By ARABELLA SERRATA
Staff Writer
Point Isabel Independent School District [PIISD] recently announced its Teachers of the Year for each campus. The teachers were chosen for their “commitment, enthusiasm, and outstanding performance,” according to the district.
The Port Isabel Junior High School Teacher of the Year [TOTY] is Brownsville native Emmanuel Garcia. Garcia has been teaching for ten years, this year being his fourth in the district. Originally, Garcia was in the process of getting his degree in criminal justice when he was presented with the opportunity to be a teacher’s assistant in Brownsville. Garcia’s father was in law enforcement, and he always thought he would go down a similar path, but he took the part-time teaching job as a way to get through college. “It was then I realized God has a bigger plan for me. I made a career switch once I graduated and realized that [teaching] was what I wanted to do,” said Garcia.
“Being in education has changed my mindset,” said Garcia. He explained further, saying that he initially thought the learning ended after graduation. “But I realized that being in the classroom, you’re always going to be a student of life… That’s one thing I try to instill in my classroom: that you’re always going to be a student. If you come in passionate about learning, you’re going to do very well,” said Garcia. Garcia was extremely honored to be chosen as teacher of the year. “I’m very humbled by it… when they told me I was the teacher of the year, I was honored. But to me, it shows what a great team and family we have at PI Jr. High. I can’t thank my colleagues enough, they helped me grow in so many ways,” said Garcia.
The Garriga Elementary Teacher of the Year is Alyssa Turrubiates. Turrubiates is a Port Isabel native and newlywed, set to become Turrubiates-Lopez. She teaches fifth grade reading and language arts. “As a child, I always wanted to be a doctor or teacher, but as we all know, life tends to surprise you with unexpected events and surprises,” said Turrubiates. She eventually shifted away from medicine to focus on “what was best” for her and her child at the time. “I’ve always gravitated to teaching… but the idea of being able to make a positive impact on children’s lives and still be able to spend time with my children was my motivation to become a teacher,” said Turrubiates.
Turrubiates has been teaching for seven years, all in PIISD. She says teaching has made her more empathetic than ever before. “Teaching and seeing what kids go through made me more humble and empathetic,” said Turrubiates. “We have a lot of kiddos from hardworking families, but they’re still struggling. I’ve seen children experiencing things that no child should ever have to go through, and our schools are a safe space that many of them need,” said Turrubiates. Turrubiates added that being an educator has also reshaped her views on the profession. “I was one of those people who always believed that teaching was so easy, that all they do is sit down and grade. But it is difficult. I commend and respect the educators out there so much. Turrubiates wasn’t completely sure why she was chosen for TOTY, but she credits it to her care and connection with her students.
The Derry Elementary Teacher of the Year is Debbie West. West is also a Port Isabel native. After college, she worked in Adult Protective Services for ten years. Afterward, she decided to return to school and become a teacher, and has been doing so for 21 years, all in PIISD. “I never thought I would be doing anything like this, ever,” Said West. West said she initially wanted to be a flight attendant growing up. She worked in hospitality by waiting tables at a young age, and assumed being a flight attendant would be much of the same. West chose education as a career after starting her family and was inspired by another teacher in her youth, who left her with a “lasting impression” of the field. The teacher in question was Bertha Zamora, who now serves on the PIISD board.
West has seen a wide range of students whose backgrounds have drastically changed throughout the years. West said that the youth’s relationship with technology, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, has pushed her to change with the times to reach her students. “We’ve got to be creative… Teaching has changed me,” said West. Alongside tuning her instruction plans to her students, West has a lot of compassion for her class. “The kids these days come with many different family dynamics, you have to be very careful, open, and understanding because you have no idea what these children live,” said West. She has “no idea” why she was chosen for TOTY. “I work with so many dynamic, master teachers here, it was an honor to even be nominated. Having received a vote of confidence, it’s touching and honoring,” said West.
The Port Isabel Early College High School Teacher of the Year is Gilberto Capistran. Capistran is a Laguna Vista native and was raised in Matamoros. He later moved to Brownsville. His family has an extensive history in education, with many of his relatives being in the field as teachers or administrators. “It wasn’t my first choice in college, I gravitated towards it eventually because it was all around me. It felt like the right thing,” Capistran said. He has taught for six years. “It’s a challenging job, but it’s very rewarding. Whenever you’re there for a kid, you feel a connection, and you feel like you’ve made a difference,” said Capistran.
Teaching has made Capistran more “aware.” He explained that being a teacher made him more empathetic. “It made me realize that everyone has different challenges and struggles.” He added that the students’ resilience to show up every day “with an eagerness to learn” made him appreciate people more in general. “Everyone has something going on behind closed doors, yet we’re still here. We’re working and we’re doing stuff… it’s made me more empathetic, especially towards students,” said Capistran. Capistran, like the other teachers, does not fully know why he was chosen to be teacher of the year. “I think that there were plenty of other teachers at this campus who deserved it. And I don’t know why I was chosen. If I could split it between everyone, I definitely would,” said Capistran. “It’s an honor, it feels great. It felt nice to be appreciated,” said Capistran.