- Pablo and Lucía De La Cruz Rodriguez, a brother-and-sister duo from Mexico, have garnered Teacher of the Year in honors in the respective Utah school districts where they work.
- Both teach in dual-language immersion classrooms.
- Both are now in the running for Utah Teacher of the Year honors.
MIDVALE — Pablo De La Cruz Rodriguez and his sister Lucía De La Cruz Rodriguez have followed in each other's footsteps over the years.
They're both educators, they both came from Mexico to teach in Utah schools, and now they've both been honored as teachers of the year for 2024-25 in the respective Utah school districts where they serve. Garnering the recognition in their school districts puts each in the running for Utah Teacher of the Year honors.
"Receiving this award has been wonderful, but receiving it in the same year as siblings has undoubtedly been the best, a multiplied celebration. This award is especially significant because it represents not only our individual growth as educators, but also the path we have traveled together, supporting each other at every step," said Lucía De La Cruz Rodriguez, a teacher in the Spanish dual-language immersion program at Midvale Elementary in Midvale.
She garnered Teacher of the Year honors from Midvale Elementary and was subsequently tabbed this spring as Teacher of the Year for Canyons School District.
Pablo De La Cruz Rodriguez, a teacher in the Spanish dual-language immersion program at Middle Canyon Elementary in Tooele, garnered Teacher of the Year honors for his work at that school and, subsequently, from Tooele County School District as well. The elder of the two siblings, he singled out his experience working with kids of Mexican descent here in the United States, first in California and now in Utah.
Being a Mexican teacher "in a country where the majority of the migrant population is from Mexico has become a source of pride, a commitment and an example for many children whose future in this country is limited by lack of opportunities and education they don't believe they can achieve," he said.
Ody Flores, a Utah educator who used to work with Pablo De La Cruz Rodriguez and knows both siblings, touted their "unmatched" dedication to students and their commitment to bilingual education. She served as principal of Anna Smith Elementary in Wendover when Pablo De La Cruz Rodriguez worked there and now serves as director of education at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Draper.
"Together, these two siblings represent the very best of what education can be," Flores said. "If you're looking for a story that celebrates immigrant excellence, educational leadership and the impact of culturally responsive teaching, this is it."
While the new Utah Teacher of the Year won't be announced until September, both Pablo De La Cruz Rodriguez, who's taught in the United States for six years, and Lucía De La Cruz Rodriguez, who's taught in the country for five years, seem content with what they've already achieved. They're from the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí and serve in Utah as part of the contingent of teachers from abroad who help staff the many dual-language immersion programs in schools across the state.
In his capacity working with kids learning English and Spanish, Pablo De La Cruz Rodriguez said he's taken on a role as cheerleader of sorts for students who are immigrants themselves or the children of immigrants.
"I made it my mission to be an example for them and many others, to broaden their vision and life expectations in this country," he said.
Lucía De La Cruz Rodriguez said the desire for professional improvement figured significantly in the decision to come to the United States. Her brother, having come to the country first, served as an inspiration. But the diversity she encountered on starting her work in Utah sparked something more.
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Voces de Utah
Looking for more news from Utah's Latino community? Visit our Voces de Utah section for more stories, events and features."It was when I experienced being so close to families of different backgrounds, when I noticed that students ... identified with me, that I had the opportunity not only to teach them academically, but also to be the bridge connecting their culture and identity," she said. "This has been and continues to be an enormous strength and responsibility that encourages and inspires me every year to give my best to the Midvale community."
At a more basic level, though, Lucía De La Cruz Rodriguez aims to connect with her students as individuals. She and her brother, she said, have had many conversations over the years about the teachers who have had the most impact in their lives, and it seems to inform what she does now in running a classroom.
"We want to be for our students the ideal teacher we would have wanted to have," she said.
