Orange High School Spanish teacher Gary DiBianca is collecting accolades at the state and national level, earning recognition as one of the most distinguished world language educators.

Last month, DiBianca accepted his award as Ohio World Language Association (OWLA) Teacher of the Year. This honor brought him to the podium at a statewide gathering where he used his remarks to champion professional development and growth for world language teachers. At the OWLA Annual Conference last April, one of DiBianca’s presentations was recognized as the year’s “Best of Ohio Session." This established him as a standout voice in world language education across the state.

DiBianca has also made a mark on the regional stage. In Chicago, he recently presented his "2025 Best of Ohio Session" as one of just 12 featured sessions at the Central States Conference, where he was also recognized as a candidate for regional teacher of the year. Last week, he received word that his session has been selected as the "2026 Best of Session" for the Central States Region. This earns him an opportunity to present at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) National Convention in San Antonio in November 2026 as one of only five Best of Session honorees among more than 800 sessions at the conference.

“I am proud to represent Team Orange on these regional and national stages where I can share and highlight my student’s accomplishments,” said DiBianca.