A Filipina teacher based in the United States has been named a Voya Unsung Heroes awardee by Voya Financial, receiving a confirmed $2,000 grant for her education project “Stories Across Borders” — and she remains in contention for an additional top prize of up to $25,000, with final judging still ongoing and winners to be notified by late October.
Rahnee de Leon-Candaza, a former Department of Education head teacher from the Philippines, is currently teaching English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Art in the United States, where she is also the first Filipino educator at her school to teach Filipino Language and Culture.
The Voya Unsung Heroes program, administered by Scholarship America on behalf of Voya Financial, recognizes teachers across the United States for innovative classroom projects. The award grant is designated solely for the further development of the submitted project. “Every milestone is by God’s grace,” Rahnee said. “These blessings remind me to remain humble and to continue serving through education.”
Beyond the award, she was selected as the only Filipino among 30 educators chosen nationwide to participate in the 2026 Space Curriculum Collaboration, hosted by the Buzz Aldrin Family Foundation — a program that brought together aerospace educators, STEM leaders, and science advocates from across the country.
She also attended the Washington International School Institute for Teachers in Washington, D.C. as a 50% scholar, and served as Camp Director for an eight-week summer camp at her school — all within her first nine months of working abroad.
Rahnee previously served 15 years in the Philippine public school system, where she was recognized as an Outstanding Child Protection Coordinator and was a finalist for the Fulbright Scholarship program. Her project, she said, grew from “my mission of building bridges between cultures through education” — a mission she now hopes to formalize through school partnerships between the United States and her home division in the Philippines.
Her mother is currently battling cancer, a reality that continues to shape her drive. “Every sacrifice carries a purpose,” she has said, “even when it is not immediately clear.”
