Golden Apple

WISH-TV is Indiana’s education station, and, during the 2025-26 school year, News 8 honored nine extraordinary educators in central Indiana with the Golden Apple Award . Each Golden Apple Award winner is selected from nominations submitted by students, teachers, and community members. The award comes with a $500 cash prize from Hensley Legal Group, PC , a school supply shopping spree to Teachers’...

May’s Golden Apple Award winner is Ms. Claire Dillehay. She’s an art teacher in Perry Township who has mastered the art of education. Listen to her journey into education and how the art of creativity is rooted in her classroom. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

May’s Golden Apple Award winner is Ms. Claire Dillehay. She’s an art teacher in Perry Township who has mastered the art of education. She brings creativity to the classroom and helps students truly become artists. “The way they start their class is, ‘Hello, my most amazing artist!’ And then they answer, ‘Hello, my most amazing art teacher!’ She has instilled in all of them that not only...

ALSO: April’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Liz Retana, but everyone calls her Coach Liz. She’s a special education teacher at Purdue Polytechnic High School – Broad Ripple. Coach Liz goes far beyond her title as an Exceptional Learner’s Coach: Many people here say students would not graduate without her care and compassion. We dive into how she became a teacher and her backgrou...

April’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Liz Retana, but everyone calls her Coach Liz. She’s a special education teacher at Purdue Polytechnic High School – Broad Ripple, where teachers are called coaches, because they coach students through school – and life. That includes the good moments and the tough ones. Coach Liz is an Exceptional Learner’s Coach who does this with exception...

March’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Katie Hagerty. She is a science teacher at Fishers High School and is also a coach for unified football and track. In this conversation she talks about the humanity you witness when spending time with young people and how teaching is truly her dream job. Miss Hagerty finds small wins everyday and helps students to do the same. See Priva...

March’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Katie Hagerty. She is a science teacher at Fishers High School and is also a coach outside of the classroom. Walk into Hagerty’s classroom, and you will notice the notes on the wall. Letters expressing admiration and gratitude from students emphasize the impact she is making from the science lab to the track. Proof that in this experime...

February’s Golden Apple Award winner is Mr. Rick Wedlow. He teaches the AVID program at Lawrence North High School. In this conversation, learn more about the program and how Mr. Wedlow went from an NBA player's assistant, to an RV salesman and now a teacher in education for 15 years. His drive and perseverance helps guide students to "keep chopping wood" every day. S...

February’s Golden Apple Award winner is Mr. Rick Wedlow. He teaches the  AVID  program at  Lawrence North High School . It stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. Basically, he helps kids prepare for college and life after graduation. In fact, his motto is “Keep chopping wood,” encouraging students to keep putting in the work every day. See Privacy Policy...

January’s Golden Apple Award winner is Mr. Matt McArdle. He is a teacher’s aide at  Christel House Academy South  who specializes in helping special education students. In this conversation hear his reaction to the surprise, his journey into education and advice on what fellow teachers and parents should keep in mind when it comes to students. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv...

January’s Golden Apple Award winner is Mr. Matt McArdle. He is a teacher’s aide at  Christel House Academy South  who specializes in helping special education students. However, he is known for helping everyone at the school and for his loud voice. “He’s funny, and well, he’s really loud,” 8-year-old 3rd grader Sofia Muneton said. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and...

December’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Chelsea English. She’s an Indianapolis Public Schools social worker at  Shortridge High School . In this conversation we highlight the work she is doing to keep kids safe, in school and off the streets. We talk about listening to teenagers, giving them a safe place to get together (free food) and how a giving young people ownership and respons...

December’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Chelsea English. She’s an Indianapolis Public Schools social worker at  Shortridge High School . However, students and staff will tell you she is nothing short of a miracle worker. “Miss English just takes that extra step to make us feel so heard and seen and valued. It’s just amazing,” 16-year-old Darrick Colon said. See Privacy Policy at https://...

November’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Catherine Duda. She’s a family and consumer science teacher in Westfield Washington Schools. Listen to how she entered education during the pandemic and is living her dream job of bridging cooking and inspiring young people. She also talks about the importance of teaching teenagers life skills (and a few of the students drop in on our conversation). See...

November’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Catherine Duda. She’s a family and consumer science teacher in Westfield Washington Schools. At  Westfield High School  Miss Duda brings the bedrock of life skills to life. She teaches interpersonal relationships, nutrition and wellness, and principles of childhood education to high school students. She’s also an example of what being a succes...

October’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Kelsey Sebastian. She’s a sixth grade English language arts teacher in the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township at Gold Academy in Indianapolis. Listen to how her love of teaching started as a young age, when she struggled as a student in math. She describes overcoming obstacles and finding success in a career she is passionate about. See Pri...

October’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Kelsey Sebastian. She’s a sixth grade English language arts teacher in the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township at Gold Academy in Indianapolis. While it’s only her third year teaching, education is in her blood, and her students say she makes learning fun. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...

September’s Golden Apple Award winner is Ms. Gema Camarasa. She goes by Sita and has been teaching in the Spanish Immersion Program in the  Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township  for 20 years. Recently her students started calling her the “TikTok Teacher.” Sita was speechless when the WISH-TV team surprised her. So listen to our in-depth conversation about her passion for tea...

September’s Golden Apple Award winner is Ms. Gema Camarasa. She goes by Sita and has been teaching in the Spanish Immersion Program in the  Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township  for 20 years. Recently her students started calling her the “TikTok Teacher.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my...

WISH-TV is Indiana’s education station, and, during the 2024-25 school year, News 8 honored nine extraordinary teachers in central Indiana with the  Golden Apple Award . The theme of this year turned into ‘serving your community’ because five of the teachers now work in the district where they grew up. Listen to find out who the Grand Finale Winner is! See Privacy Policy at htt...

May’s Golden Apple Award winner is Ms. K’Driahn Black. She’s a fourth grade teacher with  Indianapolis Public Schools , and her students love her bee-themed classroom. Hear how her own education as an IPS student is helping her encourage current students to do their best everyday. Also, learn what's behind the bee-theme and how she got into teaching. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pr...

May’s Golden Apple Award winner is Ms. K’Driahn Black. She’s a fourth grade reading and English languages arts teacher with  Indianapolis Public Schools , and she’s truly the bees’ knees. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

April’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Karina Briceño, a kindergarten teacher in Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township – the same school district where she grew up. Listen to her explain how she was once an English learner who now shapes her students as they approach a similar education journey. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://ar...

April’s Golden Apple Award winner is Miss Karina Briceño, a kindergarten teacher in Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township – the same school district where she grew up. Inside  Westlake Elementary School , kindergarten students experience the Polar Express, parties on the beach, and even a day at Disney, all thanks to Briceño’s exciting classroom transformations. See Privacy Policy at...

Join Jeremy Jenkins as he fills in for Hanna Mordoh on this month's episode of the Golden Apple Podcast. This time, he chats with Mr. Jared Yoder, a choir director at Franklin Central High School, recently honored with the Golden Apple Award. Jared talks about fun moments from the surprise, public reaction, his journey, passion for music, teaching and fitness, and the profound impact he has made o...