The Socorro Independent School District announced the eight finalists for the district’s Teacher of the Year program at the 2024 Elite 8 Teachers of the Year Reception on Feb. 24. The finalists were selected from both elementary and secondary schools, with four from each category. The event also honored the SISD Campus Teachers of the Year.
The 2024 Elite 8 finalists are elementary educators Anna Nicole Guevara (Cactus Trails Elementary School), Jonathan Martinez (James P. Butler Elementary School), Jaymee D. Rivas (Purple Heart Elementary School) and Veronica Collier (Elfida P. Chavez Elementary School); and secondary school teachers Jacob H. Ramirez (El Dorado High School), Angela Rose Hernandez (Salvador H. Sanchez Middle School), Christopher J. Martin (Col. John O. Ensor Middle School), and Drew Dungan (Mission Early College High School).
The announcement was made during the annual event that recognized all 50 campus teachers of the year for their contributions to making a difference in their students lives.
Socorro ISD Board President Michael A. Najera congratulated the winners and reminded them that their achievements as SISD educators will go down in history as an integral part of the district’s success.
“We're grateful to your commitment to our district, our schools and most of all the children in our community. Because of your work, our students are learning to be successful, ambitious adults,” Najera said. “You all are the ones who help them make the dream, see the dream, be the dream, and realize the dream.”
The top eight teachers were initially chosen by their colleagues as Campus Teachers of the Year. Following that, they underwent an interview selection process with a committee made up of district stakeholders. They will now advance to the next stage of the program to compete for the district Teacher of the Year award in both elementary and secondary education categories.
Teachers attended the event with their campus administrator and a guest. During the event, they watched a video celebrating all the campus teachers of the year and their accomplishments.
Jayme Rivas, a fifth-grade teacher at Purple Heart Elementary, made it to the Elite 8 finals in the elementary category. She said being surrounded by so many talented teachers during the reception was a bit daunting.
“They rolled the video, and my heart was like, all these people are so amazing!” Rivas said. “I don’t know how I could compete. It was very intimidating but also very rewarding to be in the presence of so many awesome teachers.”
Christopher Martin, a teacher in the Practical Academic Skills (PAS) unit at Col. John O. Ensor Middle School, was named one of four Elite 8 teachers in the secondary category. He said the award reflects the hard work that he and his fellow teachers do to provide the best education to their students.
"I feel so overwhelmed with joy," Martin said. "It's just a beautiful thing to be a teacher, and now, to me, this is going to be a reflection of my kids and my great colleagues across the district.”
The top two SISD winners will be named during the district’s annual Teacher of the Year Gala on May 10 at the El Paso Convention Center.
Watch video features to learn more about the 2024 SISD Elite 8 Teachers of the Year