Marlene Ochoa

Giant Staff Member of the Month

Our Giant Staff Member of the Month for August 2022 is Marlene Ochoa, biology teacher, content specialist, and department chair of sheltered instruction at Sterling High School. Marlene graduated from Lee High School in 2011. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston Clear Lake in biological sciences. This year, she was awarded the ESL Secondary Teacher of the Year for the Houston Area by the Houston Association for Bilingual and ESL Education.

In 2021 she was awarded the Great 8 Award, a faculty award presented by the Sterling academic dean to eight educators for going above and beyond for students and being a leader on campus. Marlene states, “I am passionate about ESL education because I connect to these students personally since I was raised in a household where English was not my first language. Like many, I have felt like an outcast and internally struggled to understand new customs. Therefore, I make it a personal goal for my students to know the importance of their education and how it will open new opportunities for them and their families.”

Marlene was featured in our district video, Growing Giants, which can be watched here.

Thank you to Houston Methodist Baytown for sponsoring this award.