Nassau BOCES Unveils 2026 Education Partner Award Honorees
Sixteen individuals and two organizations recognized for contributions to public education in Nassau County.
By: A.A. Cristi Jan. 22, 2026
Nassau BOCES will honor sixteen individuals and two organizations this spring as recipients of its 2026 Education Partner Awards, recognizing contributions to public education across Nassau County.
The Education Partner Awards program pays tribute to educational leaders, school administrators, teachers, staff, students, volunteers, organizations, and Nassau BOCES employees whose work supports student success. Honorees will be recognized at the nineteenth annual Education Partner Awards Gala, hosted by the Nassau BOCES Educational Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization that supports programs and learning opportunities for Nassau BOCES students.
Since the program’s inception, more than 240 individuals and organizations have received the Education Partner Award. Nassau BOCES, which has served as a strategic educational partner to local school districts since 1967, created the award to recognize those who share its mission of enabling students of all ages and abilities to reach their full potential.
The 2026 Education Partner Award honorees include:
Student honorees: Maisyn Cardinale of Great Neck South High School (Great Neck UFSD); Angelina Castro-Boutin of Long Island High School for the Arts (Westbury UFSD); Olivia Lawrence of GC Tech (Massapequa UFSD); Christian Maguire of Career Preparatory High School (Port Washington UFSD); and Lidia Velasquez of Barry Tech (Hempstead UFSD). Nassau BOCES Ex-Officio Student Board of Education Members are also recognized.
Additional honorees include Gina Marie DaRocha, Principal of Nassau BOCES Carman Road School and Pre-School Programs; Dr. Gabriella Franza, Assistant Director of Instructional Programs, Baldwin UFSD; Dr. Marc Isseks, Assistant Principal, Sewanhaka High School; the Manhasset School Community Association Co-Presidents Dr. Anita Gauld and Tania Kapoor; Matthew McElwee, Special Education Teacher at Nassau BOCES Rosemary Kennedy School; Rachel Morin, Curriculum Coordinator and Learning Center Teacher at Nassau BOCES Seaman Neck Middle School; Lisa Paolucci, Principal of Nassau BOCES Iris Wolfson High School; Dr. Susan Poser, President of Hofstra University; Ramona’s Gift to Music Foundation Co-Founders Micheal Cuellar and John Mangione; Elizabeth Roemer, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Island Trees UFSD; Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner of Police, Nassau County Police Department; Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy, President of the Roslyn UFSD Board of Education; and Michael Weinick, Vice President of the Nassau BOCES Board of Education.
The Education Partner Awards Gala will take place on April 22.
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