Reina Cruz thought Thursday morning’s all-school assembly at Northfield High was to bring awareness to the recent achievements of clubs and sports at the school.

But after school administrators finished highlighting recent student achievements, the assembly quickly shifted gears. Jane Foley, a former principal and teacher who now serves as senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards, told students there was one teacher who won the “Oscar of teaching” award.

Gov. Jared Polis then announced that Cruz was the winner of the Milken Educator Award and would receive a $25,000 check in recognition of her teaching. 

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“I guess I’m buying pizza for my classes,” Cruz told students, followed by claps and screams. “I just want to thank all the students. … Everything I do is for you guys.”

Cruz, who teaches advanced IB psychology and a student voice and leadership class, did not know she was being considered for an award. She didn’t apply for the honor nor was she nominated. Instead, she was found by the Milken Family Foundation, Foley said.

So when Cruz’s name echoed across the school gymnasium, it was a complete shock to her.

“I didn’t know this was coming,” Cruz told The Denver Gazette. “I knew we had an assembly today and was told I couldn’t wear jeans, but that was it. When I saw the governor was here, I thought one of our students won a major scholarship, which had me really excited.”

Cruz is among 60 recipients of this year’s Milken Educator Awards, which have been awarded to teachers and principals across the United States since 1987.

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According to the foundation, 2012 was the last time a Denver Public Schools educator won the award.

“Through her instructional expertise and passion for uplifting her students, Reina Cruz has crafted a space where students feel confident to assert their identity while developing the tools to pursue future goals,” Foley said. 

Thursday’s event was the first all-school assembly at Northfield with no masks or social distancing since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. After two years of unfathomable challenges, she said it was great to have everyone back together and celebrating. 

“Those two years without seeing the students was difficult,” Cruz said. “So for all of us to be in one spot together, post-COVID, was really cool.”

Cruz, a native of Las Vegas, joined the district in 2019 after being a social studies teacher in Junction City, Kansas, for three years. She graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and later earned a master’s degree from Kansas State University. 

Throughout Cruz’s 12-year teaching career, she said it’s her students who keep her going regardless of the challenges.

“I don’t feel like I have a job,” Cruz said. “I show up at a building every day and I get to hang out with them, and yes, a lot of learning is done, but a lot of relationships are built and I’m just honored to be a part of their lives and watch them grow into the individuals they become.”