The United Independent School District honored its retirees at a special event on Thursday at the Student Activity Center, where employees ranging from librarians to teachers, custodians and principals walked the stage for a moment in the spotlight.

Their careers reflected decades of hard work, and about 100 retirees participated in the special ceremony. With their friends and families, about 300 attended the event, where Superintendent Dr. Gerardo Cruz, Board President Javier Montemayor, Jr., and Board Member Rodolfo “Rudy” Gonzalez, Jr. and administration congratulated them for their many years of service.

Gloria Becerra, a retiring kindergarten pathfinder at Juarez-Lincoln Elementary after 27 years with the district, was among those hanging up their hats.

“When I first started, I lived in Zapata. I fell in love with the school community. I fell in love with this place. By the time I knew it, it was 27 years later,” she said. “I stayed because of the wonderful administrators, the people I worked with, and the community. That’s where I truly feel God placed me. My heart was in kinder and the little ones. I was blessed.

“My biggest reward was when I would teach a child to read for the first time. That, for me, was it. That’s the most significant thing. At the beginning of the year, I realized I could retire in December, but I said no, I need to make sure that everybody reads,” Becerra said. “My career was a seed planted, believe it or not, when I was in kinder. I knew I wanted to be a kinder teacher because I wanted to be like my kinder teacher because she was so awesome. And, yes, I was able to do what she did. I leave happy.”

Monique Godines, a retiring music teacher from Roberto J. Santos Elementary, also at the ceremony, spent 26 years with the district and 31 years total as an educator.

“Although I loved being a kinder and first grade teacher, music teaching has been my fondest memories,” she said, fighting back tears. Teaching students to sing was very important because Godines, a well-respected singer in the community, learned how to sing when she was 5. She passed along the power of music to her own students.

“Music has a lot of math, and so not just math and division of beats and notes … but also the history of it. I go into the romantic period, classical period, impressionist period, all the way back to the baroque period, and the students really get a deep understanding of how it was for those composers back in those days ... having to compose all original music by candlelight,” Godines said. “They didn’t have the luxuries that we have now and the students, when I teach them about that, they don’t really understand the concept of not having an i-Phone, or a computer, or electricity or running water, so I teach them the struggles of the time.”

She said that while she is retiring, she doesn’t plan to stop working. She will continue singing.

Ignacia Perez, a retiring custodian from Antonio Gonzalez Middle, proudly stood on the stage with her award at the event. She retired in December, and has fond memories of her 29 years with the district.

She had high praise for her principal, Araceli Garza, who she said went out of her way to make her feel recognized and appreciated.

“That school was nice to me. There were people that I liked. I felt loved there,” Perez said. “There were many things that I liked but what I liked the most is that the students from the years I worked there, there were children who called me grandma, granny. When I would see those children on the street with their parents, they would tell me, ‘Grandma, how are you? Look, mom, she is my grandma from school.’ I felt really good. In reality, I worked with the children all those years, and it was a very beautiful experience for me.”

Luz Edith Serna Ramirez, retiring principal of Veterans Memorial Elementary, retired after 35 years. She spent six years as a teacher, 10 years as a counselor, nine years as an assistant principal and 10 years as a principal.

She plans to pursue counseling with children. “My counseling background has always been part of me being positive and helping empower others, and I hope that all I have done the past 35 years has given everyone the skills necessary so they can empower themselves and be able to do the best they can for their life … but always with a good attitude and remembering that our kids are our best treasure. They are our future, they are our leaders and we need to nurture them,” Serna Ramirez said.

It’s no surprise she went into education. “The reason I became an educator is because my mom and all her sisters were educators as well,” Serna Ramirez said. “My mom was a principal, as well, so I was born into a teaching family, and it gives me great joy to know that I was able to follow in her footsteps.”

Each retiree recognized made a lasting impact on United ISD, leaving behind a legacy of dedication, service, and excellence that will continue to be felt for years to come.

L to R: David Canales, Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, Zaida Gonzalez, Executive Director of Elementary Education, Rebecca Coss-Morales, Associate Superintendent for District Administration & Student Services, Juarez-Lincoln Elementary Assistant Principal Jesus Perez, Juarez-Lincoln Elementary Assistant Principal Cynthia Garcia, Juarez-Lincoln Elementary Principal Hector Garcia, Board President Javier Montemayor, Jr., retiring Juarez-Lincoln Elementary kindergarten teacher Gloria Becerra and Superintendent Dr. Gerardo Cruz at the retirement ceremony held on Thursday at the Student Activity Center

Monique Godines, Roberto J. Santos Elementary School music teacher who is retiring, at the retirement ceremony at the Student Activity Center

L to R: David Canales, Associate Superintendent of Human Resources, Zaida Gonzalez, Executive Director of Elementary Education, Rebecca Coss-Morales, Associate Superintendent for District Administration & Student Services, Ignacia Perez, retiring custodian from Antonio Gonzalez Middle School, Antonio Gonzalez Middle School Principal Araceli Garza, Board President Javier Montemayor, Jr. and Superintendent Dr. Gerardo Cruz at the retirement ceremony at the Student Activity Center