From left: Regional director Kate Brandley, Lower Mills teacher Jeanne Cararra, Neponset teacher Nicole Spaulding, Lower Mills teacher Delilah Demopolous, Columbia teachers Bridget Crane and Elizabeth Wellman, and Math Coach Christine DeCarolis. Photo courtesy SJPIICA
Six standout educators from Dorchester’s Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy gained the spotlight recently as the school celebrated its dedication to teaching and the young minds they help shape each day.
They were honored with the 2026 Yawkey Awards for Teaching Excellence, which recognize educators for their leadership, commitment to students, and academic achievements and are presented annually to two teachers from each of the academy’s three campuses.
This year’s honorees are Bridget Crane, a third-grade teacher, and Elizabeth Wellman, a middle school math and social studies teacher, at the Columbia Road campus; Jeanne Cararra, a K1 lead teacher, and Delilah Demopoulos, a fifth-grade teacher, in Lower Mills; and Christine DeCarolis, a math coach, and Nicole Spaulding, a fifth-grade teacher, in Neponset.
The awards were presented during a dinner at Venezia Restaurant in Dorchester attended by Maicharia Weir Lytle, chief programs officer at the Yawkey Foundation.
The celebration also featured remarks from Lower Mills alumnus Jonathan Demosthene, now a junior at Harvard University and a graduate of Saint Sebastian’s School, who reflected on how his early education at the academy helped prepare him for high school and college.
The academy also recognized longtime faculty and staff members with Years of Service awards honoring employees who have served for five years or more.
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