Two staff members from Arvin High School are recipients of the 2026 Yale Educator Award — a first for the school.
Math teacher Matthew Regpala and counselor Gerardo Guzman were both nominated by Yaquelin Acosta, a freshman at Yale University majoring in theater. Both say the award means a lot to them, especially since it comes from a student they worked with throughout her years at Arvin High.
Regpala said he was surprised when he received an email from Yale.
"I had no idea I was nominated and I found out about the award just a couple of days ago."
His family was excited for him, knowing how much he puts into his work.
"Pretty excited, you know, because they know that I put a lot into working here at Arvan High, and I do my best to help students as much as I can."
Guzman said the recognition caught him off guard.
"I was surprised. It was shocking. But, you know, it's just something that kind of really caught me off guard."
As a counselor, Guzman said his goal is to help students reach their full potential.
"As a department, we really try to challenge our students as much as we can to not get any type of feel like they're restricted by anything because of where they're comfortable from or what they have to their advantages. So as a counselor, you know, it's amazing to see a student succeed in that sense."
Guzman also reflected on watching Acosta grow during her time at Arvin High.
"It was really amazing to see the growth in her coming in as a freshman, and she was trying everything here on campus, and then it was really rewarding to kind of see her get her, you know, She found her place. Theater was her passion."
Regpala said the nomination speaks to the impact the school has had on its students.
"Be nominated like that from a student who's gone on to Yale, it says a lot about our school. You know, it says that people at our school inspired her."
The Yale Educator Recognition Program recognizes outstanding educators from around the world who have supported and inspired their students to achieve at high levels. This year, there were 307 nominees. 50 teachers and 17 counselors were selected to receive the 2026 Yale Educator Award. Of the 67 total recipients, 18 are from California.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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