Town of Miami Lakes Honors Outstanding Students, Educators, and Scholarship Recipients at 2026 Awards of Excellence

May 8, 2026

The Town of Miami Lakes and its Education Advisory Board proudly hosted the Fifth Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony, celebrating the outstanding achievements of local students, educators, and community leaders. The event recognized academic excellence, leadership, service, and dedication across Miami Lakes schools, while also honoring retiring educators and future scholarship recipients.

Presented by Title Sponsor “Headquarter Toyota”, the ceremony highlighted 22 student award recipients across multiple academic and extracurricular categories, one Outstanding Educator of the Year, 13 retiring educators, and three recipients of the 2026 Miami Lakes Future Leaders Scholarship.
“This ceremony is a reflection of the incredible talent, dedication, and heart found throughout our schools and our community,” said Mayor Joshua Dieguez. “We are proud to recognize these students, teachers, and educators whose hard work continues to shape the future of Miami Lakes.”

2026 Outstanding Educator of the Year
The 2026 Outstanding Educator of the Year Award was presented to Pablo Millares of Bob Graham Education Center. Recognized for his exceptional teaching practices, leadership, and unwavering commitment to student success, Millares received an extraordinary number of nominations from students, families, and colleagues whose lives he has impacted throughout his career.

2026 Awards of Excellence Student Winners
Awards were presented to outstanding students in categories including Athletics, Community Hero, Digital Arts & Media, English & Literature, Fine Arts, Journalism, Local Advocacy, Mathematics, and Science. Notable honorees included:

Athletics
Lucas L. Collazo — 5th Grade, Miami Lakes K-8 Center
Zachary Webb — 12th Grade, Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School

Community Hero
Adrian Pineda — 5th Grade, Bob Graham Education Center
Nicole Tapia — 8th Grade, Miami Lakes K-8 Center
Cherish Nichols — 12th Grade, Miami Lakes Educational Center

Digital Arts / Media
Mateo Nunez — 8th Grade, Bob Graham Education Center
Xiomara Gonzalez — 12th Grade, Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School

English & Literature
Aurora Vazquez — 5th Grade, Bob Graham Education Center
Beatriz Casas — 8th Grade, Miami Lakes Middle School
Marie Serrano — 12th Grade, Barbara Goleman Senior High School

Fine Arts
Aurora Vazquez — 5th Grade, Bob Graham Education Center
Nicole Diaz — 8th Grade, Miami Lakes K-8 Center
Anastaia Riley — 12th Grade, Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School

Journalism
Sofia Garcia — 8th Grade, Bob Graham Education Center
Gianna Michel — 12th Grade, Miami Lakes Educational Center

Local Advocacy
Gian G. Morales — 8th Grade, Miami Lakes Middle School
Lucia Bring — 12th Grade, Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School

Mathematics
Sebastian Perez — 8th Grade, Miami Lakes K-8 Center
Christopher Prophete — 12th Grade, Barbara Goleman Senior High School

Science
Riley Lavery — 5th Grade, Miami Lakes K-8 Center
Mateo Nunez — 8th Grade, Bob Graham Education Center
Gabriel Diaz — 12th Grade, Barbara Goleman Senior High School

2026 Miami Lakes Future Leaders Scholarship Recipient
The Town also recognized the recipients of the 2026 Miami Lakes Future Leaders Scholarship, presented with support from The Graham Companies.

Roberto Angel Alonso – Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
Monica Espejo – Mater Lakes Academy High School
Gabriella Felipe – Barbara Goleman Senior High School

Honoring Retiring Educators
As part of the evening’s celebration, 13 retiring educators from local schools were presented with proclamations recognizing their years of service and lasting impact on generations of students. Honorees included:

Barbara Goleman Senior High School
• Kelly Zaher
• Ana M. Rodriguez

Bob Graham Education Center
• Oscar Bravo
• Rita Arrondo
• Pablo Millares

Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School
• Ada A. Nuñez
• Queen E. Somers

Miami Lakes Educational Center
• Livia Bello Gonzalez
• Josephine S. Vernon
• Mark J. Moyel

Miami Lakes K-8 Center
• Yvette Gonzalez
• Michelle Wright
• Esperanza Peña

Miami Lakes Middle School
• G. Dennis Wilson

Their dedication and service have helped shape the educational foundation of the Miami Lakes community for decades.