Five certified teachers graduated from Sul Ross State University in Alpine on Dec. 15 as part of the partnership between XTO Energy, Odessa College and Andrews Independent School District.
This is the third cohort of teachers to complete certification thanks to the Teachers Academy at SRSU, which launched in April 2021 with a goal to get more teachers into Andrews classrooms, a news release said.
XTO Energy, an affiliate of ExxonMobil Corporation, funds the project, the goal of which is to graduate certified teachers without college debt.
The academy allows Andrews-based students to complete an associate degree through Odessa College, after which they receive their bachelor’s degree and teacher certificate through Sul Ross State, all while remaining in Andrews.
Mary Perales will teach 7th grade at Andrews Middle School; Ashley Barton and Osmaray Bueno will both teach 4th grade at Underwood Elementary School; Alma Lozano will teach third grade at Devonian Elementary School; and Gabriela Balderrama will teach first grade at Clearfork Elementary School.
Eight additional student teachers are currently working toward certification at SRSU.
For more information about the Teachers Academy, email Dr. Bradley Carpenter, chair of education, at [email protected].
