Each year, Mount Pleasant ISD campuses select Employees of the Year. Chosen by their peers, these employees were recognized by the MPISD Board of Trustees at their May 23 meeting and will be honored at the MPISD End-of-Year Breakfast on June 3, 2016.
The Early Head Start Employee of the Year is Educator Maria Hernandez. Born in Mexico, she came to Mt. Pleasant when she was seven. She is a graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School (2006), Northeast Texas Community College (2014) and is enrolled at Texas A&M University working on her teaching certificate. She has been with the District since 2007. What Hernandez likes most about her job is “getting to know my students and their families. I love to see them every morning ready to learn as they come into the classroom.” Hernandez has two children, a seven-year old son Anthony and an eleven-year-old daughter Natalie.
The Child Development Center Employee of the Year is Classroom Specialist Karen Garrett. She was born and raised in Costa Rica and is a 2006 MPHS graduate. Garrett has been at the CDC since 2008, first as a teacher assistant and now as a Head Start Classroom Specialist. Garrett says what she likes most about her job is “teaching children new skills to help them stay healthy and working with such an amazing school family.” Garrett has three daughters.
The Employee of the Year at Annie Sims Elementary School is Custodian Jorge Crespo Valentin. Jorge was born and raised in Puerto Rico. He was a police officer in Puerto Rico for 15 years before coming to Mt. Pleasant. He has been at Annie Sims since 2014. When asked what he likes about his job, he said “the environment; being able to work in the presence of children and the excellent group of professional employees.” Valentin and his wife Jessica Rodriguez, a Bilingual Aide at Fowler Elementary, have a daughter, Shakira, a 5th grader at Wallace Middle School.
The E.C. Brice Elementary School Employee of the Year is RTI and Testing Coordinator Shannon Harvill. She was born in Henderson, Texas, moving to Mt. Pleasant when she was a sophomore in high school. She is a graduate of MPHS, attended NTCC and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from East Teas State University in Commerce. Harvill worked at E.C. Brice for five years after college graduation, left for several years and rejoined the staff of E.C. Brice in 2005. Harvill believes that in her current position she can provide support for classroom teachers – something they need and deserve. “It takes all of us to grow strong, confident and successful citizens,” she added. Harvill and her husband Johnny have daughter Hannah, who is finishing 6th grade at Wallace, and a son, Hayden, who will begin 1st grade at E.C. Brice next fall.
The Frances Corprew Elementary School Employee of the Year is Receptionist Gabriela Niño. She was born in Mexico and moved to Mount Pleasant when she was three. She is a MPHS graduate coming to work for the District in 2012. “I enjoy working in a great environment with a wonderful staff,” Niño said when asked what she likes most about her job. “All together we make a difference in each and every student,” she added. Niño has a daughter Ashley Sarahi and a son Angel Jeremiah.
The Employee of the Year at Vivian Fowler Elementary School is Teacher’s Aide Patricia Moreno. She was born in Mt. Pleasant and raised in Pittsburg. She is a graduate of Pittsburg High School and NTCC and is currently attending Texas A&M University. She came to work for the District in 2015. When asked what she likes most about her job, Moreno said, “In my opinion, teaching is one of the greatest career choices because you get to inspire students not only academically but personally. You get the opportunity to help children achieve their best.”
Moreno and her husband Kerry have one daughter Natalia and two sons Chris and JJ.
The Employee of the Year at P.E. Wallace Middle School is Clerical Aide Yolanda Dillard. She was born and raised in Mt. Pleasant, graduating from MPHS in 1998. She has attended NTCC and has been with the District for nine years. When asked what she likes most about her job, Dillard said, “the students. I am thankful that I get to interact with the students by coming to work and greeting them as they enter the building. Just by listening and believing in them, showing a genuine interest in their work and behavior and giving them respect in return, I just might be the most stable adult presence in their lives. Also I enjoy being a part of Team Wallace, fortunate to work with wonderful people and in an environment that supports team work.” Yolanda and her husband Barry have two daughters, Alexanderia, a sophomore at Baylor University, and Taylor, a freshman at MPHS.
The Mount Pleasant Junior High School Employee of the Year is Receptionist Lupita Cabrera. Born in Mexico, she came to the United States when she was 15 and is a graduate of MPHS. She has attended NTCC and has been with the District since 2011. When asked what she likes about her job, Cabrera said “helping the students.” Cabrera and her husband Samuel have a daughter, 13-year-old Victoria, and a son, nine-year-old Anthony.
The Employee of the Year at Mount Pleasant High School is Business Office Secretary Pam Rawlings. Born and raised in Abilene, Texas she graduated from high school there and earned an Associate’s Degree in Applied Arts from Cisco Junior College in Cisco, Texas. She has been with the District since 1997. What Rawlings likes about her job is her co-workers. “I work with a great bunch of teachers, staff and administrators,” she said. Rawlings and her husband Fred have a daughter and son-in-law Laura and Jared Akers, and a son Jesse who is finishing graduate school at Hardin Simmons University in Abilene.
“While each of these nine MPISD employees have very different job responsibilities, they share several common traits,” said MPISD Superintendent of Schools Judd Marshall. “They are each dedicated to the education of all children in Mount Pleasant ISD. They love their jobs, love the people they work with, and love the children on their campuses. Mount Pleasant ISD is lucky to have them as employees.”
Pictured: Campus Employees (l-r); Pam Rawlings, Yolanda Dillard, Gabriela Niño, Shannon Harvill, Jorge Crespo Valentin, Karen Garrett, Maria Hernandez, Patricia Moreno, Lupita Cabrera