LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A Las Vegas kindergarten teacher is getting national recognition after placing second in a competition with over 90,000 educators.
Las Vegas kindergarten teacher Sofia Bella placed second in the nation-wide America’s Favorite Teacher competition. Thousands of teachers competed in multiple elimination rounds- based on public voting and community engagement.
“I was like, ‘I’ll just post it and see what happens’ but the community was so on it. They’re like, ‘let’s keep posting it, we’ll vote for you every day’,” Bella said.
The community rallied behind her online – voting every day, pushing her to the top 2. That momentum didn’t just earn her a title, it brought home $5,000 in supplies for her school.
“When they finally announced the results, my kids were so happy. Especially when I told them that we were winning the $5,000 for the school. They were so happy. They were screaming,” Bella said.
“It gives our students the opportunity to have special paint brushes and special tools, so that they can perform and do things here,” said Principal of Mater Academy Vista, Olivia Carbajal.
As an educator at Mater Academy Mountain Vista in East Las Vegas, Bella’s students get to learn the ABC’s –from someone who has walked in their shoes.
“This school is actually 75% Latino, and I’m Cuban, Mexican,” Bella said. “I also grew up on this side of town, I went to school, so I served as the same kids that I went to school in the same community. It’s helped a lot because a lot of my students will come in and not even speak English.”
Bella said she’s using her social media platform to spotlight what it’s really like to be in the classroom as a Latina educator.
“My teachers are actually who inspired me, and I realized, the way that they taught, they showed me that my dreams could come true – I want to be that for others.”
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