WACO, TX - Education Service Center Region 12 honored the work of bilingual and ESL educators from around Region 12 during the third annual Bilingual/ESL Support Awards Ceremony on May 12. Award categories included parent engagement, ambassadors for content-based language instruction, paraprofessional recognition, bilingual/ESL teachers of the year, bilingual/ESL leaders of the year and more.   

2025 BESA Winners:

• Community Partner Award: Dr. Tracey Jones, Baylor University
• ESC Collaborator Award: Kari Kenobbie-Espin and Lindsay Olsen, ESC Region 12
• Parent, Family and Community Engagement - School Leader of the Year: Patricia Roberts, Hillsboro ISD
• Parent, Family and Community Engagement - Parent Award: Laura Angélica Peña and Oscar Nicolás Peña Castellón, Killeen ISD
• Content-Based Language Instruction Ambassadors: Hamilton ISD, Rice ISD and Killeen ISD
• Content-Based Language Instruction Implementor of the Year: Wendy Lewis, Killeen ISD
• The Open Road to Language: McDade ISD
• Paraprofessionals of the Year: Claudia Carrillo, Belton ISD and Mireya Villasensor, Hillsboro ISD
• Elementary ESL Teacher of the Year: Shelly Burns, Mexia ISD
• Junior High ESL Teacher of the Year: Alfonso Weems, Marlin ISD
• High School ESL Teacher of the Year: Tiffany Yoder, La Vega ISD
• New ESL Teacher of the Year: Jennifer Clark, Salado ISD
• Content-Based Language Instruction Teacher of the Year: Janna Whitehead, Hamilton ISD
• Dual Language Teacher of the Year: Beatriz Molina, Killeen ISD
• Bilingual Team of the Year: Copperas Cove Dual Language
• Data Diver: Hamilton ISD
• District Leader of the Year: Erika Rains, Temple ISD
• Leadership Team of the Year: Waco ISD - Deena Cornblum, Carmen Diaz Perez, Cathleen Rooney and Milissa Johnson

View event photos here.