Alliance for Catholic Education
Brownsville
Life in the City
The Rio Grande Valley (or as we call it, The Valley) is a place that we are blessed to call home. With taquerias around every corner, raspa stands that somehow hit every time, and sunsets that make you pause mid-commute, it’s a place that feeds you well and welcomes you better. Whether it’s beach days in January, bilingual Mass on Sunday, or a spontaneous trip to La Pulga, life here has a rhythm all its own and we are glad to experience it!
ACE Brownsville
McKenna Brannan
Our Lady of Sorrows
MS Social Studies
Luis Longorio
Guadalupe Regional
MS Science
Patrick McKenzie
St. Joseph Academy
HS Social Studies
Julie Muñoz-Segura
St. Anthony
4th Grade
Will Stockwell
Guadalupe Regional
MS Social Studies
Hometown
New Orleans, LA
Undergraduate Institution
Georgetown University
Undergraduate Studies
Major: Government & Justice and Peace Studies
Why did you say "yes" to serving as a Catholic school educator through ACE Teaching Fellows?
I said "yes" to ACE because it was a great way to combine my personal faith with my belief in the transformative power of education.
Hometown
Rio Rico, AZ
Undergraduate Institution
University of Notre Dame
Undergraduate Studies
Major: Neuroscience and Behavior
Minor: Foundations of Business
What is one of your favorite memories from your first year in ACE Teaching Fellows?
During our eighth grade graduation, one of my students shared a story about an interaction we had during her salutatorian speech. She said “someone I really look up to once told me, if you look at anything and closely enough, you can be sure to find God there.”
Hometown
Wilmington, DE
Undergraduate Institution
University of Notre Dame
Undergraduate Studies
Major: History
Minors: Constitutional Studies & Education, Schooling, and Society
What is the one thing that you love most about your ACE school? Why?
One thing I love most about St. Joseph Academy is the Marist pillar of Presence. This pillar encapsulates the Bloodhound Family that accompanied me through my first year. Building meaningful connections and genuine relationships with faculty, staff, and students exemplifies what it means to "meet people where they are."
Hometown
Atlanta, GA
Undergraduate Institution
University of Notre Dame
Undergraduate Studies
Majors: Psychology & Latino Studies
Minor: Gender Studies
If you had to pick one word to describe your ACE experience thus far, what would it be? Why?
Iterative. As a first year teacher, not every lesson was perfect, despite all the planning that went into them. I learned that every lesson, week, classroom interaction needs to be treated as a continous cycle of trial, feedback, and improvement.
Hometown
Boston, MA
Undergraduate Institution
Stanford University
Undergraduate Studies
Major: History
Minor: Political Science
What are you most looking forward to most as an ACE teacher this year?
I look forward to serving the students and families of the Rio Grande Valley and deepening my understanding of their rich history and culture.