The Aspires Awards
Top 10 nominees
Congratulations to our finalists and well done to everyone who was nominated. This year, we received a record number of nominations, which reflects the amazing work of team members across our centres.
Selecting these finalists was no easy task for our panel. With so many deserving nominations, it was very challenging to narrow it down. Our finalists reflect the very best of Guardian – those who bring to life our positive, brave, thoughtful, and professional mindsets and inspire us daily.
Scroll down to find out if you are a Top 10 nominee!
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The Aspires People Awards
Centre Manager of the Year
VIC
Rebecca Scott, South Yarra
Sadaf Zarei, Wollert
Agnes Teo, Kew East
Veronica Bence, Doncaster East
Shivalika Sundriyal, Collins Street
Simi Santosh, Bentleigh
Rachelle Houley, Howlong
Natasha Fullerton, Langwarrin South
Jessica Posterino, Hillside
Rebecca Britton, Kinfolk Albury
NSW/ACT
Nicole (Nicky) Spitzer, Maroubra East
Zoha Jadoon, Wanniassa
Nithia Radhakrishnan, Acacia Gardens East
Amanda Audino, Acacia Gardens
Michelle Pike, Rouse Hill North
Sophie Harrison, Hornsby
Zainab Aljarah, Phillip Street
Aimee Butler, Blackwall
Amber Blake, Camperdown
Ashley Mather, Parramatta
QLD
Megha Megha, Queen Street
Aimee Perriam, Springfield Southern Cross Circuit
Angela Westerdale, Sunnybank
Jemma Cureton, Springfield Lakes
Samantha McCoombes, Richlands
Tori Brigden, Greenbank
Hailey McIntosh, Springfield Central
Kylie Haddock, Underwood
Reagan Morton, Newstead
Chelsea Treacey, Bellbowrie
SA
Tracy Holland, Ridgehaven
Brooke Pearce, Coromandel Valley
Ashley Horvat, Evandale
Leah Golding, Flinders Street
Kerrie Frick, Paradise
Kathryn Preece, Export Park
Carolyn Hutchins, Nairne
Kristy Wheeler, Mt Barker
Brigitte Noack, Grange
Georgie Lee Rantzoglou, Seacombe Gardens
Assistant Centre Manager of the Year
VIC
Alicia Dwyer, Mulgrave South
Jackie Dimattia, Ascot Vale
Lilibeth Gray, Kew East
Crystal King, Wollert
Annalisa Zoumboulidis, Bridge Kids Early Learning
Lorena Galvez Rojas, Altona North
Angela Alvarez, South Yarra
Boyu (Cammi) Wang, Caulfield North
Zhe Xuen Lim, Richmond
Tara Green, Thurgoona
NSW/ACT
Thi Hong An Nguyen, Maroubra East
Shemaigne Joy Quiaot, Gungahlin
Shuyuan (Sally) Zhan, Tempe
Hiu Tung Wu, Marsfield
Yarliny Duarte, Forde
Erika Sutton, George Street
Heather White, West Pennant Hills
Nicola Tabart, The Rumpus Room Pelican
Olivia Se, Gladesville
Seulah Lee, ToBeMe Early Learning – Five Dock
QLD
Casey Orders, Sunnybank
Jessica Wood Hutchins, Greenbank
Becky Andrew, Springfield Southern Cross Circuit
Grace McKinstray, Underwood
Brooke Olsen, Springfield Central
Katelyn Staunton, Augustine Heights
Belinda Ross, Greenbank Spring Mountain Drive
Hayley Faux, Pimpama
Anna-Marie Poulton, Brassall
Samantha Sommerville, Newstead
SA
Tracey Langley, Gawler
Rachael Holland, Evandale
Carmen Price, Evanston Gardens
Vindya Anuradhi Perera, Ridgehaven
Jessica Harrold, Fairview Park
Nicole Wauchope, Fullarton
Sharni Finn, Mt Barker
Emilia Dwyer, Grange
Samantha Peri, Pasadena
Pilar Mallett, Banksia Park
Educational Leader of the Year
VIC
Lauren Beard, South Yarra
Lee Couch, Altona North
Tiffany Hutchins, Leopold
Elizabeth Pang, Box Hill
Ganga Dedigomuwa, Wollert
Ashleigh Adams, Preston West
Bhawana Khadka, Aspendale
Kristy Cormican, Howlong
Sarah Tutaki, Point Cook North
Ashleigh Rodwell, Kinfolk Albury
NSW/ACT
Angela Nemeth, Acacia Gardens
Menaka Palanisamy, Tempe
Gemma Smith, Blackwall
Samantha Glass, Gladesville
Flavia Kaye, Caringbah
Maria Velandia, Balmain Cove
Shayena Thapa, Marsfield
Ellen Turner, Pymble
Marina Cranfield, The Rumpus Room Chatham Street
Seulah Lee, ToBeMe Early Learning – Five Dock
QLD
Dawinder Virk, Springfield Southern Cross Circuit
Jordanna Telep-Martin, Greenbank Spring Mountain Drive
Ashleigh-Jade Smeulders, Greenbank
Sze Man Kanly Tuen, Sunnybank
Maria Isabel Centeno, Augustine Heights
Marie Brown, Coopers Plains
Tara Rodell, Aspley
Michaelly Whelan (Schulz), Burdell East
Kristy Scrivens, Eatons Hill
Letitia Shaw, Fig Tree Pocket
SA
Kittisak Yasamut, Ridgehaven
Jennifer Chu, Coromandel Valley
Cassandra Kneebone, Nairne
Karen Woulleman, Gawler
Anantbir kaur Sohi, Paradise
Anek Lekky, Flinders Street
Isabel Greif, Evanston Gardens
Lumbini Roy, Pasadena
Samantha Howard, Mt Barker
Taylor Steiner, Banksia Park
Lead Educator / Teacher of the Year
VIC
Isabella Vizec, Prahran
Lilian Radhika Dharmaraj, Box Hill
Gabriela Brazuna, South Yarra
Bharti Bhatia, Manifold Heights
Krystiana Fusinato, Preston West
Zoe Ellis, Laurimar
Jessica Hall, Montmorency
Taylor Reid, Mulgrave South
Lisa Maree Williams, Camberwell
Bridget Mills, Howlong
NSW/ACT
Hariganga Shukla, Acacia Gardens East
Twinkee Garcia, Camperdown
Caileigh Van Wyk, Gracelands
Cheyenne Wickremasinghe, Maroubra East
Ivy Chin, Hornsby
Diana Vargas, Camperdown
Supriya Hamal, Marrickville
Kaith Cris Rogelio, Barangaroo
Bhawana Shahi, ToBeMe Early Learning – Five Dock
Rebecca Nicholls, Homebush
QLD
Divyajyothi Madugani, Queen Street
Claudia Alonso Liquete, Queen Street
Olivia Skinner, Greenbank
Deejay Jimenez, Coopers Plains
Francielen Teixeira Canuto Azevedo, Richlands
Meera Modi, Springfield Lakes
Peaario (Wheo) Opetaia, Camira
Nevada Browning, Richlands
Robin Maniago, Newstead
Sze Man Kanly Tuen, Sunnybank
SA
Theresa Dar, Seacombe Gardens
Divya Polisetti, Croydon Park
Georgia Constable, Evandale
Maheshwari Gopal, Evandale
Margaret MacConnachie, Seacombe Gardens
Abigail Galvan Reyes, Fullarton
Maria Bourtsos, Export Park
Michelle Newton, Paradise
Pratima Montientong, Fullarton
Sarah Rawinski, Flinders Street
Teacher of the Year
VIC
Narriman Taherani, Ascot Vale
Kirsten Mudford, Blackburn North
Tenille Jarvis, Laurimar
Alexandra Beale, Langwarrin South
Ellyn Prichard, Wodonga
Madison Tait, Laurimar
Lauren Clearihan, Doncaster East
Joy Dawson, Point Cook North
Kymberley Vella, Essendon
Dewni Francisco, Chadstone
NSW/ACT
Baiming Lin, Phillip Street
Carmen Tomas Guzman, Allara Street
Margareth Chandra, Gracelands
Rashmi Shrestha, Rouse Hill South
Kelly O Brien, Camperdown
Laura Gillooly, Rouse Hill North
Samuel Bunt, Blackwall
Sukhbhinder Kaur, Forde
Susmita Basnet, Parramatta
Felicia Bridge, The Rumpus Room Chatham Street
QLD
Surekha Lopes, Aspley
Joey Jo Yee Khoo, Rochedale South
Xiaoke Wang, Springfield Lakes
Jenny Chiu, Sunnybank
Angelica Ann Ocampo, Augustine Heights
Bravy Chouhan, Greenbank
Sharyn Pena, Greenbank
Maddison Wacker, Taringa
Renee Jordaan, Fig Tree Pocket
Joanna Pellegrino, Queen Street
SA
Anek Lekky, Flinders Street
Gabryelle Burton, Ridgehaven
Lisa Thomson, St Clair
Siyun Chen, Evandale
Chayse Siepmann, Coromandel Valley
Holly Hawksworth, Mt Barker Bollen Road
Jennifer Chu, Coromandel Valley
Kerry Spratt, Paradise
Sonya Wall, Gawler
Tori Crampton, Nairne
Educator of the Year
VIC
Rupinder Kaur, Box Hill
Priya Malhotra, Wollert
Lance Muller, South Yarra
Angeline De Alwis, Moorabbin
Emily Libreri, South Morang
Ging Loong Jeremiah Ling, Blackburn West
Seda Adams, South Yarra
Courtney Luscombe, Croydon
Kitty Wing Yee Wong, Braybrook
Lisa Arfi, Kilsyth
NSW/ACT
Tshering Deki, Allara Street
Julia Mollica, Gracelands
Diem Mi Tu, Camperdown
Jyothikumari Puram, Acacia Gardens East
Minh Nguyen, Tempe
Xiu Qing (Betty) Bai, Phillip Street
Natasha Sanders, Maroubra East
Taine Ryan, Rouse Hill OOSH
Sheree Fitzpatrick, The Rumpus Room Children’s Centre Broadmeadow
Lee-Anne Stewart, Blackwall
QLD
Chin-Hui (Jackie) Hsieh, Sunnybank
Manpreet Kaur, Greenbank
Hannah Woods, Rochedale South
Madaleen Falaniko Ah Ki, Springfield Lakes
Dema Dema, Moorooka
Katelyn Gudge, Burdell West
Ponsee Yawanopas, Camira
Bhawana Pantha, King Street
Catherine Palomo, Everton Hills
Chloe Gudge, Burdell West
SA
Maria Linke, Evandale
April Eley, Mt Barker
Pei Han Yu, Evandale
Kaveesha Rajakaruna, Evandale
Lateisha Cross, Mt Barker
Lily Macdonald, Banksia Park
Roshani Juliet Rebello, Flinders Street
Tahereh (Tata) Khorasani, Export Park
Bernadette Nicholson, Gawler
Sagaree Balage Dona, Paradise
Student of the Year
VIC
Shernise Sinclair, Sunbury
Bernard Rechtman, Blackburn South
Jacqueline Lay, Thornbury
Madison Blair, Langwarrin South
Punnichsa Peampongsan, Lemon Tree
Sharon Benson, Leopold
Hayley Green, Howlong
Hannah Haghshenas, Blackburn South
Jacky Beale, Wodonga West
Jennie Bakes, Braybrook
NSW/ACT
Azmiya Ahamed Idrees, Acacia Gardens East
Griffin Cain, Lilyfield
Stephanie Sanchez, Phillip Street
Vijaya Degala, Rouse Hill South
Chloe-An Toko, Caringbah
Cindra Trishanty, George Street
Zainab Hamid, ToBeMe Early Learning – Five Dock
Abbey Cameron, Blackwall
Ashleigh Clarke, Hornsby
Elizabeth Rose Bennett, Cherrybrook
QLD
Lilibeth Rosario, Rochedale South
Tiffany Hodson, Springfield Lakes
Allison Davis, Springfield Central
Grace Hamilton, Rochedale South
Mercedesz Flack, Fig Tree Pocket
Phoebe McCoombes, Augustine Heights
Shonay Tolton, Springfield Southern Cross Circuit
Cayle Johnson, Fig Tree Pocket
Madaleen Falaniko Ah Ki, Springfield Lakes
Meera Modi, Springfield Lakes
SA
Kaveesha Rajakaruna, Evandale
Shakaya Abbott, Nairne
Annamaria Leo, Grange
Brooklyn Taheny, Export Park
Deriney Headon, Mt Barker
Hailin Jiang, Fullarton
Hayley Shaw, Export Park
James Cumming, Mt Barker
Jessica Harvey, Mt Barker Bollen Road
Lynn Carter, Evanston Gardens
Chef / Cook of the Year
VIC
Ishan Liyanage, Doncaster East
Alice Wong, Prahran
Tessa Rose, Leopold
Jaime Andres Figueroa Guerra, Mulgrave
Sally Anquetil, East Ivanhoe
Glenda Cruz, Collins Street
Jessica Sutton, Howlong
Ishowar Sedhai, Thurgoona
Wendy Perez, Essendon
Samantha Petts, Kinfolk Albury
NSW/ACT
Jade Afonso menezes, Manly
Ryan Rawding, Gracelands
Sonya Pitt, Gungahlin
Koteshwara Rao Karthik Javadula, Forrest
Yany Thomas, Acacia Gardens East
Philip Ernie Cruz, Phillip Street
Vilai Nuansawat, Caringbah
Vinaya Dalia, Rouse Hill OOSH
Patricia Kalaf Alves dos Santos, Cherrybrook
Kate Stephens, Kellyville
QLD
Meena Panday, Queen Street
Josefa Parada, Springfield Southern Cross Circuit
Hsin Chi Chen, Rochedale South
Kristy Russell, Springfield Lakes
Michael Rooke, Augustine Heights
Fatimah Agoro, Richlands
QiaoYun (Celia) Zhuang, Camira
Laura Maccormac, Clayfield
Sandra Dare, Eatons Hill
Baljeet Sandhu, King Street
SA
Kristian Baker, Seacombe Gardens
Hiruni Kapugedara, Coromandel Valley
Brett Norton, Daw Park
Martyn Mangelsdorf, Mt Barker
Ankita Patel, Croydon Park
Linda Latoa, Paradise
Elaine Newport, Ridgehaven
Natasha Brooks, Banksia Park
Rohaniza Murillo, Evandale
Chloe Farrugia-Gay, Gawler
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The Aspires Star Awards
Centre Team of the Year
VIC
Laurimar
South Yarra
Bridge Kids Early Learning
Collins Street
Wollert
Kinfolk Albury
Mt Eliza
Wodonga
Howlong
Bentleigh
NSW/ACT
Acacia Gardens East
Maroubra East
Rouse Hill South
Allara Street
Caringbah
Barangaroo
Hornsby
Rouse Hill North
Camperdown
The Rumpus Room Charlestown
QLD
Sunnybank
Queen Street
Springfield Southern
Cross Circuit
Greenbank
Rochedale South
Newstead
Everton Hills
Springfield Lakes
Eatons Hill
Fig Tree Pocket
SA
Seacombe Gardens
Ridgehaven
Export Park
Flinders Street
Coromandel Valley
Evandale
Paradise
St Clair
Banksia Park
Gawler
Support Office Star
Julie Smith
Simone Myskiw
Natalie Sarapuk
Kristy Lee Roche
Margaret Cohen
Jacqui Weeks
Sam Lucas
Kathleen Murphy
Rhiannon Sumner
Sarah Orr
The Reconciliation Award
Maroubra East
Acacia Gardens East
Allara Street
Mulgrave East
Box Hill
Blackburn West
Queen Street
Julie Davis, Preston West
Natasha Harrison-Bini, Sunnybank
Melanie Prowse, The Rumpus Room Warabrook
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The Aspires Thrive Awards
Leading My Team Excellence Award
Kew East
Box Hill
Howlong
Bentleigh
Blackburn South
Acacia Gardens East
Allara Street
Camperdown
Greenbank
Coromandel Valley
Ridgehaven
Leading the Day Excellence Award
Altona North
Howlong
Box Hill
Bridge Kids Early Learning
Pascoe Vale
Kinfolk Albury
Wanniassa
Phillip Street
Camperdown
Greenbank
Leading Safety Excellence Award
Kew East
Altona North
Blackburn West
South Yarra
Acacia Gardens East
Camperdown
Newstead
Fig Tree Pocket
Queen Street
Flinders Street
Leading Relationships with Children Excellence Award
Montmorency
Altona North
Blackburn South
Camberwell
Rouse Hill South
Marrickville
Camperdown
Greenbank
Springfield Southern
Cross Circuit
Queen Street
Pasadena
Ridgehaven
Leading Environments Excellence Award
Kew East
Box Hill
Moorabbin
Kinfolk Albury
Acacia Gardens
Rouse Hill South
Burdell East
Springfield Southern
Cross Circuit
Evandale
Leading the Educational Program Award
Altona North
Box Hill
Bridge Kids Early Learning
South Yarra
Camperdown
Gungahlin
Hornsby
Springfield Lakes
Evandale
Ridgehaven
Leading Relationships with Families Award
Box Hill
Mulgrave
McKinnon
Howlong
Phillip Street
Acacia Gardens
Springfield Lakes
Brassall
Bellbowrie
Ridgehaven
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For more information about the Aspires Awards 2025, please visit the Guardian Way page here.