Villela, a fourth grade bilingual teacher at Spring Independent School District’s Booker Elementary School, was honored at the TABE Annual Conference on Oct. 16 at the Westin Galleria in Houston.

Villela earned an undergraduate degree in education in her native country of Guatemala, and a bachelor’s degree at UST in general studies with a concentration in psychology and education. She went on to earn a Master in Liberal Arts with a concentration in psychology in 2005. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in education from Texas A&M.

For three decades, The University of St. Thomas has offered bilingual/dual language education as a specialty to students in the School of Education.
“Earning the distinction of Bilingual Teacher of the Year shows that Karla has clearly established herself as a leader among bilingual educators,” said Dr. Ginny Torres-Rimbau, director of the UST Bilingual/Dual Language Education Program. “Through her leadership and dedication, Karla serves as an excellent role model to aspiring bilingual teachers currently pursuing a degree at UST.”

Villela came to the United States in 1997, and began her teaching career as a bilingual education volunteer at Sam Houston Elementary. She wanted to expand on her previous degree, but struggled to find the right university which fully accepted her undergraduate transcripts from Guatemala.

“St. Thomas really opened their arms to me,” Villela said. “UST was the only school that took the time to really evaluate my transcript. The University helped me find a way to continue my studies in the United States. Since I already had an education degree, (the late) Dr. Janice Gordon Kelter also mentored me, and helped me find my way to psychology.”

“In any given classroom, there are so many different kinds of children who learn in different ways,” she said. “Having a background in both education and psychology helps me understand them better, and in turn, gives me the tools to help them succeed.”

To be selected as the top bilingual teacher in the state for 2009, Villela completed numerous rounds of interviews. As the winner, Villela will have the opportunity to study bilingual education in Spain for three weeks. At the conference, she gave a presentation entitled, “Motivation techniques + effective instructional strategies = success for all bilingual students.”

Shown above left to right: Karla Villela, a UST graduate who was named the 2009 Bilingual Teacher of the Year by the Texas Association of Bilingual Education, and Keisha Womack, principal of Booker Elementary School, where Villela works.