Catholic School Teacher Honored by Local Radio Station

Melina Lopez (ACE 21), currently serving as an AmeriCorps member teaching second grade in San Antonio, has received a type of reward typically reserved for students.

She's on an "honor roll," thanks to the praise of a parent and a local radio station's pro-educator tradition.

Visitors from San Antonio's Q101.9 station recently surprised Lopez in her classroom at St. Paul Catholic School, where she's in her second year of teaching. The station presented her with their Q Honor Roll teacher of the month award, as seen in this video.

A parent of one of her students had written a nomination letter to the station, saluting Lopez as "patient, caring, and fair" in teaching her daughter and demonstrating commitment to her whole class.

The praise resulted in an award, complete with gift card prizes.

Lopez, who graduated from Duke University in 2014 with a B.A. in history and religion studies, was moved by the salute, and her students gave her a round of applause.

"I was surprised and humbled to find that one of my students' parents nominated me for this award," Lopez said. "I strive to keep all my students engaged in the classroom, but I was really touched to hear what a difference it had made for this student and her family." 

She added, "The past two years have been formative—to say the least!—and if I've made half the difference in my students' lives that they have in mine, then I'd consider my time with them a success."

Congratulations to this honor roll-winning ACE Teacher in our San Antonio community!