Four South Bay educators were recognized on Sunday, Nov. 8 at SoFi Stadium during the LA Chargers Legends Homecoming game for their contributions to their school communities.
The Wiseburn Unified School District teachers, and an administrator, were each surprised with $10,000 checks for their classes throughout the fall as part of the Mazda Be Moved Community Legends Program. On Sunday, they all gathered on the field as the Chargers played the Houston Texans to be honored in front of the audience at SoFi.
The program celebrates people who are inspired to uplift others, according to a Mazda press release, in this case, educators who help youth with diverse learning needs recognize their strengths by introducing new interests through creative programs and encouraging them to take on leadership roles and pursue their goals.
“We recognize that educators, a lot of them are strapped for resources and a lot of them actually pay money out of their own pocket for these students,” Chris Guo, Western U.S. marketing manager for Mazda, said Sunday. “We thought, ‘What better way for us to give back to the community by not only honoring the local teachers but presenting each of them $10,000 in funding so they can really elevate the experience for their students?’”
Mazda honors South Bay teachers, including Naomi Lara from Da Vinci Schools, presenting her with $10,000 check during a timeout in a Chargers game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Brandy Garcia, eighth grade math teacher at Wiseburn Middle School; Naomi Lara, principal of Da Vinci RISE High School; Lauren Shakstad, elementary physical education teacher for Wiseburn Unified; and Sarah Taylor, 11th and 12th grade special education teacher at Da Vinci Communications were honored at the Nov. 8, 2026 LA Chargers game after each recieving $10,000 from Mazda’s Be Moved program. (Photo by Tyler Shaun Evains, Daily Breeze/SCNG)
Mazda honors South Bay teachers, presenting them with $10,000 checks, during a timeout in a Chargers game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Mazda honors South Bay teachers, including Naomi Lara from Da Vinci Schools, presenting her with $10,000 check during a timeout in a Chargers game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mazda works with the Chargers, Guo said, to find local schools and educators that could benefit most from the support.
“They’re very in tune with their local community, especially here in the El Segundo area,” Guo said of the NFL team. “And they were able to help us identify the most needy schools and teachers that are worthy of recognition.”
During surprise school visits in September and October, Chargers players joined Mazda representatives to present the checks, tickets to Sunday’s Legends Homecoming Game, personalized jerseys and other goodies to Brandy Garcia, an eighth-grade math teacher at Wiseburn Middle School; Naomi Lara, principal of Da Vinci RISE High School; Lauren Shakstad, an elementary physical education teacher for Wiseburn Unified; and Sarah Taylor, an 11th- and 12th-grade special education teacher at Da Vinci Communications.
The money has given a boost to their everyday curriculum, the educators said Sunday, as well as making way for new equipment and programs that have been on their wish lists.
“I teach special education, so sometimes we can just fall to the wayside a little bit,” Taylor said. “So to have that recognition and support for our students is really meaningful.”
Taylor teaches in Da Vinci’s FUTURES program, she said, where high schoolers with disabilities get personalized instruction and real-world experiences to develop independence, essential life skills, employment readiness and more.
“Our class is mainly based on community outings, and we need a lot of money because they need practice buying things – we have to go grocery shopping, (practice) cooking,” she said. “So to have extra money for that is really amazing.”
She also plans to get a Smartboard, which she said will be more engaging and interactive for her students in the classroom.
“I don’t feel like I’m limited right now,” Taylor added. “I feel like we can do whatever we need to do, which is great.”
Taylor uses inclusive, project-based learning to help students get involved in their communities, recognize their strengths and prepare for life after high school, the press release said.
Lara has more than 15 years of experience in alternative education and has established partnerships with local organizations that help students discover new interests through cooking, gardening, art and music, the release said.
Her check, she said, will go toward transportation for students who travel from different cities to attend Da Vinci RISE, as well as creating pathways to career opportunities.
“We want to develop some work-based learning programs so we can get students some paid internships to experience their interests, (find out) what type of careers they want to pursue and really get them out there so they can see where their passions lead them,” Lara said. “These types of funds give us the ability to build those types of programs.”
Da Vinci RISE is an alternative program at Da Vinci Schools, serving students whose education has been disrupted by circumstances such as housing instability, homelessness, foster care, involvement with the justice system, or other significant challenges. It was originally a charter school in Los Angeles, but closed at the end of the 2025-26 school year to transition into a specialized program at the El Segundo campus.
“I think I’m still just in awe,” Garcia said. “The things we can do in our classrooms for our students, there are so many possibilities.”
Her middle schoolers are not shy about telling Garcia what they want to see with the money, she said, like more comfortable desk seats. And rightfully so, she added, because the money is for them and their learning environment.
She also plans to implement additional curriculum to teach financial literacy, she said, and provide more hands-on activities to help children engage with learning math.
Garcia encourages students to ask questions, recognize their progress and take responsibility, the release said.
Shakstad, who teaches physical education at all three elementary schools in the Wiseburn District, including Del Aire Elementary in Hawthorne, said that she’s happy to be the one of the faces of the money that’s going to end up supporting so many students. New and replaced PE equipment is in her sights for her students.
“I’m excited to buy some equipment for our adaptive PE students,” she said. The adaptive PE program is “for students with special needs who are historically unable to fully participate in the general education PE class.”
Shakstad helps students of all abilities build confidence and teamwork, the release said, and encourages them to find physical activities they enjoy outside of school.
Also on the field on Sunday, was Kfir Mendelovitz, an HVAC instructor at Riverside City College, who was surprised with a new Mazda and recognized as a Legends Mentor as part of the Be Moved program.