McKinley Teacher Becomes Hero in the Classroom

Last Tuesday, October 4, Nichole (Nikki) Rozakos, a third-grade teacher at in Burlingame, became one of 16 Bay Area teachers to be honored this fall with the Symetra Hero in the Classroom award. On Sunday her smiling face will beam down from the JumboTron at Candlestick Park, when she receives the award on the field at a pre-game ceremony at the San Francisco 49er-Tampa Bay Buccaneers football game.

Her winning smile was present in her classroom Tuesday when representatives from Symetra, the 49ers and Wells Fargo Bank—all partners in giving the award—were on hand to present her with a Heroes Award certificate, a large cardboard check for $1,000 made out to McKinley Elementary School, a $250 gift card to Office Max, a 49ers jersey and signed football. Her students, school principal and corporate representatives joined in on the fun.  

Tyson Lamp, representing the 49ers corporate partnership along with 49ers cheerleaders, led Rozakos’ students in a cheer of “Let’s go 49ers!” and a round of applause for their teacher. One student commented, “I don’t want to be a doctor now. I want to be a teacher!”

The Symetra Heroes in the Classroom award honors K-12 teachers for exemplary leadership and instructional skills. Symetra partners with NFL teams and corporate partners around the country to give the awards during fall football season and to highlight at NFL games the important contributions that great teachers make.

To be considered for the award, teachers are nominated by their co-workers, parents, principals, district staff and/or students.

“Nikki is an incredible educator,” said Paula Valerio, principal at McKinley. “She takes each child’s gifts and challenges and brings out the best. She understands her kids thoroughly and challenges them. She is dedicated to her students and to McKinley.”

Rozakos is in her sixth year of teaching at McKinley. On Tuesday, decked out in 49ers colors even before she donned her new 49ers jersey, she said, “I am honored. I love the 49ers and I am a real sports fan, so this is so exciting for me. And I love teaching. I love the inspiration I get every year from my students. Every year I set the bar, and every year they surpass it.”

She plans to bring her mom, who is a school principal, with her as her guest at the 49ers game on Sunday. “She is my inspiration and the reason I am a teacher,” she said.

“Education is a top priority,” said Susan Hinchman, regional marketing officer for the San Francisco Bay Region at Wells Fargo Bank. She was present on Tuesday for the ceremony at McKinley along with Amal Allan, the branch manager for on Broadway in Burlingame, Elizabeth Gueco, manager at the Burlingame Avenue branch and Greg Young, community development officer for the Peninsula.

This is the first year that Symetra Financial― a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Wash.― is sponsoring the Heroes in the Classroom program in the Bay Area.

“Symetra and Wells Fargo are partners in business, and we also share a strong commitment to making our communities great places to live and work,” said Tom Marra, president and CEO of Symetra Financial. “We’re excited to introduce the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom program in the Bay Area with the San Francisco 49ers — a team with deep ties to the community and a longtime supporter of educational initiatives.”