Two Guadalupe Center educators have earned two of Florida’s highest honors in early learning. The Florida Association for the Education of Young Children (FLAEYC) named Angela Anderson Florida Early Childhood Director of the Year and Dalia Mijangos Hernandez Infant and Toddler Educator of the Year. The awards were presented Oct. 17 in Jacksonville.
Together, the honors recognize both halves of what makes early learning work: the leadership that sets the standard for an entire program, and the daily, hands-on care that shapes a baby’s first experiences with learning. Anderson leads 105 teachers across five campuses serving more than 550 children, one in four of Immokalee’s children ages 5 and under. Mijangos Hernandez, who joined Guadalupe Center just two years ago, cares for infants and toddlers in the Butterfly Classroom.
“As a parent, I have personally seen the incredible patience and care she shows every single day,” Maria Andrea Mancera Merlos wrote in a letter supporting the nomination. “No matter how challenging the moment may be, she always responds with calmness, understanding, and kindness. Ms. Dalia is the kind of teacher every parent hopes for, and every child deserves.”
Under Anderson’s leadership, Guadalupe Center has also moved one of the hardest numbers in early education: teacher retention. In Florida, 40% of educators leave the profession within five years. At Guadalupe Center, more than 85% of early learning teachers stay, and nearly 80% of employees live in Immokalee, so children see the same familiar faces every morning and families build trust with teachers who are also their neighbors. That stability is rare: in Collier County, 65% of early learning providers report teacher shortages, according to a recent Florida Chamber of Commerce analysis.
It shows in the results. The Florida Chamber of Commerce’s 2025–2026 Kindergarten Readiness Report named Guadalupe Center a “Promising Practice,” noting that 95% of its students meet or exceed standards and pointing to Immokalee as proof that “even in areas of concentrated poverty, readiness outcomes can rise when quality care is available.”
“Every dreamer needs a champion, and for our youngest learners, Angela and Dalia are exactly that,” said Dawn Montecalvo, President & CEO of Guadalupe Center. “They don’t simply work in early childhood education. They believe deeply in the children and families they serve. When we invest in our teachers, we invest in every child in their classroom.”
The work isn’t finished. Every Guadalupe Center campus is at full capacity, with an extensive waiting list, many added as newborns. “My dream is a day when there is no waiting list, when every child in Immokalee who needs a seat has one,” Montecalvo said. “Until then, I’m so grateful for educators like Angela and Dalia, and for a team that shows up for the children in our care every single day. They prove that a child’s zip code doesn’t decide their future. A strong start does.”
