Julia Mayeshiba, a math and physics teacher at Andrew Jackson High School, was named the 2023 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year at the 32nd Annual EDDY Awards Friday, Feb. 10. Mayeshiba, who has been teaching for four years, was selected from among 180 Teachers of the Year by a committee of volunteers.

Mayeshiba graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree and then received a Master’s Degree in secondary education from the University of North Florida in 2019 while serving as an AmeriCorps Teacher Resident. Along with being a WozED Certified STEM Trainer, she is a Robert Noyce National Science Foundation Teaching Fellow.

She began teaching at Andrew Jackson High School in 2019 and since then has initiated an after-school tutoring system for math and physics students; served on the Positive Behavior Intervention Support Team to implement school-wide incentives to reward good student behaviors; and forged ongoing partnerships with STEM 2Hub and WozED to initiate a school-based drone technology program. She is also the Senior Class Sponsor.

Mayeshiba said what inspires her as an educator is, “transforming my students’ self-image surrounding math and science. As a teacher I not only have the power to see the best in all my students, but I also have the power to bring it into a light that students can see for themselves. By building relationships and getting to know students individually, I can see each student’s potential and speak to it every day and in every interaction.”

As the 2023 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year, Mayeshiba will go on to compete for the statewide title. She said as the Duval County Teacher of the Year, “My primary message would be that everyone has a role to play to help the children of Duval County achieve greatness. Whether you are a teacher, parent, grandparent, neighbor, or even if you have no direct connection to my students, you have a role to play and valuable gifts and insights to offer our kids.”

“Ms. Mayeshiba’s lessons are engaging, hands-on, and filled with thought-provoking investigations to get students out of their seats and learning,” said Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene.

“She honors her students by making them work hard while making difficult concepts accessible to all. She is a tremendous example of the outstanding instruction happening in classrooms throughout Duval County and I am very proud to have her representing us as our Teacher of the Year.”

“We would like to congratulate Julia Mayeshiba on being named the 2023 VyStar Duval County Teacher of the Year,” said VyStar Credit Union President/CEO Brian Wolfburg. “Our credit union appreciates the meaningful role that educators have in supporting students and building stronger communities. We are proud to recognize their important work through events like the EDDYs and we will continue to find impactful ways to invest in their success.”