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Hermleigh graduate Samantha Berry (center) was nominated by one of her students, Chloe Trejo (left), for the Star in the Classroom award for her work as a journalism teacher and advisor at Cypress Creek High School. As one of the winners, Berry was visited at school by Houston Texans football player Brian Cushing and was given tickets and sideline passes to a Texans game.
Hermleigh alumna Samantha Berry achieved a rare feat over the past year by winning local, state and national teaching awards.
Berry, a 2006 graduate of Hermleigh High School, is in her third year as the publications adviser at Cypress Creek High School in the Houston area, where she teaches journalism, yearbook and newspaper. Before starting at Cypress Creek, she spent three years at Big Spring High School.
In college, she studied agricultural communications at Texas Tech University, hoping to get involved in journalism or communications.
Berry said she had not seriously considered a career in teaching at first, but is glad to be on the career path she is.
“I’m so glad this career captivated me and kept me,” Berry said. “I really loved my journalism classes in college and thought that is what I would be doing. I didn’t plan on being a teacher, but I really, really do love it.”
Last May, Berry was named the “spotlight teacher of the year” for the school. That summer, she was recognized by the Texas Association of Journalism Educators (TAJE) as one of two recipients of its inaugural Pathfinder Award, honoring advisors in Texas with eight years of experience or less whom the association felt had excelled in their field.
Although the awards were pleasant surprises, Berry said they are not her major motivation for doing what she does.
“You don’t get into teaching for the awards,” Berry said. “But it is nice to be recognized for your hard work.”
The accolades continued to come in the fall when Berry was chosen as one of 10 Houston educators for the “Stars in the Classroom” award.
Berry said that award might have meant more than the other awards because it was student-nominated. Berry was nominated for the award by her newspaper co-editor-in-chief, Chloe Trejo.
“It’s one thing to be recognized by your peers for an award,” Berry said. “But when it’s one of your kids, that’s special. It shows you’re making an impact on them.”
As one of the winners, Berry was rewarded with a $500 donation toward the school district, tickets and sideline passes to a Houston Texans game and a surprise visit at school.
“Brian Cushing of the Texans came to our school and took pictures with us,” Berry said. “I thought, ‘great, I really wish I had worn makeup today,’ but it was still really cool.”
Last week, Berry received news about her most recent award when she was named one of 13 winners of the Journalism Education Association’s (JEA) “Rising Star” award. The award honors journalism educators and advisors with five or fewer years of experience around the nation for their work. In April, Berry will fly to Los Angeles to receive the award.
“I’ve never been to L.A.,” Berry said. “I’m kind of just a small-town girl from West Texas going to L.A. for the first time. It’s pretty cool.”
Berry said it has been humbling to receive so many awards for her work, but said she believes it is primarily a reflection of her journalism students.
“I feel like this is more for them than it is for me,” Berry said. “I tell them they make me look good. These kids are working on cutting-edge stories and topics. I love coming to work because it doesn’t feel like work. My teachers at Hermleigh obviously had a big impact on me and I’m glad I can have a similar impact on others.”