Brazosport ISD is excited to shine the spotlight on Mary Heckendorn and Samantha Stanley as this month’s 2024 Spotlight Educators.
Spotlight Educators are teachers who go above and beyond for both students and their coworkers. They are knocking instruction out of the park to ensure a supportive and enriching learning environment for all.
Elementary Spotlight Educator: Mary Heckendorn
Mary Heckendorn, an Interventionist at Robert Elementary, truly embodies Brazosport ISD's beliefs. She works with all teachers, parents, and students to ensure that our students are receiving the highest quality education through targeted intervention, skill development, and bridging learning gaps. She builds relationships with students and their families inside the school and out in the community to help students feel connected to their school and strengthen their learning experience. Mary's experience in teaching all grade levels helps build a foundation of support and resources for our teachers. She is always willing to help the overall campus succeed, whether it be tutoring, summer school, academic nights, crosswalk duty - whatever, whenever! And you just can't help but be happy around her - her positivity and smile are contagious!
Her peers shared that, "Mary is completely devoted to O.M. Roberts. She puts her heart and soul into every educational decision she makes to ensure that ALL children at Roberts feel successful. Her kind and reassuring nature instantly puts parents at ease when their child is struggling. She truly wants to find the best way to meet their student’s needs, and parents can feel that. Mary’s rapport with her intervention and dyslexia students is amazing to watch. She holds them to a high standard and they work hard so as not to disappoint her. As a teammate and coworker, you can’t find a better teammate than Mary. She is always there to give a helping hand, give advice on teaching a student to better meet their needs, data, tutoring, teaching campus summer school, a good laugh and so much more. Many of the younger teachers on campus lovingly call her “Mom” because she truly gives the best advice. Mary Heckendorn is O.M. Roberts' biggest cheerleader and she wants nothing but the best for our campus. Anyone who gets to interact with Mary is better because of it.
Secondary Spotlight Educator: Samantha Stanley
Samantha Stanley is an English teacher for Brazosport High School. She stands out for her professionalism, excellence in instruction, and unwavering support for her peers. She has been a support system to her department and an instrumental member of our instructional leadership team. She consistently brings high-quality instruction to her students, has a positive attitude, and serves her campus in the spirit of excellence.
Her peers shared, "Samantha is a down-to-earth and caring professional educator. She holds all students accountable and strives to get the very best from each of them. I have learned to be a better educator by viewing the profession of teaching through her lens,” ~Dencel Woodley. "Samantha is one of the most dependable and reliable people that I know. You can always call on her to do anything, and she never complains. She just says "no problem," ~LaShaye Thompson.
Mary Heckendorn and Samantha Stanley epitomize the core values of Brazosport ISD - dedication, excellence, and a genuine passion for fostering student success. Their impact extends far beyond the classroom, shaping the educational landscape with their unwavering commitment to creating a nurturing and empowering learning environment for all. Congratulations to Mary and Samantha for their well-deserved recognition as BISD Spotlight Educators!
