February 27, 2025

CARSON CITY, Nev. – Two Nevada classified school employees have been named winners of the national Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award.

Beverly Singleton, a special education paraprofessional at Edith W. Fritsch Elementary School (Carson City School District), and Vyron Wallace, a campus security monitor at Foothill High School (Clark County School District), were selected for the award.

“I would like to congratulate Beverly and Vyron for their tremendous contributions to our state’s schools and students,” said Governor Joe Lombardo. “They serve as role models and are shining examples of the vital role that support staff play in our schools.”

The three finalists for the RISE Award are:

• Mele Kingston, director of food services for the White Pine County School District

• Carrie Luna, school health assistant at C.C. Ronnow Elementary School (Clark County School District)

• Kathy Trujillo, grants manager for the Mineral County School District

“I am incredibly proud of our Nevada RISE Award winners and finalists,” said Jhone Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction. “Their passion and dedication to serving students over their long tenures is inspirational, and they are so deserving of this national recognition.” The RISE Award, initiated by the U.S. Congress in 2019 and overseen by the U.S. Department of Education, honors classified school employees who provide outstanding service to students.

The awards program highlights the valuable contributions and crucial role of classified employees in schools.

The Governor's Office chose two Nevada nominees from a pool of five finalists selected by the Nevada Department of Education.

The selection process was anonymous, with all identifying information redacted so determinations could be made on the merit of the nomination.

Those two nominees were then sent to the U.S. Department of Education for consideration.

School staff eligible for the RISE Award include paraprofessionals, skilled trade professionals, and those who work in clerical and administrative, transportation, food and nutrition, custodial and maintenance, security, technical, and health and student services positions.

More about the Recipients

Singleton has worked at Edith W. Fritsch Elementary School in Carson City since 1984, starting as a noon aide.

She later became an instructional aide and has been a special education paraprofessional full time since 1999.

Over the years, Singleton has dedicated her time to support her students academically, and with emotional and behavior issues.

She finds it rewarding when a student comprehends a concept because she reinforced what was taught by their teacher.

Wallace has been a campus security monitor at Foothill High School in Henderson for more than a decade and embodies the concept of a leading by example.

He addresses security concerns in a positive and friendly manner.

Wallace is also a student and staff favorite when he greets them at the door and asks about their day.

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About the Nevada Department of Education

The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) leads and collaborates with Nevada’s 17 school districts and the State Public Charter School Authority to advance educational equity Statewide. With offices in Carson City and Las Vegas, NDE oversees all pre-K-12 education in the State, working to achieve its mission to improve student achievement and educator effectiveness by ensuring opportunities, facilitating learning, and promoting excellence. Under the leadership of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, NDE impacts the achievement of nearly half a million children and 30,000 educators. Learn more at https://doe.nv.gov/ and join us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.