BRATTLEBORO-She started her own restaurant at the age of 20.
Today, Linda Alvarez teaches young people how to become entrepreneurs and community leaders themselves.
And now, she has been named 2026 Vermont Teacher of the Year, the first career and technical education (CTE) educator in the state to receive this award from the state Agency of Education.
"Being recognized as Vermont's Teacher of the Year is such an honor," says the business and entrepreneurship teacher at the Windham Regional Career Center (WRCC). "It means so much to see career and technical education celebrated on a statewide level."
This year, Alvarez says she will "travel around Vermont visiting schools, speaking about CTE, and sharing the incredible work my students do at the Windham Regional Career Center."
Alvarez, who has been at WRCC four years, is now also part of the National Teacher of the Year Program.
"I hope to inspire more students to see career education as a path to both purpose and success," she says. "Our young people are full of ideas and energy. They just need chances to show what they can do. When we give them those opportunities, they surprise us every time."
Beyond book learning
In Alvarez's classroom, students experience not just the book learning of business, but the reality.
Through projects such as the year-long Food Truck Business Plan, students design, brand, and launch ventures, build 3D models of trucks, create marketing campaigns, and present full business plans to community leaders and local bankers.
Alvarez's classroom is intentionally inclusive.
First-generation college students, multilingual learners, and neurodiverse students thrive under her guidance. Students leave her programs empowered; many go on to earn college scholarships or enter directly into high-demand careers.
"In every way, Linda is the kind of teacher our students deserve," says Windham Regional Career Center Director Nancy Wiese. "She is a visionary who equips them not only with skills but also with confidence and purpose to shape the future."
"Linda is an exceptional teacher who routinely inspires her students and colleagues at the WRCC," says Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Mark Speno. "Vermont Teacher of the Year is an acknowledgment that is well deserved."
Alvarez says what she likes best about her work is "watching students grow into leaders."
"When they realize they can run a business, present to community members, or earn college credits while still in high school, their whole mindset changes," she says. "Seeing that pride and excitement never gets old."
The most challenging part of her job, she says, is balancing the different needs of her diverse students.
"Some are new Americans learning a new language, others are the first in their family to think about college, and many are figuring out who they want to be," says Alvarez. "Finding ways to reach every student where they are takes patience, creativity, and heart."
Asked what she's most proud of, Alvarez says, "the opportunities my students have created for themselves."
"Many have gone on to start small businesses, study business or marketing in college, or use their skills to help their communities," she says. "Their success is what makes this work so meaningful to me."
Alvarez says she decided to become a business and career teacher because she "loves helping students see the real-world side of learning."
"I want them to understand that education can be hands-on, creative, and connected to their own dreams. I've always believed that when students can picture themselves in a career, they become more confident and motivated to reach their goals."
Roots and wings
Originally from Dearborn, Michigan, and Gainesville, Florida, Alvarez lives now in Brattleboro with her husband, Orlando, and their son, Sebastian. She is also stepmother to Genie, Jamie, and Joseph, and grandmother to Lucas. Outside school, she has owned and operated two successful restaurants, including the Restless Rooster, which operated on Elliot Street. She also loves cooking, camping, and watching Detroit sports.
The Teacher of the Year holds an MBA from Fitchburg State University in management/marketing/communications, a B.A. in history with a minor in education from the University of Florida, and is currently completing a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.
She holds certifications in CTE Business, History (6–12), and Reading and Language Arts (K–12) and has taught at Bellows Falls Middle School, Gainesville (Florida) High School, and the A. Quinn Jones Center, another school in Florida.
Alvarez serves as a Future Business Leaders of America advisor, a member of the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Special Education Parent Advisory Council, and an adjunct professor at Vermont State University and the Community College of Vermont.
Educational philosophy
When applying to Fitchburg, Alvarez had to write a speech in which she - presciently, perhaps - was to presume she had won the very award that she has, indeed, won.
She chose the title "CTE Teaching Toward Belonging, Purpose, and a Future They Choose."
In her speech, Alvarez notes that her students come from diverse towns, cultures, learning styles, and life experiences.
"But here's what they all have in common: they chose to be in my classroom," she says. "They chose CTE. And because of that choice, they show up with passion. With curiosity. With grit. And because they chose, they thrive.
"This is one of the most important things CTE can teach us: When students feel they have agency, when they see relevance and know their work matters, they rise. So the question becomes: How do we build a system that doesn't wait until 11th grade to engage students, but instead calls to them early, welcomes them, and shows them the way forward?"
Her answer is to do what's being done at WRCC: "work to build that system, one intentional step at a time."
"We're expanding hands-on, experiential learning for students starting in 6th grade. We're forming partnerships with elementary schools, aligning curriculum with our sending schools, and inviting middle schoolers into our center to explore programs.
"We want every eighth-grader to leave WRCC thinking, 'I can see myself here.' Because if students can't see themselves in our spaces, they won't stay in our systems. But access alone isn't enough. Once students arrive, they must feel they belong. That means making sure every student feels represented, supported, and able to see success as a real possibility. We are proud to be part of Vermont's statewide CTE Equity and Diversity initiative."
Alvarez goes on to say that "learning shouldn't end with a grade."
"That's why in southern Vermont we partner with the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation to connect students with job shadows, internships, and career pathways," she says. "Our FBLA chapter sends students across the country to compete, learn, and lead. My students are not just participating, they're learning to take the lead.
"And yet I keep returning to this: We must start sooner. CTE is not a last resort. It is not a back-up plan. It is not a side door. It is a pathway that empowers students to lead with their strengths, engage with real-world learning, and build futures rooted in relevance and purpose."
A year of speaking and accolades
As the 2026 Vermont Teacher of the Year, Alvarez will serve as an advocate for students, educators, and the transformative power of Career and Technical Education.
She will also be recognized at the University of Vermont's Outstanding Teacher Day in November, and she will represent Vermont in the spring for the National Teacher of the Year program, which includes events in Washington, D.C.
"I am thrilled to recognize Linda as Vermont's Teacher of the Year," says Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders. "Linda's commitment to equity, innovation, and excellence prepares students not only for careers and college, but for meaningful lives beyond the classroom. We are honored to recognize her contributions to teaching in Vermont."
The Agency of Education has recognized outstanding Vermont teachers through the Vermont Teacher of the Year award since 1964. Generally, about 25 applications in the state are considered for the award.
This News item by Virginia Ray was written for The Commons.