ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It started like a typical pep rally at Cleveland High School Wednesday morning, except the school wasn’t cheering on a team this time.

“Very, very few knew. So we wanted to make it a big surprise, and it worked out nicely. Any time you have a chance to have a teacher recognized by the Milken Award, it’s amazing, once in a lifetime,” said Cleveland High School Principal Scott Affendtranger.

The award is a national search for the best teachers across the country and known as the Oscars of Teaching. There are no nominations and no applications, and a cash prize of $25,000.

The Milken Foundation finds these teachers quietly, and then surprises them with an all-school assembly. This year, the Oscar goes to Ashli Knoell.

Knoell has taught robotics and STEAM for almost a decade at Cleveland High School.

“It was surreal, at first I thought maybe they made a mistake and one of my very best friends was sitting by me like ‘Go,’ just pushing me off the bleachers,” said Knoell.

It’s safe to say she was definitely surprised.

“There aren’t enough words to sum up what this means to me, and what I do every day is for you guys. You are my future and each of you matters, you’re loved and appreciated,” she said during her acceptance speech.

KOB 4 asked Ms. Knoell what she’d do with the money, and she already had some ideas:

“Most of it is going to savings, and some of it’s headed right back into my classroom for different things that my students are doing.”

She said the best part about teaching is her students.

“I just love teaching, I love education, I would highly recommend that if anybody has an inkling to help the future, choose a career in education,” said Knoell.

She’s not the only New Mexico teacher who was honored this year. Magali Gomez, a 5th grade teacher at Ruben S. Torres Elementary in Deming also won.

Both teachers also won a trip to Los Angeles to be honored at the national event and get their red-carpet moment.