BEAUMONT – On an overcast Friday morning in Beaumont, a parade of well-wishers hiked together for a visit to “Camp Lundy”, also known as the classroom of Sundance Elementary School first grade teacher, Mrs. Autumn Khong Lundblad. Once at the classroom campsite, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez, announced that Mrs. Lundblad is the third 2023 Riverside County Teacher of the Year.
“Through her experiences of camping, Mrs. Lundblad has discovered a sense of unity, connectedness, teamwork, love, and support—all things that are found within a family,” Dr. Gomez said. “Her ‘Camp Lundy’ classroom is an amazing way for her students to get those same senses at school.”
Mrs Lundblad will join Beth Schwandt from Lake Hills Elementary School in Alvord Unified School District, and Anthony Gomez from Jurupa Middle School in the Jurupa Unified School District, to represent Riverside County in the 2023 California State Teacher of the Year competition later this year. The final Riverside County Teacher of the Year will be revealed in a surprise visit during the first week of June.
“I am so humbled and proud to receive this award. This is such an honor, and I’d like to thank you all for the support,” Mrs. Lundblad said to a classroom full of colleagues, students, and family members after the surprise announcement. “I love being able to give back to the community and helping my student grow into what they want to be.”
About Autumn Lundblad
Autumn Khong Lundblad entered University of California, Riverside, with the expectation of eventually attending medical school. After one day of volunteering in her aunt’s third grade classroom, she felt a passion ignite inside of her, and immediately switched her major to pursue a teaching credential.
A product of Beaumont Unified School District schools, Autumn Khong Lundblad has been teaching within the district since 2014. Through her love of the outdoors, Mrs. Lundblad created “Camp Lundy” in her first grade classroom as a way to engage with her students and create a fun and loving learning environment. Within her classroom, students have the opportunity to collaborate at the picnic table, or work quietly in the reading corner by the replica campfire. Each student is gifted a “Camp Lundy” T-shirt at the beginning of the year, and they are invited to take turns as the “Happy Camper of the Week” where they lead class activities and contribute to a sense of belonging within the “family”. The focus on the outdoors also extends to real world connections to a local nature preserve.
Mrs. Lundblad actively incorporates the principles of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), and is a champion for building relationships to positively impact school culture—including co-leading the school choir and serving as the staff representative on the PTA board.
2023 Riverside County Teacher of Year Announcements
5/25/2022 - Elementary Music Teacher Beth Schwandt Named First 2023 Riverside County Teacher of the Year in Surprise Visit
5/26/2022 - Dual Language Immersion History Teacher Anthony Gomez Named Second 2023 Riverside County Teacher of the Year
5/27/2022 - Autumn Khong Lundblad of Beaumont USD Named Third 2023 Riverside County Teacher of the Year
Once named, all four teachers of the year will represent Riverside County in the 2023 California Teacher of the Year competition where at least one Riverside County teacher has been selected as a California Teacher of the Year in eight of the last nine years:
- 2022 – Nichi Aviña, Cielo Vista Charter School, Palm Springs USD
- 2021 – Keisa Brown, University Heights Middle School, Riverside USD, and Allison Cyr, Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
- 2020 – Brenda Chavez-Barreras, Good Hope Elementary School, Perris ESD
- 2019 – Dr. Angel Mejico, El Cerrito Middle School, Corona-Norco USD
- 2018 – Dr. Brian McDaniel, Painted Hills Middle School, Palm Springs USD
- 2017 – Shaun Bunn, Ethan A. Chase Middle School, Romoland School District
- 2016 – Michelle Cherland, Carrillo Ranch Elementary School, Desert Sands USD
- 2014 – Jessica Pack, James Workman Middle School, Palm Springs USD
The Riverside County Teachers of the Year are selected from nearly 20,000 educators in the county. The rigorous application process requires candidates to spend time reflecting on, and carefully defining, their teaching philosophy. The county teachers of the year are selected on the basis of nominations by teachers, principals, and school district administrators throughout the county. Applications are then submitted to the Riverside County Office of Education, where a selection committee reviews the applications on each district candidate and selects semi-finalists. The selection committee then conducts interviews and site visits to select the final four candidates before the county superintendent announces the Riverside County Teachers of the Year.