When Stanley Glover, Brianna Trout, Madian Maquivar and Raul Andrade walked through the doors of the schools where they teach the morning of Friday, Jan. 9, they had no idea that a congratulatory committee would be coming to visit them later that day.
Each of these educators was surprised when representatives of the Hillsborough Education Foundation showed up looking for them, with an offering of balloons and flowers, to congratulate them on being selected as finalists for the 2015 Excellence in Education Awards.
“I never even imagined being a finalist for the district,” Brianna Trout, an assistant teacher at Simmons Career Center, said. “There are a lot of dedicated educators. I’m just a small example of going into a school and to help students. I truly feel honored.”
Trout, Maquivar and Andrade are finalists for the Instructional Support Employee of the Year award. Maquivar is a bilingual paraprofessional at Dover Elementary School, and Andrade is a bilingual aid at Tomlin Middle School. There were five total finalists in this category, chosen from 249 nominees.
“I’ve always liked helping and teaching kids,” Maquivar said. “It gives me a sense of accomplishment, knowing that I have changed a student’s life by teaching them new, fun and exciting things.”
“It is very gratifying to build positive relationships with students and have an impact on their lives in a positive way— to help them achieve success not only in the classroom, but in life,” Andrade said.
Glover was selected out of 218 nominees as one of five finalists for the Ida S. Baker Diversity Educator of the Year award. He is a math teacher at Marshall Middle School.
“As an educator, I understand in order to create a perfect world, every student must be able to pursue and achieve their dreams,” Glover said.
LOCAL FINALISTS
Stanley Glover
School: Marshall Middle School
Position: Math/ESE teacher
Years at Marshall: 16
Tip for Success: “Be inspiring, be enthusiastic, be motivating, be encouraging.”
Brianna Trout
School: Simmons Career Center
Position: Assistant teacher
Years at Simmons: 10
Tip for Success: “You may trip along the way, but don’t let that hold you back from getting up and trying again to pursue your dreams.”
Madian Maquivar
School: Dover Elementary School
Position: Bilingual paraprofessional
Years at Dover Elementary: Two
Tip for Success: “Learning is an adventure. Make it fun and never give up.”
Raul Andrade
School: Tomlin Middle School
Position: Bilingual aid
Years at Tomlin: Three
Tip for Success: “Always set goals and stay positive.”
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.