By Nadia Tellez
Every summer, I have the privilege of witnessing something special: a group of dedicated educators stepping outside their classrooms and into our community to learn, grow, and bring new inspiration back to their students.
This summer was particularly meaningful – we proudly hosted our largest class yet! We welcomed 16 incredible teachers from across El Paso County into our 2025 Educator Externship program, all from various backgrounds and grade levels. Our goal is to match an educator with a local business for a week so they can gain firsthand experience and better connect classroom instruction to real-world careers in the region.
From healthcare and finance to construction, journalism, and public service, each extern spent a week learning the ins and outs within their “host” company, built relationships, and left inspired with new ways to bring back what they learned to their students. As I reflect on the growth of this program, I’m filled with pride – not just in the number of participants, but in the depth of impact it’s having across our schools.
At the end of their externship, I ask the educators to share reflections from their experience. Here are a few that inspired me:
“My externship at GECU was an incredibly valuable professional development experience. It allowed me to step into the real-world workplace at GECU, gain practical insights, and make meaningful connections between classroom instruction and career readiness. I’m grateful to CREEED for investing in educators and ultimately helping us better prepare our students for the future.”
— Jose Silva-Smith, Pathway to College and Career I & AP Spanish Teacher, Clint Early College Academy
“I have several lessons and project ideas that will be sure to engage my students and further their understanding and application of Algebra… such as having my students open up their own business and learn about business structures, the use of Excel for financing, asset depreciation, and stock shares.”
— Isabel Herrera, Algebra I Teacher, Montwood Middle School
“Learning about branding, customer engagement, and operational strategy at Peter Piper Pizza gave me great insights I’ll bring into my marketing classroom through case studies and real-world examples.”
— April Hall, Sports and Entertainment Marketing Teacher, Montwood High School
“Rotating through UMC was a fun and eye-opening experience. I’m excited to teach my students about careers in medical imaging and how physics plays a role in the field.”
— Jacob Contreras, Physics & Biology Teacher, Tornillo High School
As the externs head back to their classrooms this fall, I’m excited to hear about how they’ll translate their experience into hands-on lessons for their students. Their commitment to bridging classrooms and careers is already making an impact – and will continue to shape the future of our region’s students for years to come.
Join me in congratulating the 2025 Educator Externs:
- Alyssa Reyes, SSG. Manuel R. Puentes Middle School
- Carlye Flores, Mission Early College High School
- Chenen Bembry-Peralta, Hernando Middle School
- Merida De Leon, Pebble Hills High School
- Jose Silva-Smith, Clint Early College Academy
- Anna Olivas, Hornedo Middle School
- Alma Ramos, Deanna Davenport Elementary
- Carlos Banning, Eastlake High School
- Jacob Contreras, Tornillo High School
- Arleen Parada, Lujan Chavez Elementary
- Erika Herrera, Pebble Hills High School
- Isabel Herrera, Montwood Middle School
- April Hall, Montwood High School
- Kelsie Vasquez, Ernesto Serna Fine Arts Academy
- Benjamin Bautista, Center for Career & Technology
- Carlos Villarreal, Pebble Hills High School
The externship would not be possible without a growing list of businesses and institutions who open their doors and allow an educator to gain an insider look into all aspects of their business. Thank you to the following businesses for opening their doors to educator externs this year: