2019 H-E-B Excellence in Education finalists
Four San Antonio ISD educators were welcomed back to their respective campuses after spring break with balloons, cake, giant checks, surprise assemblies and a visit from H-E-B Buddy and his team as they were named H-E-B Excellence in Education finalists earlier this week. Advanced Learning Academy’s principal Kathy Bieser has been named a finalist for the Principal Secondary Award; Longfellow Middle School teacher Anna Olguin has been named a finalist for the Rising Star Secondary Award; Carvajal Early Childhood Education Center teacher Andrea Greimel has been named a finalist for the Lifetime Achievement Elementary Award; and Knox Early Childhood Education Center teacher Rebekah Ozuna has been named a finalist for the Rising Star Elementary Award.
“Kathy Biezer is the hardest working educator that I have ever met in my entire life,” said Morgan Kern, 10th and 11th-grade humanities teacher at ALA. “This award is just testament of how she bring resources in for the betterment of the students and the school. It is so generous of H-E-B and I really appreciate that they invest in our community and that they want to help our students succeed.”
Biezer received a $1,000 check for herself and a $2,500 check for her school. Olguin, Greimel and Ozuna all received $1,000 checks for themselves and $1,000 checks for their schools. All finalists are invited to travel to Austin in May for face-to-face interviews to compete on the statewide level for larger cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. An awards gala will be held May 5 at Fairmont Hotel in Austin to honor all finalists and announce overall awardees.
“I feel surprised and honored to have been named a finalist and am excited for the next steps,” said Olguin. “We need little pieces of equipment here and there and this award money will be filtered back into the classroom. We have a lot of support from our administration and fellow teachers here at Longfellow and it’s a good place to call home.”
Created in 2002, the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards are designed to honor outstanding public school professionals and to thank them for their dedication and commitment. Through the program, H-E-B seeks to pay tribute to those educators who go the extra mile each and every day to serve their students and their communities and who inspire others to do the same.
Teacher Awards are designed to recognize teachers and are based on the teachers’ passion and commitment to the teaching profession, innovation and creativity in the classroom and their professional growth and development.
Principal Awards are designed to recognize principals and are based on the principals’ leadership and campus culture, instructional leadership and management, and their communication and community relations skills.
