2020-2021 Orange Grove Teacher of the Year Nataly Cajina

My higher education journey contributed to my decision to become a teacher. Originally a Political Science major, my classes focused on government-related topics. However, all of our material integrated the importance of education for the democratic process as the theme. I understood the importance of a teacher’s profession. I began to consider the value of education for our country. My professors in Political Science also instilled in me a passion for education that continued to grow throughout my college years. This factor along with my brother’s decision to pursue education helped in my decision to get a degree in teaching. For this reason, I decided to pursue a minor in Education. When I graduated from the University of Houston, I graduated as a Political Science Major with a minor in Education. My next step was to pursue my Alternative Certification with Texas Teachers. Orange Grove Elementary accepted me as a 2nd grade bilingual teacher. I have the honor of calling Orange Grove Elementary my home for 5 years now.