SEGUIN, Texas — Just a few days into the school year, Seguin ISD Superintendent Matthew Gutierrez was inspired by his students and staff.
On Monday, he announced that he'll be putting a portion of his raise toward scholarships for graduating seniors who plan to become educators with the district.
"Our teachers are truly the ones who transform the lives of our kids," Gutierrez said. "We hired five Seguin High School graduates this year, new teachers who decided to come back and contribute to their community. So, I thought, 'Now is the time!'"
He posted the announcement on Twitter and Facebook, and word quickly spread around the halls. Gutierrez sat down with a group of seniors at Seguin High School on Thursday to swap stories about why they chose to pursue a career in education.
Gutierrez said he wanted to be a teacher at an early age, when he would play school with his cousins growing up. It's a similar story for Norma Chapa, who plans to a become a bilingual teacher.
She told Gutierrez that she's thankful for this opportunity.
"Dr. Gutierrez really cares about future educators and I'm really thankful for that," Chapa said.
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For Virginia Sierra, she realized she had a love for education while she was helping out her classmates.
"The teacher wasn't able to stop right then and there because they had to teach the whole class," Sierra said. "So as soon as I finished my work, I was really quick to help them because I wanted them to succeed with the rest of the class."
Sierra said Gutierrez is opening up doors to make their dreams possible.
Logan Procknow said his history teachers are the ones who inspired him to follow in the same direction.
"They showed me not only how good a teacher could be," Procknow said. "They were both very funny. They were able to get all the kids to engage in the class."
Procknow said he can tell Gutierrez cares.
"I can't thank you enough," Procknow said. "This is a great opportunity."
Maria Valdez said it was support from her principal in elementary school who made her realize the impact an educator could have on a student.
"She took the time to listen to me as I was reading a book and she just hugged me," Valdez said. "Receiving that from a teacher, it means a lot to me."
Valdez told Gutierrez his generosity shows he has a "heart full of love for students."
"Through your actions, you're demonstrating the change that you want to make in Seguin ISD," Valdez said.
Like any educator, Gutierrez wasn't expecting a thank you. But it's moments like this that remind him why he chose this path in the first place.
"I'm so proud of them," Gutierrez said. "I can't wait to follow their future success."
A portion of Gutierrez's salary increase will go towards $2,000 in scholarships that will be distributed in the spring. He will determine an application process and how many scholarships will be awarded in the near future.
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