Mount Tallac High School teacher Angela Cazares has been singled out by the El Dorado County Office of Education for her hard work that contributes to providing quality support and services to students, schools, families, and the community.

Cazares earned the excellence in education award for 16 years she has supported teen mothers at the South Lake Tahoe continuation high school.

The Child Development management team said it had a hard time choosing one of the many stories where Cazares has shined. The selected story highlighted her work with a 14-year-old mother who gave birth to a child with special needs. Within 48 hours of delivery, the child required transportation from South Lake Tahoe to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. The mother was unable to secure transportation, and the Wrap Team reached out to Cazares for help. Despite inclement weather, Cazares drove the mother, father, and child to the hospital.

She coordinated consistent, reliable transportation to weekly medical visits in Sacramento from South Lake Tahoe.

As a former young parent herself, Cazares volunteers monthly to provide child development classes for inexperienced teen parents. As an Early Head Start home visitor, she also works with younger parents, including teenagers.