FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Receives $5,000 cash and podcast feature

Trisha Lopez, an elementary school Special Education teacher at Columbia Elementary School in Madison, Alabama, has been awarded the prestigious Honored National Teaching Award for April 2026. As part of her honor, she received a $5,000 cash award and was featured on Inspiring Teachers: The Honored Podcast.

To celebrate Autism Acceptance Month, we are honored to share her story as an incredible educator making a huge impact on students with autism and their families. Acceptance and belonging are central to Trisha’s teaching as she cultivates a classroom where every student is valued and celebrated for who they are. She communicates closely with students and their families to understand each child’s strengths, goals, and accommodations. 

Trisha Lopez was nominated for this award by Rebecca, the parent of her student, DJ. Rebecca initially hesitated placing her son in a public school setting as she was unsure that his routine and needs would be met. Two years into having Trisha as his teacher, this uncertainty has slowly evolved into a deep trust.

She has witnessed incredible growth in DJ, from him speaking for the first time to finding confidence in stepping outside his comfort zone. She credits Trisha for creating a space where her son feels safe and empowered to find his voice on his own terms. In her words, “I can tell by the way he’s confidently taking his time to get these words out, that they’re doing the same thing at school. They’re giving him that platform to take his time.” 

To hear more about the inspiring impact of Trisha Lopez’s teaching, listen to her story at https://www.honored.org/honoree/trisha-lopez.

Honored is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping great teachers in the classroom and inspiring a new generation of talent to pursue teaching. Each month of the school year, Honored shines a spotlight on a teacher who has changed the life of a single student. The Honoree receives a $5,000 cash award, and Honored shares their story on their podcast and social media. Honorees are selected from Pre-K-12 teachers of all subjects at public, private, and charter schools across the country.

For more information about Honored, visit honored.org. To nominate a teacher, visit honored.org/nominate.  For regular updates on Honored and our monthly Honorees, follow and like us on Facebook, X, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram. You can also listen to our podcast at https://honored.podbean.com/.

Honored Press Contact

Hannah Bowyer-Rivette

[email protected]

540-315-7052