07-02-2025
Southbridge educator surprised with $25,000 Milken Educator Award
Southbridge Middle School teacher Jillian Lombardi high-fives her students after receiving the coveted 2025 Milken Educator Award and its $25,000 prize during a school assembly on Friday.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
More than 3,000 educators across the country have been given the award during the program's 40-year history.
'Ms. Lombardi brings her students a special blend of high expectations and strong support, all combined with humor,' Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler said in a statement.
Known for her interactive classroom, Lombardi teaches Grade 6 science at Southbridge Middle. Her students consistently show up excited for her class, where they are encouraged to take their learning and discussions outside school walls, according to the foundation. The desks in her class form a horseshoe, allowing robust conversations with all her students.
Her relationship goes beyond the classroom as she also serves as a coach for the girls' basketball and tennis teams and attends her students' extracurricular activities.
At the rally, Massachusetts acting Education Commissioner Russell Johnston and Greg Gallagher, Milken Family Foundation senior program director, presented Lombardi the prize.
'Jillian Lombardi sparks curiosity, excitement and a genuine love of learning in her hands-on classroom,' Gallagher said in a statement Friday. 'Her enthusiastic approach to education is contagious, and it is just one of the many ways she will contribute to the national Milken Educator Network.'
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Lombardi also dedicates her time mentoring her peers by leading weekly professional development sessions. She also serves as the science department head and on the school's
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'She is a wonderful representative of all the Southbridge and Massachusetts educators who believe in their students and work so hard for them every day,' Johnston said.
The $25,000 prize can be spent however the recipients' see fit. Past recipients have used it for field trips and establishing scholarships.
In April, honorees will attend a Milken Educator Awards Forum together in Los Angeles where they will collaborate on how to broaden their impact on K-12 education.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Auzzy Byrdsell can be reached at
