Congratulations to our 2025 STEAM Educators of the Year, RAFT Heroes, Volunteer of the Year, and Partner of the Year! Thank you for all you do for our educators, students, our community, and RAFT!

STEAM Educators of the Year

Brian Boyce

Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary

STEAM Teacher of the Year presented by Cisco

Brian Boyce was nominated for his work as the Science Teacher at Santa Cruz Elementary. With 15 years of experience, Brian exemplifies exceptional teaching in STEAM by consistently going beyond traditional curriculum to create meaningful, experience-based learning opportunities for his students. His commitment to hands-on, project-based education fosters deep connections between students, their community, and the natural world. He has led community garden initiatives and connected students to local naturalists and conservation organizations. His approach to teaching nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong passion for learning, making a lasting impact on both his students and the broader community.

Emily Sweet

Campbell Union High School District

STEAM Educator of the Year presented by Morgan Stanley

Em is the art teacher at Westmont High School and Del Mar High School and is committed to supporting students in their learning as well as inspiring their creativity. Their creations in her classroom serve as an outlet for their personal lives as well as celebrations of their cultural heritage. Em is not just an art teacher; she is a mentor, a visionary, and a life-changer. Thank you Ms. Sweet for your commitment to our students.

Jeremey Gorman

REACH Academy

STEAM Teacher of the Year presented by KPMG

Jeremey Gorman was nominated by his colleague, Mason Reilly, for his teaching of Science last year at REACH Academy. Mr. Gorman epitomizes exceptional teaching through his innovative approach to science education. Each week, he transforms his classroom into a vibrant laboratory, where he encourages hands-on experiments that ignite curiosity among his young students. Mr. Gorman goes the extra mile to ensure that his students not only understand concepts but also experience science firsthand, allowing his students to connect theoretical knowledge with real-world experiences. Thank you Jeremey for supporting our students.

Peggy Nguyen

Ruskin Elementary

STEAM Teacher of the Year presented by Credo

Peggy Nguyen is our STEAM Dream Camp Educator of the Year. The staff at our STEAM Dream Camp nominated Peggy for her tireless support of students and teachers at our camp. Camp staff members shared that “Peggy went above and beyond to ensure everyone was supported in anyway possible.” Another staff member said,  “Peggy was phenomenal with supporting me as a teacher and in supporting all campers in my classroom and she always had a smile for the kids and the teachers, making me feel valued and positive.” Thank you Peggy for your service to our teachers and students during our STEAM Dream Camp and supporting our students throughout the school year as well.

RAFT Hero of the Year

Anne Murphy

RAFT Hero Award

Anne has worked in RAFT’s Finance Department for 28 years. She has worked tirelessly on the accounting side of RAFT. Her attention to detail and rigor has ensured that the business side of RAFT was in ship shape so that the programs and impact could continue to grow.

She and her husband Ron have also been generous supporters of RAFT over the years, quietly supporting the hands-on STEAM learning that will hopefully inspire future generations to explore.

We are grateful to Anne for her time and commitment to RAFT and wish her the very best on her retirement.

Bob Woods & Chuck Sizemore

RAFT Hero Award

Bob Woods of Stewart, Woods, and Associates and Chuck Sizemore are a consulting duo who have been  assisting RAFT over the past two years. 

Bob and Chuck originally knew each other from working in fundraising and advancement at Stanford. Bob then moved on to San Francisco State University while Chuck moved on to Santa Clara University.

After years of working in competition, Bob and Chuck decided to take on nonprofit clients pro-bono to help them optimize their fundraising and increase their impact. 

That’s where they became involved with RAFT and worked with us to strategize on RAFT’s next phase. Given RAFT’s 30 year history and impact in the community, Bob and Chuck helped coach the Board of Directors and CEO to consider establishing an endowment fund to optimize RAFT’s reserve fund, ensure a perpetual support line to RAFT programs, and offer an exciting matching opportunity for major donors to RAFT. By establishing this fund, Chuck and Bob have ensured RAFT’s future for years to come. 

RAFT Volunteer of the Year

Kelley Young

RAFT Volunteer of the Year presented by Fenwick

Kelley has volunteered with RAFT since 2021. On most Saturday mornings you can see Kelley at RAFT volunteering. She is passionate about RAFT, and when needed, Kelley will volunteer for special events. A couple of weeks ago RAFT partnered with Julia Robinson Mathematics Foundation to host a math festival at RAFT. Kelley stepped up to help and assisted outside of her usual volunteer shift. Thank you Kelley for helping RAFT serve the education community in many ways.

RAFT Partner of the Year

Since 2005, Google has made an incredible impact with RAFT through their generous donations as well as contributions by their dedicated volunteers. 

Over the past year, over 250 Googlers have volunteered almost 1000 hours to RAFT as well as donated over $60,000 to RAFT’s programs to help us bring our hands-on learning resources to our most underserved students and schools.