LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Jessica Torres was nominated anonymously.

Ms. Torres has always aspired to be an educator. No one could get her to change her mind. She started to fall in love with teaching at a young age. She would help out a teacher who taught first grade by working with small groups and reading to the students. She loves motivating others and reassuring them that they can do anything they set their mind to.

Ms. Torres went to Townview Education and Social Services High School, where she had the opportunity to tutor and mentor students from various grades and ages. She quickly knew that she was driven toward math and pursued a bachelor's degree in mathematics at TWU. She was eager to start teaching! 

Ms. Torres faced numerous challenges during her first year, from struggling students to long hours. On top of these challenges, she went on maternity leave during the school year. She finished the year because she did not want her students to be left with a substitute.

Ms. Torres left for a new school, and today, she is thriving. She finished her first year at the new school, and many of her students achieved mastery. This made her really happy, not because of the grades that they got, but because it validated her efforts to change students' lives and help them grow. She motivates her students, and they appreciate her for who she is.

"I nominated Ms. Torres because I have seen her grow, fall, and stand back up. Despite all of her obstacles, she chooses to teach. She chooses positivity. She does this line of work with a kind heart so that her students will want to pursue higher education and won't set boundaries as to what they can achieve," said the nominator.