Gov. Youngkin names Virginia Teacher of the Year

Avanti Yamamoto, a mathematics teacher at Hanover County Public Schools’ Atlee High School, was named the 2025 Virginia Teacher of the Year at an announcement ceremony hosted by Governor Glenn Youngkin on Capitol Square Monday afternoon. Yamamoto was selected last month as one of the Commonwealth’s eight regional teachers of the year and is now Virginia’s nominee for 2025 National Teacher of the Year.

Following interviews Monday morning with each of the eight regional winners, a selection committee chose Avanti Yamamoto, the 2025 Region One Teacher of the Year. The committee included representatives of educational institutions, the business community and school divisions.

REGIONAL TEACHERS HONORED

The seven other 2025 Virginia Regional Teachers of the Year — who were also honored during Monday evening’s ceremony — are:

• Chanda L. Woods, an integrated language arts teacher at Newport News Public Schools’ Crittenden Middle School (Region 2).

• Beth Marshall, a French teacher at Spotsylvania County Public Schools’ Riverbend High School (Region 3).

• Darnell Greene, a mathematics teacher at Manassas Park City Schools’ Manassas Park Middle School (Region 4).

• Genevieve Weaver, an adapted special education teacher at Bedford County Public Schools’ Jefferson Forest High School (Region 5).

• Candace Nichole Carrier, a career and technical education – agricultural education teacher at Montgomery County Public Schools’ Blacksburg High School (Region 6).

• Andy Holmes, a band director at Smyth County Public Schools’ Marion Senior High School and Marion Middle School (Region 7).

• Emily Wilson Overstreet, a visual arts teacher at Cumberland County Public Schools’ Cumberland Elementary School (Region 8).

Following the ceremony, Mrs. Yamamoto and the other teachers were honored at a reception hosted by the Governor and First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin.

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