2018 Volunteers of the Year

Poway Unified Announces the Selection of District Volunteers of the Year

Krissa Jensen, Tom McFadden, and Andrea & Roger Mitchell Receive School District Honors

The Poway Unified School District is proud to recognize our volunteers and is pleased to announce that Krissa Jensen, Tom McFadden, and Andrea & Roger Mitchell have been chosen as Poway Unified District Volunteers of the Year for 2018 from a very distinguished list of school site volunteers of the year.

Krissa Jensen, Black Mountain  Middle School

Krissa fulfills many leadership roles on campus and throughout the district. She is the BMMS Education Foundation President and under her leadership, and because of her work and the work of many volunteers, the Foundation has been able to raise tens of thousands of dollars that directly impact students in the classrooms, including increasing technology access, providing
teacher grants, and purchasing a new electronic marquee for the school. Krissa is also BMMS’ Academy Parent Leader. She acts as a liaison between the school and parents, helping organize volunteers, raise money, and make important decisions involving the Academy program.

Krissa is also an Odyssey of the Mind coach. The BMMS Odyssey teams were very successful this year, with one team making it to the World Finals. Krissa’s countless hours communicating with the teams, coaching the kids, and raising money for the Odyssey of the Mind program have been reasons for the students’ and program’s success.  

Krissa also volunteers and leads parents at Westview High School. She exemplifies
volunteerism, with pride, honor and dedication. 

Tom is the ultimate MC cheerleader. He can be found at registration days helping freshman parents navigate the new school; he can be found at every 8th grade family night urging parents to participate, and sharing his love for MC; and he can be found at every Back to School Night touting the Education Foundation and helping other parents become involved in the school. Tom has been a constant presence on campus and at functions for many years. He has a true passion for service and gets a lot of joy in not only seeing his children have a great experience but in seeing all students have a great school experience. He has been involved with service to the schools at all levels and continues to serve even after his children have graduated!

Tom was a Founding member of the MC Educational Foundation in 2010, and served in some capacity on the Educational Foundation since its inception, including four years as MCEF president. He continues on in the
role of treasurer. But his participation doesn’t stop there. Tom has also taken a seat on the board of directors for the MC Athletic Foundation, has assisted on various athletic booster programs through the years, most recently on the Girls’ Basketball booster organization, and volunteered on the football sidelines in various roles - and continues as the team statistician. Tom has been a part of raising countless dollars to improve experiences for students and is a great example of the Sundevil Way!  

Andrea & Roger Mitchell, Canyon View Elementary School

Andrea and Roger Mitchell have made their volunteerism a family affair!
Andrea, the PTO’s Vice President of Membership, first came to Canyon View when it opened back in 1987… as a student! For the last five years she has invested her time, energy, and talents into the school that was the foundation for her education. Her daughter is now a 4th grader at Canyon View.

When there’s volunteer work to be done, the Mitchells are almost always there – even Andrea’s mother, Jane, has donated countless hours of her time. Andrea helps coordinate and staff many special happenings on campus
including the Book Fair and Staff Appreciation Days. And whenever something on campus needs some TLC, Roger Mitchell is there - volunteering to do handyman-type work around campus, such as putting up hooks for backpacks. He is the President of the Dad’s Club, and takes time off work to assist with the school’s vision and hearing screenings, as he attends to the students while they wait to be tested.

Together, Andrea and Roger greatly enhanced the students’ education through a special event they planned and executed. Both are geologists and they shared their passion for the Earth by organizing special hands-on activities, directly correlating to the science curriculum. Andrea and Roger have been described as diligent, helpful, willing to do anything, and a joy to be around. They are on campus for just about every event. Together, they embody the word “volunteer.”

2018 Poway Unified Volunteers of the Year

The following is a list of all PUSD 2018 school site Volunteers of the Year. All of these finalists are outstanding candidates, representative of the high level of commitment to our students and schools.

Name	Site
Jill Episcopio	Adobe Bluffs
Rodney Lacanienta	Abraxas
Genni Myles	Bernardo Heights
Krissa Jensen	Black Mountain
Andrea & Roger Mitchell	Canyon View
Janine Tijam	Chaparral
Denise Velarde	Creekside
Adel Szabo	Deer Canyon
Judy Simeroth	Del Norte
Sydney Freer	Del Sur
Judy Fish	Garden Road
Kristi Schneider	Highland Ranch
Jeanette Lotze	Los Penasquitos
Pat Faucher	Meadowbrook
Kris Hernandez	Mesa Verde
Erin Soria	Midland
Rachel Balmenti	Monterey Ridge
Chris Smith	Morning Creek
Tom McFadden	Mt. Carmel
Kelle Snyder	Oak Valley
Kym Sosnowski	Painted Rock
Farangis Jahanian	Park Village
Amanda Jacques	Pomerado
Helen Jenney	Poway High
Lorrie Russo	Rancho Bernardo
Dave Wigmore	Rolling Hills
Kim Lehrer	Shoal Creek
Melanie Hickson	Stone Ranch
Stacy Arciaga	Sundance
Mary Wise	Sunset Hills
Julie Burr	Tierra Bonita
Aliciana Ladd	Turtleback
Patricia Whitson	Twin Peaks
Lili Husseman	Valley
Nicole Sanseverino	Westview
Morgan Burgwald	Westwood
JoAnn Sweidel	Willow Grove