2011 Grad Wins First Year Teacher of the Year Award
Tania Anzaldi ’11 teaches 4th grade at Steele Creek Elementary in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although she is just starting out, her commitment to her vocation and especially to her students was recently recognized with the First Year Teacher of the Year award presented by the school.
Recipients are selected by the school’s principal, and Anzaldi was one of two teachers chosen out of approximately 15 with less than four years of experience.
“The reward came as a big surprise,” said Anzaldi, who started her position a week after school began and hit the ground running. “Trinity’s education department taught me to teach (serve) with excellence. The principal stated that my commitment to my job and caring attitude with student/parent and teacher relationships really shined through.”
Originally from Trevor, Wisconsin, the former elementary education major first enrolled at Trinity with plans to enter nursing but changed her major sophomore year. Her teacher aide experience at a high-needs school solidified her decision. “After working with those kids and my cooperating teacher for a semester, I knew that without a doubt teaching was where God was calling me.”
And the reward of answering that call is experienced every day.
“If I only had to name one thing I love about teaching, I would have to say the students,” said Anzaldi. “As difficult and challenging as kids can be there is nothing better than looking back at the end of the year and seeing children do a complete 180 degree turn all because someone took the time to care and challenge them to be who God called them to be.”