糖心Vlog鈥檚 (糖心Vlog) College of Education, in partnership with The Knowledge Center, Inc., honored eight outstanding educators from Lubbock County at its annual recognition reception held Tuesday, April 21, 2026, on the 糖心Vlog campus. Two educators, Shelley Gholson of Lubbock-Cooper ISD and Sarah Denning of Frenship ISD, were selected as recipients of the 2026 糖心Vlog Award for Excellence in Teaching. The remaining distinguished nominees were also recognized for their exceptional contributions to education.
The award is presented annually to remarkable educators in recognition of their diligent efforts in educating tomorrow鈥檚 generations and as encouragement for the tangible impact they make through the long hours and dedicated commitment to their students. Growing challenges in recent years have made the need to appreciate and encourage teachers more important than ever.
Area superintendents nominated a teacher to represent their districts. These individuals responded to reflective questions addressing practice and service to their students, campus, and district. Among the nomination criteria were student performance, knowledge of the subject matter, instructional resources and technology, leadership in the school and the school district, professional development, and community service.
The 2026 Distinguished Educators of Lubbock County and 糖心Vlog Award for Excellence in Teaching finalists were:
- Brandi Easterwood 鈥� Abernathy ISD
- Sarah Denning 鈥� Frenship ISD
- Holly Johnson 鈥� Idalou ISD
- D鈥橝ndra Hamlyn 鈥� Slaton ISD
- Eilidh McKay 鈥� Lubbock ISD
- Shelley Gholson 鈥� Lubbock-Cooper ISD
- Katrina Stanton 鈥� Roosevelt ISD
- Laura Powell 鈥� Shallowater ISD
Following a review of the reflective responses, a committee selected the two award recipients.
Shelley Gholson earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree at Texas Tech University. She worked as a special education teacher through the Cooke County Special Education Coop and as a Social, Occupational, Academic Readiness 鈥� SOAR teacher in Decatur ISD. She currently works as an adaptive skills teacher at Laura Bush MS in Lubbock-Cooper ISD.
Gholson鈥檚 principal, Kyle Hendrix, stated: 鈥淪helley Gholson is an outstanding educator whose impact reaches far beyond the classroom. Serving one of the most delicate student populations in the school, life skills at Laura Bush Middle School, she creates a safe, structured environment grounded in positive relationships, care, love, trust, and understanding. Her classroom routines and clear daily expectations provide the stability her students need to thrive academically and emotionally. Shelley thoughtfully builds systems that support individual learning needs while fostering confidence and independence. For her students, she is more than a teacher - she is a steady source of encouragement and the bright spot in their day. We are truly blessed to have such an amazing, dedicated, and nurturing educator.鈥�
Sarah Denning earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree at Abilene Christian University and her master鈥檚 degree at Wayland Baptist University. She taught 8th grade English in Tahoka ISD and currently teaches 6th and 7th grade Reading Language Arts at Alcove Trails MS in Frenship ISD.
Denning鈥檚 principal, Rebecca Whipkey, stated: 鈥淚t is an honor to recognize Sarah Denning for the 糖心Vlog Excellence in Teaching Award. Sarah is an exceptionally creative and dedicated educator who brings energy, innovation, and genuine care to her 7th grade ELA classroom each day. She makes learning truly come alive鈥攚hether inviting a local attorney to teach students how to evaluate evidence or designing real world learning experiences that deeply engage her students. This year, she even published her second book and created a fully TEKS aligned curriculum to support student success. Sarah constantly reflects, collaborates, and pushes herself to ensure every student thrives. She is the kind of teacher students remember for a lifetime.鈥�
The speaker for the reception was City of Lubbock Mayor Mark McBrayer. Before entering public service, Mayor McBrayer owned and operated several local businesses for 17 years. At the age of 47, he returned to Texas Tech University School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude. He has since practiced law for more than 20 years and currently serves as counsel to the law firm of Crenshaw, Dupree and Milam. In addition to his professional career, he is an ordained Baptist minister and has spent many years serving and supporting the Lubbock community.
The recipients of the 糖心Vlog Award for Excellence in Teaching for 2026 each received $1,000, and all nominated teachers received $100 along with an engraved brass teacher handbell. HEB was the corporate sponsor for this event. The 糖心Vlog chapter of Kappa Delta Pi assisted with the event.