The two most recent winners of the state’s highest honor for classroom teachers have something in common—they’re both proud graduates of Elmhurst University’s education programs.

The Illinois Teacher of the Year award is given annually by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to teachers who have made significant contributions to the state’s elementary and secondary schools.

The 2025 Illinois Teacher of the Year award honors Victor Gómez ’18, a bilingual science teacher in Leyden Community High School District 212 who earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and secondary education from Elmhurst. The 2024 Illinois Teacher of the Year award went to Rachael Mahmood, Ed.D., who teaches elementary school pupils in Indian Prairie School District 204 and is a 2008 graduate of Elmhurst’s Master in Teacher Leadership program.

“Having both winners come from Elmhurst is historic, and illustrates the quality and range of our education programs,” says Jeanne White, Ed.D., chair of Elmhurst’s education department. “Our undergraduate and graduate programs prepare teachers to become advocates for all of their students, and both Dr. Mahmood and Mr. Gómez exemplified these qualities in their classrooms. We couldn’t be prouder of them.”

As the 2024 Illinois Teacher of the Year, Mahmood shared her knowledge and expertise with other educators by serving a yearlong ambassadorship that included representing Illinois on the national stage in the National Teacher of the Year program. Beyond the classroom, Mahmood writes for educational blogs and organizes interfaith dialogues to connect people across differences and understand their shared identities.

She wasn’t surprised that Elmhurst U. graduates won the state Teacher of the Year recognition two years in a row, pointing out that yet another Elmhurst grad, Michele Oberlin, M.S.Ed. ’09, was named the Far West Suburbs Regional Teacher of the Year—and an Illinois Teacher of the Year finalist—this past spring.

“I was always very impressed with the quality of education that I received at Elmhurst,” Mahmood said. “I specifically did the Master in Teacher Leadership program because I felt that it was important for all teachers to view themselves as leaders, because we have the facility to impact so many areas of education and make so many instructional decisions every day.”

“Everything I learned at Elmhurst was very applicable to what I was doing in the classroom, and it had just enough of a blend of theory and practice,” she added. “I also felt that the master’s program was very rigorous, and really prepared me well for my doctoral program.”

Gómez agreed that his Elmhurst experience set him up to thrive in his career as a high school science teacher eager to elevate his students’ learning environment. He led the development of the bilingual program at East Leyden High School, and was instrumental in launching and designing the school’s first true bilingual science course, Bilingual Chemistry.

“Elmhurst’s education program really does a good job of preparing us to be culturally relevant educators, and to make our lessons both rigorous and relevant for the students that we teach, in the communities that we serve,” he said.

Gómez has stayed in close contact with his alma mater, coming to campus to talk with education majors, and helping his East Leyden students earn college credit through the University’s annual STEM Academy.

“It’s about giving back to the community, and giving the opportunity for bilingual and multilingual students to get a college experience,” he said, “and it’s about coming back to the place that made my educational experience.”