Aspiring educators earn national recognition

When Franz Lozano Jr. returned to college after more than a decade away, he did not expect to find himself advocating for future teachers. 

The San Jacinto College biomedical equipment technology student joined the Texas State Teachers Association of Aspiring Educators after a friend encouraged him to get involved. Although he is not an education major, the organization gave him a place to develop his voice, connect with other students, and serve others. 

Now, Lozano and his fellow student leaders are celebrating a national accomplishment. 

The San Jac chapter received the National Outstanding Community College Chapter Award during the National Education Association Aspiring Educators Conference in Denver this summer. The award recognizes student leadership, service, professional development, and community engagement. 

“To be the main ones out of the whole nation to win that, especially representing San Jac, I think that speaks volumes about the things we are doing as an organization,” Lozano said. 

Four other students besides Lozano represented the chapter at the conference: Alexis Gonzalez, Lilly Maldonado, Alexandra Martinez, and Jordan Potter. 

Chapter advisor and education professor Dr. Judith Skeele, who celebrates 20 years at San Jac this year, said students have attended the annual National Education Association conference for about a decade, participating in professional development and learning from aspiring educators across the country. 

That broader perspective begins with serving close to home. 

“We want them to be involved in their local community,” Skeele said. “You start there before you go anywhere else. You have to care about what happens around you.” 

Students put that philosophy into practice through projects such as the Kindness Project, creating messages of encouragement for cancer patients, senior citizens, and students in hospitals and care facilities. The students also learned to write grant proposals and received funding to start a garden club at a local elementary school. 

English professor Dr. Stephanie Plain Potter, another chapter advisor, said students also discover leadership qualities they may not realize they possess. 

When Lozano first became involved, he questioned what he could contribute because he was not an education major. Potter saw a student who cared about education, communicated well, and encouraged others. 

“The capacity of being able to encourage others and showing them that you care about them is that leadership that we need,” she said. 

Lozano has since become president of the Central Campus chapter and state vice president of Texas State Teachers Association of Aspiring Educators. 

After serving in the U.S. Army, Lozano worked in industrial fields before returning to school. Biomedical equipment technology appealed to him because it combined hands-on work with helping others. TSTA-AE gave him another way to help. 

Through the organization, Lozano began to understand how closely education and government are connected and became interested in advocating for students and future teachers. 

“I’m not scared to stand up for what I feel is right and help people out,” Lozano said. “That’s the main goal.” 

At the national conference, students shared ideas with other chapters and participated in workshops about recruitment, advocacy, and issues affecting educators and students. 

The conference also opened a new world for students with few opportunities to travel. 

“It is just the most fulfilling thing to know that you’re exposing them to something that they might not have had a chance to experience, and it’s so new to them,” Skeele said. “That, for me, brings me a lot of joy.” 

The conference brought additional recognition for San Jac. Potter was nominated for the Distinguished Faculty Advisor Award, while Lozano and Martinez were nominated for the Emerging Student Leaders Award. 

The chapter built on its success with its first TSTA-AE Leadership Retreat Aug. 29 at the Central Campus, which strengthened students’ leadership and relationship skills. 

Potter said part of that work is helping students identify what they bring to the organization and will eventually bring to their own classrooms. 

“Each one of them will be different voices as educators,” she said. 

For the chapter’s advisors, developing those voices is as important as bringing home an award. 

“Even if you think that whatever you’re doing might be small, it actually affects a bigger picture,” Lozano said. 

 

---

About San Jacinto College

Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. The College is ranked second in the nation among more than 1,100 community colleges, as designated by the Aspen Institute and was named an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020 and 2026. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution that spans five campuses, plus an online college, San Jacinto College serves approximately 45,000 credit and non-credit students annually. It offers more than 200 degrees and certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. The College is fiscally sound, holding bond ratings of AA+ by Standard & Poor’s and Aa2 by Moody’s. San Jacinto College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.