KING CITY — A King City teacher has been recognized for her commitment to students and mentorship of future educators as part of the inaugural Student Success Coach Learning Network Education Impact Awards.
Tressa Luke, the resource support program teacher at Del Rey Elementary School in King City, was among 21 educators across California selected for the award. The accolade honors teachers who go above and beyond in the classroom while mentoring AmeriCorps student success coaches who serve as near-peer tutors and mentors in schools.
The California Student Success Coach Learning Network (SSCLN), a collaborative of 14 AmeriCorps service organizations across the state, received nearly 90 nominations from educators across California.
According to SSCLN, honorees were selected based on their ability to support student growth while also helping develop student success coaches through classroom experience, guidance and mentorship.
“Great teachers don’t just impact the students in front of them — they invest in the adults working alongside them,” said Maggie Franco, executive director of SSCLN. “These honorees are paying it forward every day — sharing their knowledge, opening their classrooms, and mentoring our coaches who are just beginning their own journeys in education. That ripple effect is how we strengthen both our schools and the future educator workforce.”
Luke was one of three local honorees recognized in the Monterey/Salinas region. Other local recipients included Maria Pinon of Boronda Meadows Preschool in Salinas City Unified School District and Maria Arreola of the Monterey County Office of Education.
Student success coaches work alongside teachers to provide 1:1 academic support, small group instruction, skills coaching and encouragement to help students stay engaged and succeed. The program also gives coaches hands-on experience in education as they learn from teachers who model effective teaching, relationship-building and classroom leadership.
One student success coach who nominated an honoree said, “She built my confidence just as she does for her students, guiding me through best practices and showing me what it means to lead with reflection and openness. It’s been an honor to learn from her — she’s truly a lifelong mentor.”
The SSCLN Education Impact Awards highlight the role of teacher-coach partnerships in improving student outcomes while building a pipeline of future educators prepared to serve classrooms and communities across California.
