Valeria Cruz

Tell us why you became a teacher

I competed as a powerlifter in college and was the runner up National Champion in 2022 while I was volunteering coaching kids in powerlifting and wrestling. I fell in love with guiding these kids and being a huge role model for them. You don’t always see a Hispanic woman in these spaces and these kids really appreciates seeing someone like them doing big things. Naturally I chose my minor in secondary education and I became a Science Teacher!

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

Last year we did a “Teach the Class” project and it made me realize I love teaching . I felt so validated seeing my students using my strategies in front of the class and taking the project so seriously. It was so funny seeing them put their all into being a teacher for a moment and acting like total professionals! It brought so much joy and humor to the entire class, to this day I think about how amazing my students are.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I have an old car that has been in 2 accidents, I would love to purchase a used vehicle to get me to work safe. I would invest some of the money into my Environmental class to bring some hydroponics and test kits to the kids here. I work in Fabens Texas and this is a very low income community.