of our children, teach our children and love our children. This is a way our community reaches out and says, ‘We appreciate you. We think you guys are doing a great job, and we want to celebrate you.’ That’s rare. I’m not sure every community has that. We’re lucky in Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro to have the Dawbarn (Education) Awards.”
Garrett Smith, superintendent for Staunton City Schools, agreed.
“It just makes me so proud of all their accomplishments,” Smith said. “Our big theme this year is putting high expectations into practice. It’s about excellence for everybody, so to celebrate excellence among our teaching staff – it’s so important to us. For students to have these models of excellence within the school system—people they can interact with and look up to – it just makes a huge difference. Having great teachers is really just a game-changer.”
WAYNESBORO PUBLIC SCHOOLS RECIPIENT BIOS
Pete Echols
As kids transition from Waynesboro’s elementary schools into sixth grade, the band room is becoming a safe space for an increasing number of numbers.
Not only has Pete Echols grown the band numerically, he’s had a profound impact on the students who sign up.
“He has built relationships, and he has built a program that has given a band family to our school,” said Marcy Nester, principal at Kate Collins Middle School. “He works with them developmentally from wherever they are. You can come in with prior knowledge. You can come in as a beginner. You can come in, and he will find your place. He will take you from where you are, and work with you and get to know you and your family. He’ll help you get to know your instrumental background and a love for music.”
Echols was appreciative of the award.
“Waynesboro’s such a great place to be,” Echols said. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else or teaching anywhere else. Music is a total passion of mine. Music is just a whole lifelong love for me. I love working with young people, and just showing them, ‘Hey, you can do something you maybe never thought you could.
“Band is so fun, because it’s an opportunity. It’s like a restart. You’re learning something brand new in sixth grade. It’s all about, ‘Hey, can we push ourselves and teach ourselves something we’ve never learned before in a community of other people?’ It’s so much fun to watch students learn. And it’s just a joy for me to be a part of that.”
Adreana Sprouse
Adreana Sprouse, a preschool teacher at Wayne Hills Elementary School, was Waynesboro’s teacher of the year in 2024. According to Wayne Hills principal Sarah Ross, Sprouse’s ability to consistently go above and beyond illuminates the whole preschool.
“She’s such a great light,” Ross said. “She brought a great perspective of kindergarten. She knows what the kids need to be ready for. Also, she brings this huge, fun experiential learning side to her. She does eggs. She watches snails under water. There’s always a really fun project going on that her kids are excited about.”
For Sprouse, teaching is just the fulfillment of her life’s calling.
“It’s always amazing to be recognized by your peers,” Sprouse said. “It’s just a lovely way to celebrate the profession of teaching. I’ve always loved people. For little kids, it’s just so amazing to see their excitement about eggs, and the changing leaves; just to help them discover what life is about, and their interaction with it, and how they can be an integral part of it.”
Jonathan Steck
Whenever he’s needed, Jonathan Steck shows up.
A social worker at Waynesboro High School, students know that Steck is “their person,” whether they need to share good news or bad news.
“He’s probably the best adult I know,” said Bryan Stamm, principal at Waynesboro High School. “I think he’s a good example of how to be an educator, how to be an adult, how to be a man, and how to be a member of a community. He’s invaluable. He’s the ultimate wild card. He’ll counsel me if I’m having a rough day and need to bend somebody’s ear all the way down to our students that might be hitting life’s circumstances. He’s the ultimate community guy.”
Steck was overwhelmed with the award.
“This is an absolute shock,” he said. “This means everything to me. Lots of times social work is like a message in a bottle. You never know if you’re reaching the people you want to reach. When you hear that you are, it’s just an absolute fabulous and wonderful experience.”
Beth Thompson
Some students have a tougher time navigating school than others.
For the students who may need a little extra care, they’ll find it in the presence of Beth Thompson, secretary of Valley Academy Regional Alternative School.
The first face students see each day at the school is a friendly, welcoming one.
Thompson had decades of experience in school secretarial work. For C.J. Vandevander, principal at Valley Academy, Thompson’s intangibles were just as important.
“I needed someone who was organized with good management skills,” Vandevander said. “I also needed someone who could connect with this population of students, and somebody who could be more than just a secretary. Someone who could be a family member and a big sister to some of the staff members, a mom and grandmother outside of their extended family. Beth just checked all of those boxes.”
At school, she’s known as Mama Bear.
Perhaps no better analogy describes her care for the students.
“I’m honored – and quite honestly shocked and surprised – I never thought it would happen to somebody like me who does the work that I do,” Thompson said. “It’s beyond a pat on the back. I do this job with so much love. To be recognized for the work you do behind the scenes, it’s just really nice to have that recognition.”