Superintendent Pete Perez, district staff, and a lot of Thunderbirds were in the audience at ESD 123 on Thursday as Heather Ochoa was honored as Othello's Crystal Apple Award winner. Our district joined others in the region to hold the first in-person ceremony in several years.

"A pioneer is a person who begins or helps develop something new and prepares the way for others to follow. That's what Heather does. She develops kids and prepares the way for others. She develops their hearts and minds. She loves her students," said Superintendent Pete Perez in his introduction of Heather.

You can watch Heather's introduction by clicking the video link below.