Celebrating the Best of BestPrep

The Annual Luncheon was held on Thursday, May 21, where BestPrep recognized the most outstanding students, teachers, and volunteers from the 2025-2026 school year.

Meet our top four award winners – Kyra Shah, Angie Zappa, Eric Forstrom, and Carly Baker!

Don Friborg Student of the Year – Kyra Shah

[Kyra Shah (left) accepting award from Janae Olinger, BestPrep’s VP of Educational Programs (right).]

Kyra first got involved with BestPrep as a student from Edina Senior High School, attending Minnesota Business Venture (MBV) as both a camper and student leader for three consecutive years. She now gives back as a member of the camp’s advisory committee helping with program elements such as the annual theme, activities, and student experiences. She’s volunteered at major BestPrep events, took part in a student panel at the 2024 Educational Forum, and most recently supported the organization as BestPrep’s Communications & Events Intern during the 2025-2025 academic year.

Carpenter Educator of the Year – Angie Zappa

[Angie Zappa (left) accepting award from Janae Olinger, BestPrep’s VP of Educational Programs (right).]

Angie, Work Coordinator and Teacher at Irondale High school has invested in her students’ education through BestPrep’s Financial Matters, Classroom Plus, and eMentors Programs since 2011. Her commitment to bringing classroom subjects to life using hands-on programs, as well as her willingness to pilot BestPrep projects, such as Personal Branding and RentWise101 presentations, shows her passion for equipping students with the skills they need to succeed in work and life.  

Bunzel Volunteer of the Year – Eric Forstrom

[Eric Forstrom (left) accepting award from Bonnie Vagasky, BestPrep’s VP of External Relations (right).]

Eric, a volunteer from Wells Fargo, has been collaborating with BestPrep since 2014 and has given more than 600 hours of his time to programs including Classroom Plus, Cloud Coach, eMentors, Financial Matters, and Minnesota Business Venture. Not only is he a mentor, but he presents to students on a variety of topics, served as a keynote and breakout speaker, and volunteered his time as a mock interviewer and Business Plan Judge. The lasting impact he has on students has led to teachers often requesting he return to their classrooms year after year.

Board Member of Distinction – Carly Baker

[Carly Baker (left) accepting award from Paul Langlois, BestPrep’s Board Chair (right).]

Carly has been involved with BestPrep since 2011, when she first spent a week on a college campus with us as a Resident Business Leader (RBL) at Minnesota Business Venture. Since then, she’s been an RBL five times, with the sixth planned for this summer. Carly has been a mentor in our eMentors program and now serves as the company’s coordinator at Wells Fargo. She’s a member of our summer camp’s Advisory Committee, has been a camp speaker, a Business Plan Judge, a mock interviewer, and on top of all of that, a Board Member.

We were honored to celebrate an additional 36 award winners at the event. View the full list of our award winners here.

News and Events