Narine Yapundjian, a sixth grader teacher at Balboa Elementary School in Glendale, walked into an emergency staff meeting in April, expecting an urgent message for all employees at the school.

Little did she know, it was a surprise event organized by the school and the Glendale Unified School District to announce she was chosen as the district’s Teacher of the Year.

“[The district’s officials] talked about why they selected me,” Yapundjian recalled the moment she learned she was the winner. “To hear their 'why' was really impactful.”

The educator, who has been with the district for more than 10 years, said she had already felt like the winner even before finding out because she knew her students were blossoming under her care.

“They call me the G.O.A.T – the greatest of all time,” Yapundjian described the exchange she had with her students. “They told me, ‘It doesn’t matter who gives you the award. You’re the G.O.A.T.’”

Yapundjian, who prioritizes in building connections with her students, said sixth graders need special attention as they are at an impactful age of transitioning from being a child to getting ready for middle school.

“If you remember being 12 or 13 years old, your parents are not the adult that you want to go to,” the teacher explained. “I’m in the classroom because I’m the adult I wish I had growing up.”

Building connections with her students means extra time spent remembering details about all of her 112 students, including their names, their interests and their extracurricular activities.

“Once your students feel like you care for them, and this is a safe space, they'd know they’re loved when they walk through the door. Once they know it’s a place they want to be, learning will happen."

Narine Yapundjian said the district informed her that an official recognition event for the Teacher of the Year will happen sometime later in the year. The elementary school teacher will move up to compete with other educators across LA County then to a statewide contest.