PeopleAdmin Honors Colorado Teacher for Showing the Power of Diversity as Part of Inspired2Educate Recognition Program

High school math teacher Elizabeth Ramos Torres recognized this month for her story about a Hispanic educator who instilled cultural pride, inspiration to educate

PARKER, Colorado — May 16, 2016 — PeopleAdmin, a leader in talent management software for education, today announced that a Colorado high school teacher has received this month’s Inspired2Educate award for her story about a fourth-grade teacher who inspired her to turn her difficult journey as a Latino immigrant into a dream come true of becoming an educator.

Elizabeth Ramos Torres, a math teacher at Colorado Early Colleges in Parker, Colorado, attributes her teaching success today to her fourth-grade history teacher, Mrs. Vasquez. Ms. Torres says Mrs. Vasquez taught her the power of diversity and to take pride in her culture and herself. 

“She spoke both Spanish and English, which was amazing, because I realized that there were other people who were bilingual like myself,” Ms. Torres said in her story. “Mrs. Vasquez essentially helped me to stop hating myself. She also planted the seed of education into my soul.”

PeopleAdmin CEO Kermit S. Randa presented Ms. Torres with an award on Friday at a school assembly held in her honor. An award also went directly to Colorado Early Colleges.

“Ms. Torres has an incredibly powerful story that highlights a journey to overcome feelings of insecurity about being different — feelings we can all relate to having at a young age and throughout life,” Randa said. “Her experience with Mrs. Vasquez, a Hispanic teacher who she could both identify with and look up to, showcases how one person can provide an example, engender trust, and light a path so we can shine as our best selves.”

PeopleAdmin’s Inspired2Educate awareness program is designed to honor and celebrate our nation’s educators while inspiring young people to considering a career in education. The program calls for current educators to share stories of a K-20 teacher, administrator, or school staff member who inspired them to pursue education as their life’s work.

“Being an immigrant in this country has been a difficult journey,” begins Ms. Torres’ story. “I grew up in a small town where there were very few other Latinos. Racism and xenophobia was a normal part of everyday life. It was through being a student with Mrs. Vasquez that I realized that I had a rich cultural heritage and history to celebrate. She helped me to realize that I was Native American and Spanish. She also helped me to gain pride in my family, my heritage, and myself. It was from those days on that I began to dream that one day I could become a teacher.”

John Etzell, Head of School for Colorado Early Colleges Douglas County, said he believes it’s more important today than ever for Ms. Torres to tell her story. “She has worked very hard to get where she is in her life and she works very hard with her students,” he said. “She is definitely a role model to young students.”

PeopleAdmin believes that developing, finding and hiring the right educators is the best way to ensure the academic success for the next generation. Inspired2Educate is its way of recognizing some of those great educators and ensuring that our nation’s students get the education they deserve.

“An educator who has the experience, insight and empathy to connect with students and inspire them to embrace the beauty of diversity — both as it relates to their classmates and themselves — is a national treasure,” Randa said. “We are honored to play a part in making those connections happen in school districts across the country.”

Throughout the remainder of the year, PeopleAdmin will continue to name an Inspired2Educate award recipient each month from among those educators who have submitted a written or video story. The criteria for selection includes, but is not limited to, the degree of impact on the person’s life, creativity, emotional impact and community benefits.

Click here for more information about the Inspired2Educate program and how to participate. Follow along with the latest conversation and updates by using the #Inspired2Educate hashtag on Twitter and Facebook.

About PeopleAdmin

PeopleAdmin is the leading provider of cloud-based talent management solutions for education and government. Its software enables clients to streamline the hiring process, onboard new employees, efficiently manage positions and employee performance, develop compliant and defensible audit trails, and use industry-leading reporting and metrics. PeopleAdmin’s integrated talent management suite includes applicant tracking, faculty search committee management, position management, onboarding, and performance management. PeopleAdmin solutions are rapidly deployed, easy to use and supported through a world-class customer service organization.

About Colorado Early Colleges

Colorado Early Colleges Parker (CECP) is a tuition-free charter high school that provides its students an opportunity to take college classes and earn a degree. Colorado Early Colleges Parker High School (CECP) provides students in grades nine through 12 the opportunity to start working on college-level courses as soon as they are ready. CECP students can earn a combination of high school and college credits as they pursue a high school diploma and an associate degree or higher — all at no cost to Denver Metro families. CECP pays for tuition, fees, and textbooks.