Melissa Farias Zúñiga of New Braunfels High School was named the Education Service Center (ESC) Region 20 Secondary Teacher of the Year during the NBISD Convocation Ceremony on the grounds of Wurstfest on Aug. 8. 

Dr. Jeff Goldhorn, ESC 20 Executive Director, was on hand at Wursthalle to announce the award to Zúñiga in front of the entire NBISD staff. On stage to award her was NBISD Superintendent Dr. Laurelyn Arterbury, NBHS Principal Greg Hughes and NBISD Chief Academic Officer Kara Bock. 

“We are so proud of Melissa and all of her hard work to be named as the top teacher in the region,” Arterbury said. “She truly cares about her students and wants each and everyone of them to succeed.”

Zúñiga is an English as second language (ESL) teacher at NBHS, a role that she has held for the last six years. She is going into her 11th year with NBISD. 

Aside from teaching, Zúñiga has served  in many roles throughout her life with NBISD. As a New Braunfels High School graduate, she also has volunteered for many organizations while raising her four children in New Braunfels. She began focusing on English as a second language in 2014 when she worked at the Ninth Grade Center where she was the Teacher of the Year in 2017-18. 

As for leadership, she serves as the coordinator of NBISD’s Title III Secondary Family Engagement Night and ESL services at the school including scheduling, intervention and social services. Zúñiga also serves as the ESL supervisor and as mentor to many ESL teachers. 

“Melissa embodies the spirit of ‘Every student. Every day.’ In her role at NBHS, she supports our language learners and ensures they have all the tools necessary to find success. At the same time, she holds her kiddos to the same high standards as all other students,”Hughes said. “Melissa is a team player, supportive of our classroom teachers, and advocates for her program. She is not afraid to challenge the status quo and shows up each day with the mindset of making someone else’s life better.”