The Martin County School District is proud to announce that two dedicated Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) employees have been recognized with awards from the Florida School Nutrition Association (FSNA). These awards highlight the exceptional creativity, commitment, and service these team members bring to their roles in supporting student nutrition.
Each year, FSNA honors school nutrition professionals across the state in various categories, celebrating their contributions to student health and well-being. This year, Martin County’s FNS team took both awards in the breakfast category.
Congratulations to the following awardees:
Cathy Uzar, Palm City Elementary School – Smart Start Award (Elementary): Cathy Uzar earned this award for her creative promotions during National School Breakfast Week (NSBW). Embracing the “Get Clued in to School Breakfast” theme, she featured Wiley the Wildcat greeting families and helping in the café, daily prize drawings with a top-secret grand prize, disguised fruit as undercover characters, and shared nutrition trivia on the morning announcements. Her engaging approach sparked excitement and boosted participation, with more breakfasts served this year compared to last, including an 8–10% increase in certain menu items.
Elisha Ison, Indiantown Middle School – Smart Start Award (Secondary): Elisha Ison was recognized for this award for her innovative approach to promoting NSBW during the 24-25 school year. Elisha created daily clue contests, placed stickers under trays for surprise prizes, promoted NSBW on the morning announcements and hosted a forensic science guest speaker for a special interactive “breakfast and learn” presentation on clues and fingerprinting. Her creative and detailed ideas increased breakfast participation by 43%, which led to more students enjoying fresh fruit.
The Martin County School District commends Cathy Uzar and Elisha Ison for their outstanding efforts to promote the importance of a healthy breakfast. Their creativity and commitment not only made National School Breakfast Week fun and engaging for students but also reinforced the vital role that nutritious meals play in fueling academic success.