2020 Educators of the Month Winners

2020 Educator of the Month Winners

Rick Merrill presents the 2020 Educator of the Month award to outstanding educators in Snohomish County.  The recipient receives a plaque and $500 to help defray miscellaneous expenses for the classroom.

The Law Offices of Rick H. Merrill has been a part of the Snohomish County community since 1994.  It is important to Rick to support our neighbors, local businesses and schools.  Rick partnered up with local radio station KXA 1520 am to sponsor a local educator each month.  Rick Merrill is recognizing our educators for their hard work and sacrifices. Who demonstrate their care and commitment to each generation of children.  

Winners are presented a plaque donated by Awards Service, Inc., a great big check to display, and $500 to help defray miscellaneous costs for the classroom.

2020 January Educator of the Month Mike Schireman of Monte Cristo Elementary in the Granite Falls School District.

Mr. Schireman teaches a multi age class for grades 4-6. This amazing program offers so much more than the regular classroom curriculum.

A dedicated teacher who offers many opportunities for students to learn about nature, literature,and much more.

Our multi age saying is that we are all a family and Mr. Schireman and Mrs. Howell have made our classes just that, a family who learns and explores together.

Truly a very remarkable experience for all of the kids and our local community and couldn’t think of anyone more deserving.

2020 February Educator of the Month Suzanne Chickering of Hidden River Middle School in the Monroe School District.

With a love for band and the motivation to keep students involved, this teacher has gone above and beyond standards. Mrs. Chickering has been a teacher at Hidden River Middle School for quite a while, she has always had the motivation to encourage kids to find their dream instrument, stay involved in band and learn instruments that aren’t common.

Overall, this teacher works day in and day out with students to assure that they have an instrument to take home that is reasonable for the families, and can enjoy such a wonderful art.

Nominated by Aurora.

Congratulations to our 2020 March Educator of the Month Kandi Shouman of Stevens Creek Elementary School in the Lake Stevens School District.

Ms. Shouman is a wonderful teacher. Last year I had a really hard time with my son’s education. I feel that my son has grown a lot in her classroom.

She has been encouraging him to learn and be more prepared for the future. I applaud all of the hard working educators at Stevens Creek they are the best .

Nominated by Suaad.

Congratulations to our 2020 October Educator of the Month Amber McPartland of Lowell Elementary School in the Everett School District.

 I think that Ms. McPartland should be educator of the month because she is my son’s Kindergarten teacher. And with COVID19. She is teaching all her students online only. And she somehow keeps a huge smile on her face everyday, has so much patience and always has a positive attitude even when the kids get out of hand. She is so sweet, friendly and positive. Anytime I have a question. She always answers my calls and treats us very kindly. I love her. And do all her students

Nominated by  Elizabeth R.

Congratulations to our 2020 November Educator of the Month Sylvia Arteaga Marshall Elementary School of the Marysville School District.

Sylvia loves each and every one of her students. She strives to make a connection with students and their families. She works hard to make the learning accessible to all the different types of learners in the classroom. Sylvia differentiates the instruction given to help her learners feel successful and confident. She pushes her learners to think deeply and make connections to the learning.

She is fluent in both English and Spanish and is able to communicate to Spanish speaking learners in their own language as well as keep those families informed about their student’s progress in school. Sylvia is also able to help other teachers in the school communicate with the Spanish speaking families in their classes.

She takes on a leadership role within her grade level and this year has taken on a student teacher. Sylvia also volunteers at many of the after-school PTSA sponsored events. She cares about her coworkers and is an encouragement to them.

Nominated by  Karen P.

Congratulations to our 2020 December Educator of the Month Susan Seling of Sunnycrest Elementary School in the Lake Stevens School District.

Mrs. Seling is an amazing teacher. Her classroom is inviting for all her students, she works hard to make sure each student gets the attention they deserve.

Mrs. Seling also opened her door to myself as a Student teacher from the Careers in Education class from Lake Stevens High school. By doing this, it allowed for my to get an understanding of all the work that goes into being a teacher, and the passion and dedication it takes to mold young minds. I learned how to work with the students and still use many of these techniques in my everyday life.

The experience that I learned from being in her classroom and watching her interact with the students is unforgettable and the passion that Mrs. Seling has for her students is beyond words.

She also spends many hours before and after school working with children and encouraging many amazing students.

Nominated by  Aurora M.

Click Here to Return to the Educator of the Month Home Page

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Shannon Jackson
September 6, 2026
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He’s like Santa for speeding tickets. Anytime someone says they got a ticket, I always tell them “I got a guy”
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Nathan Turner
September 6, 2026
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My son got his first speeding ticket. We called these guys and sent them a photo of the ticket. They took care of everything and got the ticket dismissed. Lucky kid. Hope he learned his lesson...
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Kymberly Hoyle
September 3, 2026
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I have gone through Merrill Law 3 times now for speeding violations and expired tabs and they are efficient and super easy to work with every time. Reece is fantastic and communicative. I highly recommend them as they have saved me a lot of money in the end.
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Jamie Lee Fada
September 3, 2026
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I have used Merrill Law several times from speeding tickets to HOV violations. Everyone has been dismissed. I can't reccomend them enough.
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Laura Taylor
August 18, 2026
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Going to Merrill Law was one of the best decisions I could have made. From start to finish, their team was kind, professional, helpful, and excellent at communicating throughout the process. I truly appreciated their support and would highly recommend Merrill Law to anyone in need of their services.
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Xavier Hecker
August 17, 2026
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Second speeding ticket in a row dropped, and I never had to step foot in a court room.
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Matthew Matyuk
August 15, 2026
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Great experience, big thanks, ticket dismissal went smoothly.
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Jordan Cabral
August 14, 2026
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Huge thank you to Reece Merrill for helping me resolve an issue with the Department of licensing. He was so quick to help me fix what seemed to be an overlook on the DOL’s part. I highly recommend him to anyone who needs legal help big or small.
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Alex Nelsen
July 28, 2025
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Reliable, Professional, and Effective Big thanks to Merrill Law for getting my ticket dismissed. I’ve used them before after a friend recommended them, and they’ve made the whole process easy and stress-free every time. It’s a huge relief knowing they’re in your corner, fighting for you. Highly recommend to anyone needing a solid attorney
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Stephan A
June 14, 2025
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Fantastic as always
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Marc Calague
November 5, 2024
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Merrill Law is fantastic Got my infraction dismissed and all I did was call them. Saved my record, my time, and my money.
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John Miranda
October 24, 2023
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Great Result. Dismissed speeding Ticket!! I got a speeding ticket that I presented to Mr Merril. Very easy to process. Excellent communication. He called me during the process to l ask my opinion. He felt there may be a chance that my ticket would not be dismissed and wanted to know if I would be willing to pay a fine, to keep the ticket off of my record. I agreed and was thankful to be included in the process. Mr. Merrill went to court, fought for me and WON! my ticket was dismissed!! Great result.
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Brian
August 17, 2023
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The Best Legal Team I will begin by saying the professional and courteous manner in which they (the whole practice) treat people is second to none. Not only have they kept my driving record impeccable, the cost is fair and they can be counted on 100%. I cant say enough how grateful i am to have been recommended to these guys, here i am doing exactly the same i recommend them beyond plain recommendations haha Thank you to all the people in your firm Rick!!
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Cecilia Jones
June 21, 2023
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Grateful is an understatement! Quick and concise work on the part of the firm, ensuring clear direction of what documentation needed to be submitted in order to dispute. I was given reassurance that once everything was handled id receive an email of the overall outcome of my case. Im happy to say it was a successful favorable outcome and I can continue working without any additional financial hardship thanks to this firm!
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Arteom Lupekha
April 14, 2023
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Excellent Experience Reece and his team worked quite quickly and we’re very responsive. They under promise and over deliver. Excellent experience from 3 traffic violations over a few years. Highly recommend!

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