As someone who has built a reputation for his unwavering commitment to his students’ personal and academic success, it was Guadalupe Mendoza’s turn to be championed by his school.
The high school ELA teacher at Horizon Science Academy Southwest was surprised in his classroom last week when he was named Illinois Network of Charter Schools High School Teacher of the Year. Mendoza was greeted with a $10,000 check by HSA’s principal Dr. Stephen Palmerin, school staffers and representatives from INCS.
Mendoza, who didn’t know he was nominated for the award, credited his students and HSA for the energy he brings every day to the school.
“This job and being nominated as a teacher here comes with the classrooms,” Mendoza said to his students. “It feels great to be here. When I became a teacher, I was inspired by my high school teachers who motivated me and pushed me in all different ways. I hope I have been that to you guys.”
Since arriving at HSA Southwest three years ago, Mendoza has quickly become an integral part of the school’s culture. On top of creating HSA’s cross country team, he recently encouraged multiple students to compete in the Chicago Marathon and rallied other students to pass out Gatorade and water. Mendoza is also a CYSP mentor and one of the leaders of the Social Chair.
When it came down to deciding between 200 high school teachers for the award, Mendoza had separated himself with his innate desire to, sometimes literally, go the extra mile for his students.
“One of the things that we liked about his nomination was that it wasn’t just classroom-based,” INCS Director of Charter School Growth Yesica Rufino said. “He has gone out of his way as a teacher to show that he’s more than just a teacher but that he can be a coach and positive influence outside of the classroom. When we see that extra effort to support your community, that’s what sets people apart and that’s what we saw from him.”
Mendoza and Palmerin’s relationship goes back to when the ELA teacher was a student at DePaul. Palmerin, who was working at HSA McKinley Park at the time, took notice of Mendoza’s work ethic immediately when he saw the young student’s dedication to learning on the job. The two eventually exchanged phone numbers and Palmerin would receive early-morning texts from Mendoza asking to be let into the school so he could get ahead of the work day.
When it came time for Mendoza to start his career following graduation, Palmerin was quick to make the case for why he should join the staff at HSA Southwest.
“Just in our interactions, I saw something in him,” Palmerin said. “I thought, ‘Man, this guy has a huge heart.’ People always ask me what I am looking for when I am interviewing potential teachers and usually it’s pretty simple. I ask if the person is in the profession for the right reasons and do they have a a growth mindset.
“(Mendoza) stood out even early on in our relationship.”
Mendoza’s career aspirations initially leaned towards becoming a high school teacher at CPS but Palmerin was able to offer something no other school had at its disposal: an incomparable school culture and the opportunity to grow as a leader. After taking a tour at HSA, Mendoza was sold.
As a young teacher with plenty of accomplishments to be a proud of early on in his career, Mendoza has made the most of his time at HSA. Winning INCS High School Teacher of the Year is only the beginning for him.
“I remember taking a tour here and thinking, ‘this is different,’ said Mendoza. “What drove me to come here was the little things. I thought ‘I can really build something new, something different. I’ve had support since the very beginning from creating the cross country team to whenever I’ve wanted to get my ideas in.
“It’s been an amazing time here.”