Assembly Member Alex Lee (D-San José) recognized two CTA members in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month during an event co-hosted with East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) Board Vice President Lorena Chavez.

Guadalupe Alvarez, who has been teaching AP Spanish (both the language and literature classes) at Independence High School for 24 years, is one of the honorees.

“I feel humbled and honored because as an educator, I do what I do without seeking any form of recognition. I do what I do because it needs to be done; my students need me and to have been honored during Hispanic Heritage Month is humbling because it shows me that the dedication and hard work of all educators does not go unnoticed. To have been honored during this time makes me proud of my heritage and impulses me to continue my work and provide my students with everything they need to succeed,” said Alvarez, a member of the East Side Teachers Association.

Alvarez’s passion for teaching came from her father, who inspired her to pursue higher education and to always help and give back to others. For Alvarez, becoming an educator seemed natural because she could not think of any other rewarding profession where one gets to help and give back to the community that needs educators the most. “As a product of the Alum Rock Union School District and East Side Union High School District, I wanted to give back and help others in my community achieve their dreams and be successful,” said Alvarez.

“I would like to thank Assembly Member Lee for taking the time out of his busy schedule, thinking of us educators, recognizing the work that we do, and for propelling me to continue my journey of helping students achieve,” said Alvarez.

Renata Sanchez, who is an elementary site instructional coach for the San José Unified School District and has been an educator for 16 years, is the second honoree.

“I am beyond words about this honor. I was not expecting any sort of recognition, as a lot of the work we do as educators is often unseen by others outside our classrooms and schools. It was both hopeful and validating to receive this honor. I always have the most profound respect for individuals and organizations recognized by legislators in my area, and it is still sinking in that I am one of them!” said Sanchez, Vice President of the San José Teachers Association.

Sanchez’s students inspire her every day to be an educator. She had a long-term plan of going into law and policy, but once she began teaching, her students captured her heart and she never looked back. “What I love about being a leader in CTA is that I can still impact education policy through legislative advocacy, while continuing to do the work that I love in the classroom,” said Sanchez, who also serves as a representative to the CTA State Council of Education.

“I would like to continue to express profound gratitude to Assembly Member Lee. He always makes time to listen to teachers and education support professionals when creating and voting on laws that impact our classrooms and students. He has been a champion for our families and communities, and I am so thankful that he is my representative.”

– Renata Sanchez, San José Unified School District

Sanchez with her award (photo credit: Assembly Member Lee’s office)

These educators bring orgullo to the classroom every day. This recognition just touches on the many amazing contributions they bring to the classroom, the empowerment they bring to their students, and the leadership they bring to their communities.

¡Felicidades a las homenajeadas!

Congratulations to the honorees!