October 2025 Employees of the Month
GGUSD’s Employee of the Month program is designed to recognize employees who: put others first; go above and beyond to make a difference in their role; carry out each day with a positive attitude and strong work ethic and demonstrate innovation, leadership, and passion for their job.
Susie Smyth
Teacher at Sunnyside Elementary School
Susie Smyth joined the district in in 1996 as a teacher at Carrillo Elementary School where she taught multiple grades all the way from Kindergarten through sixth grade. In2020, she moved to Sunnyside Elementary where she taught sixth grade and now she currently teaches fourth grade. Susie was nominated for this recognition by a parent who said Susie took the initiative to reach out to multiple universities and successfullysecured donations of university T-shirts for every student in the class. This generous effort encourages students to work hard, aim for college, and pursue greater achievements. The parent also shared that Susie proactively contacted Home Depot and, together with parents and students, organized a project to repaint various areas of the school. The parent said “A teacher who puts in so much heart and effort truly deserves to be recognized as Employee of the Month.” She is an asset to the Sunnyside community and is known for her positivity, skilled instructional strategies, and strong work ethic.
Santiago Galvez
District Office Receptionist
Santiago joined GGUSD in 2023 serving as a bilingual Spanish School Community Liaison in our Parent and Community Outreach Department and working specifically at Clinton Elementary and Rancho Alamitos High School. In 2024, Santiago joined our team in Personnel as the District Office Receptionist where he shines with his exceptional customer service skills. Santiago was nominated by a community member who was impressed with how polite and helpful he is in serving the community that comes to the district office. Santiago is known for making each district office visitor feel welcome and supported. He’s an excellent listener and consistently invests time into ensuring staff, families, students and community are connected to the help they need. He carries out the Garden Grove Way, treating all customers like family. Santiago goes above and beyond to serve people with humility and kindness. He is a great representation of our district and does an outstanding job meeting the needs of our busy front office.