PBS Reno Announces 2025 Spotlight Awards Finalists
Cast your votes online now through July 31! Winners will be announced September 12, 2025
during the Spotlight Awards & Auction Gala at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, NV
RENO, NV (JUL 1, 2025) – PBS Reno is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2025 Spotlight Awards:
Extraordinary Student
- Ameerah Mapp | Graduate Student, University of Nevada, Reno
- Hailey Annis | Student, Marce Herz Middle School | Reno, NV
- The VC Silver Circuits| Student Robotics & Engineering Team | Virginia City, NV
Extraordinary Individual
- Becky Hall | Community Engagement Director, Nevada Mining Association
- Debbie Rosas Smith| Children’s Cancer Advocate and Cancer Survivor
- Derek Beauvais| CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada
Extraordinary Educator
- Katie Rossi | Early Childhood Strategies Teacher, Caughlin Ranch Elementary School
- Gilbert Lenz | Agricultural Mechanics Teacher, North Valleys High School
- Roni Green| Career & Technical Education Teacher, Reed High School
Extraordinary Community Group
Extraordinary Business
During the Spotlight Awards & Auction on Friday, September 12 at the Grand Sierra Resort, PBS Reno will also celebrate Jill and Par Tolles, the 2025 Extraordinary Philanthropists of the Year.
“It’s incredibly inspiring to see the people and groups in our community doing such meaningful work across every category,” said Holly Hutchinson, PBS Reno Event Coordinator. “From students and teachers to businesses, community organizations, and dedicated individuals, each finalist is a testament to the impact people can make. We’re honored to highlight this year’s finalists and celebrate the difference they’re making in northern Nevada.”
The community is invited to vote online weekly through July 31. The winners will be announced during the Spotlight Awards & Auction. This event is PBS Reno’s biggest fundraiser of the year, with proceeds benefiting PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom workshops, local productions, and community events including Be My Neighbor Day each summer.
“Each year, our team has the honor of meeting 15 incredible and very deserving finalists and sharing their story with viewers in our region,” said Rebecca Cronon, PBS Reno Content Creator. “Each person has a unique reason for why they choose to give back in a variety of ways, all of which are deeply inspiring and impactful. The PBS Reno Spotlight Awards & Auction is our way of acknowledging this important work happening in our community each day.”
Spotlight Awards & Auction admission and sponsorship opportunities are available now.
About PBS Reno
As of November 2024, PBS Reno is enjoyed by more than 540,000 monthly viewers in northern and central Nevada and northeastern California across several platforms including three broadcast channels (PBS Reno 5.1, Reno Create 5.2, and PBS KIDS on PBS Reno 5.3), a YouTube channel, YouTube TV, online, livestreams, and digital platforms. PBS Reno provides PBS national programming and award-earning, locally-produced content, with many local segments posted weekly to PBS Reno’s YouTube channel. PBSReno.org provides engaging interactive content, including the video portal at watch.PBSReno.org that streams all locally-produced content and most PBS national content. PBS Reno serves students, teachers, parents and caregivers through immersive educational services including Curiosity Classroom workshops that bring classroom lessons to life with standards-based lessons and activities. Through the support of local corporations and foundations, as well as thousands of individual members, PBS Reno has been delivering public television and educational services to the communities it serves since September 29, 1983.
Contact us:
Membership Questions: membership@pbsreno.org
Programming Hotline: programming@pbsreno.org
Phone: 775.600.0555
Address: 1670 N. Virginia St. • Reno NV 89503