Golden Valley High Associate Principal Elilzabeth Phonesavanh was named Administrator of the Year at the Merced County Excellence in Education award ceremony on October 1 at the Mondo Building in downtown Merced.

 

Phonesavanh joined Employee of the Year Ysabel Espinosa, an instructional aide from El Nido Elementary School District and Ronalee Johnson, a math teacher from Atwater Elementary School District as the three honorees at the ceremony.

 

“I’m very honored and it’s very shocking,” Phonesavanh said. “I feel like we have great administrators across this district. I’m happy I got (the award), but I think we have tons of administrators who are amazing in this district.”

 

Phonesavanh has worked in the Merced Union High School District for 28 years, including the last eight years as an administrator. She has spent time at almost every high school in the district. 

 

“I would say Liz’s greatest strength is just connecting with kids and wanting to mentor younger new administrators,” said Golden Valley principal Tiffany Tornquist. “She has been an administrator for quite a few years in our district and she’s made an impact at the schools she’s been at so I think just her continuing to do what’s best for all of our students has helped in our whole district.”

 

Colleagues point to Phonesavanh’s ability to relate with students as a big reason she excels as an administrator. She takes time to get to know the kids and builds a trust and a relationship that helps her connect with the students. The students are the reason Phonesavanh loves her job.

 

“The kids, absolutely the students and the ones that you see that have everything stacked against them,” she said. “They're naughty in the beginning, and they're so challenging in the beginning, and then senior year they're persevering, they're doing well, and they make it through and go off into the world.”

 

Golden Valley Intervention Center Teacher Lori Kale says she’s learned a lot from Phonesavanh. “I think she represents what it means to be an administrator in student support,” Kale said. “She inspires me to get a better understanding of what's going on behind the kid when they show up, and I learned from Liz to try and find out the root of the issue. And so I think the way I handle kids has changed a lot since knowing Liz, and I think a better teacher for it.”

 

“Liz just has a way with students,” added Cristi Johnson, MUHSD Assistant Superintendent Student Services. “I have personally witnessed this myself. Kids sometimes, when they’re escalated, they don’t want to talk to anybody. They don’t want to listen, and they’re not following directions, and Liz shows up, and somehow she is just able to de-escalate kids. I call it her superpower.”

 

Phonesavanh says she doesn’t know where her ability to relate with students comes from, but she’s always had a special place in her heart for the students who may need extra support. 

 

“I like to find the students that probably are the most needy and just kind of insert myself and try to find out,” she said. “I don't give up on kids. I really don't feel there's any bad kids out there. I think most kids are just misunderstood. So if you dig deeper, you can find out why, and once you find out the why, and you start supporting them in that area, they respect you for it.”

 

Phonesavanh says one of her favorite parts of the job is when students come back after graduation. “It's the best feeling in the world,” Phonesavanh said. “They come back, they say hi, and they acknowledge something that maybe you did that guided them in the right direction. That's what makes this job so rewarding. It’s little things like that.”

 

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.