Two Northside teachers are among 40 educators in the state selected as finalists for the 2008 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards.
Isabel Anaya, a fifth grade teacher at Villarreal Elementary School, and Adriano Gonzalez, a chemistry teacher at Holmes High School, received surprise visits on Tuesday from H-E-B officials carrying flowers, balloons, cake, and a check for $1,000. Each school also will receive $1,000.
Gonzalez is a finalist for the Lifetime Achievement Award (for educators with more than 20 years of experience) and a prize of $25,000. Anaya is a candidate for the Rising Star Award (less than 10 years experience), which comes with a $5,000 prize. In both categories, two statewide winners will be selected, and their schools will get matching grants.
Anaya said she never expected to receive such a prestigious honor. Teaching is simply a passion, she said.
“My parents, friends, and family say I work too hard. I can’t help it,” said Anaya, who has been at Villarreal for seven years. “I’m somebody who really believes in the kids. When I tell them to reach for their dreams, I mean it.”
Gonzalez, who recently was named the 2008 Educator of the Year for Holmes, has spent his entire 27-year teaching career as a Huskie. In addition to teaching science, he also coaches the school’s powerhouse Academic Decathlon team.
“I’m in the teaching profession not for the rewards,” he said. “I’m in the teaching profession for kids. This is the icing on the cake.”
Gonzalez’ award is particularly poignant because the student who wrote his letter of recommendation for the honor was killed in a car accident Dec. 27.
“He has a reputation around Holmes High School as a super teacher, who helps anyone when they need it, and new people show up in his room every day,” wrote Bethany Perales, a 2007 graduate of Holmes, in her letter dated Dec. 1. “Positive motivation to do one’s best pours from him.”
Perales’ family found out about the letter a few weeks ago and joined the celebration in Gonzalez’ classroom earlier this week.
“She’s still doing amazing things,” Irma Perales said of her daughter.
Gonzalez and Anaya were among 4,500 nominations submitted this year by H-E-B customers, employees, and community members. A team of judges narrowed the field to 223 semifinalists and then 40 finalists.
The finalists will travel to Houston May 2-4 and will be interviewed by a panel of judges before the grand prize winners are announced. More than $500,000 will be awarded to educators and districts at the May 4 banquet, making the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards the largest monetary program for educators in the state.
The awards program was launched in 2002 in cooperation with the Texas Association of School Administrators to honor outstanding educators. Northside ISD was named best district in the state in 2005, the first year awards were bestowed on districts.
