Goose Creek CISD (GCCISD) continues to strengthen its future educator pipeline through its Grow Your Own Clinical Teaching Program, an initiative that gives aspiring teachers valuable, hands-on classroom experience while helping the district develop highly effective educators from within the community.

Pictured, from left, Earnest Brooks, Lee High School Principal; Joe Rodriguez, GCCISD Superintendent; Daisy Medina, English Teacher at Robert E. Lee High School; Heather Alarcon, Austin Elementary Principal; Allica Snare, 5th Grade Teacher at Stephen F. Austin Elementary School; Paige Burt, Victoria Walker Elementary Principal; Seasha Wilson, 1st Grade Teacher at Victoria Walker Elementary School; Brooke Bingham, GCCISD Human Resources Coordinator; Jay Hobstetter, Science Teacher at E.F. Green Junior School; and Jim Campisi, GCCISD School Board President. Photo by Carrie Pryor-Newman.

The program allows college students completing their clinical teaching requirements to gain real-world experience in GCCISD classrooms. Participants complete either a semester-long or year-long clinical placement and are paired with experienced host teachers who mentor them through daily instruction, classroom management, and the many responsibilities of teaching.

“Clinical teachers in the Grow Your Own program benefit from the opportunity to learn in a supportive environment while gaining authentic classroom experience,” said Brooke Bingham, Human Resources Coordinator for GCCISD. “By pairing them with experienced mentor teachers, we help them build confidence, sharpen their instructional skills, and feel fully prepared for their first year in the classroom.”

At the February Board of Trustees meeting, the district recognized several clinical teachers who successfully completed the program and are now serving in full-time teaching positions across GCCISD for the remainder of the 2025–2026 school year.

Those educators include:

• Daisy Medina, English Teacher at Robert E. Lee High School
• Jay Hobstetter, Science Teacher at E.F. Green Junior School
• Madison Strawn, Science Teacher at Horace Mann Junior School
• Elyssa Hernandez, Math Teacher at Ross S. Sterling High School
• Olivia Patterson, Deaf Education Teacher at De Zavala Elementary School
• Sabrina Okon, Social Studies Teacher at E.F. Green Junior School
• Seasha Wilson, 1st Grade Teacher at Victoria Walker Elementary School
• Sheyla Dominguez, 4th Grade Teacher at Ashbel Smith Elementary School
• Allica Snare, 5th Grade Teacher at Stephen F. Austin Elementary School
• Ana Karen Romero, 2nd Grade Teacher at Highlands Elementary School

Through initiatives like Grow Your Own, GCCISD remains committed to developing the next generation of educators and ensuring every classroom is led by a prepared, passionate teacher.