Diplomat’s shining lights
Two Diplomat Middle School teachers are among six honorees to be feted at the Golden Apple Banquet to be held later this month.
The 2026 Foundation of Lee County Schools Golden Apple winners include Alisa Brown and Quinn Schnabel from Diplomat, Cameron Brooks from Tice Elementary School, Darielle Callender from Franklin Park Elementary School, Joseph Giangreco from The Sanibel School and Elizabeth O’Connor from Ray V. Pottorf Elementary School.
The teachers were surprised in their classrooms last month.
“My reaction was sheer surprise and gratitude,” Schnabel said. “This is something that I have dreamed of for over 25 years. It’s so wonderful to see how supportive the community is of our school system.”
Schnabel began her teaching career in the School District of Lee County 25 years ago at Diplomat Middle School. She currently teaches eighth grade Language Arts.
To be named a Golden Apple winner is a great honor, as she is representing educators in Lee County.
“Growing up in Lee County, I had many inspirational and supportive teachers, and hoped that one day I would be the kind of teacher that I needed when I was a student,” she said. “I am so grateful to the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools, my administrative team, my teacher tribe, my family, and my fantastic students for making my dream a reality.”
When Brown was surprised in her classroom she was in complete shock while the tears instantly started.
“Being a finalist alongside 29 incredible, deserving educators, including two of my close friends and colleagues, I truly didn’t expect to be named a Golden Apple recipient this year. When my administrators opened the door and the foundation team came in, I completely froze in awe. As my students started cheering and the foundation began reading an excerpt from my student’s nomination, I just couldn’t hold it together. It was surreal, humbling, and incredibly emotional. The entire process has been amazing, and I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many inspiring teachers,” she said.
Brown began teaching eight years ago in the School District of Lee County, five of which have been spent at Diplomat Middle School. She teaches eighth grade science and STEM. Brown said she has the unique privilege of teaching at her former middle school alongside many of her former teachers who are now colleagues and friends.
“It’s truly the greatest honor,” she said of being named a Golden Apple winner. “To be a teacher in the county where I was born and raised, at the same school I once attended — and even in the same classroom I learned in — means everything to me. It feels like a full-circle moment and an opportunity to give back to the community that poured so much into me and helped shape who I am today. This recognition reinforces why I do what I do. I have the privilege of knowing, loving, and teaching the next generation, and that’s something I take very seriously. It also reminds me of the legacy of exceptional teachers who shaped me, like my fellow winner Quinn Schnabel, and helped me become the educator I am today.”
Brown said the honor is not hers alone.
“It belongs to my students, my colleagues, and my school community. Every day, they inspire me to be better. Teaching is about connection, and I’m incredibly lucky to do what I love with people who mean so much to me,” she said.
The Golden Apple Banquet, a black-tie affair, will be held Friday, April 24, at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center to recognize the teachers.