Service-Minded California High Health Academy Lead Named Whittier Union’s 2025 Teacher of the Year
California High School Health Academy coordinator and science teacher Laurie Thomas has devoted four decades of her life to inspiring students through hands-on learning, critical thinking, and unwavering support – earning her the title of Whittier Union High School District’s (WUHSD) 2025 Teacher of the Year. Thomas has taught at WUHSD for 25 years, beginning her journey at California High as a physics teacher. Motivated by a desire to help a friend in need, she briefly stepped away from the classroom to attend nursing school, becoming a registered nurse in 2006. When she returned to Whittier Union, Thomas was invited to lead the school’s Health Academy.