06-05-2025
2 Niles West High School teachers get surprise as they win Golden Apple Awards
Two teachers at Niles West High School in Skokie, Illinois, were surprised Tuesday with a room full of their coworkers and students cheering them on.
The educators learned at the surprise event that they have joined the 2025 class of the Golden Apple Awards for excellence in teaching.
Dillin Randolph teaches English and Advanced Placement African American studies at Niles West. He is also the sponsor of the school's Black Student Union, and has served as a coach in the Athletic Department in the past.
Golden Apple Foundation
"His creative teaching methods have earned him recognition as a 'kid magnet' who can read the room and adjust his approach based on the student's energy," the Golden Apple Foundation said.
Elizabeth Dribin-Khoshaba is a special education teacher at Niles West, and has also served as sponsor of the school's Exceptional Child Club.
"In the classroom, Elizabeth has developed a student-empowered classroom framework that encourages her students to guide and support one another in their classroom responsibilities and uphold a shared responsibility for success," the foundation said. "She aims to teach her students that everyone succeeds when we care and encourage one another."
Golden Apple Foundation
Both teachers received a $5,000 cash prize, and earned a free sabbatical to take a class at Northwestern University.
Randolph and Dribin-Khoshaba both won Excellence in Teaching awards. This year's Golden Apple Award winners for excellence in teaching also include:
Erin Clifford, consumer sciences teacher and preschool lab coordinator at Bolingbrook High School.
James Rowe, special education teacher at Clare Woods Academy in Wheaton.
Kathleen Mahoney, special education civics teacher at Chicago's Lake View High School.
Nick Anaya, engineering and robotics teacher at Chicago's Lindblom Math and Science Academy.
Victor Hurtado, math teacher and department chair at Chicago's Schurz High School.
Karen Engelmann, family and consumer sciences at Cobden Junior/Senior High School in Southern Illinois.
This year's Golden Apple Award winners for excellence in leadership were:
Emily Feltes, principal of Chicago's North-Grand High School.
Mike LaScola, principal and founder of Everest Satellite High School for students facing social-emotional and academic barriers in Belvidere.
The Golden Apple Awards honor outstanding teachers for lasting positive effects on students' lives and school communities. The Golden Apple Foundation was founded in 1985.
