Nazareth Academy teacher recognized as Golden Apple finalist

It took a while for the news to sink in for Amelia Garcia.

“I looked at the congratulations letter for a couple minutes, trying to take in what it means to be recognized in that way,” Garcia said. “It was pretty exciting.”

An English teacher at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Garcia referred to a letter she received Feb. 15.

It announced that she is one of 30 high school teachers in the state who are finalists for the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.

“The Golden Apple Awards honor outstanding teachers for having lasting, positive effects on students’ lives and school communities. Teacher finalists demonstrate – in their teaching and results – significant, positive impact on their students’ growth and learning,” a news release stated.

Garcia, in her 15th year of teaching at Nazareth, started her career teaching three years at Notre Dame High School for Girls before it closed its doors.

Garcia, 39, takes great joy in teaching a 10th grade English honors course and an advanced placement language and composition course.

“One of my favorite parts of teaching is teaching the writing process,” Garcia said. “It can be daunting for a student, but I try to get them to understand writing is a process.

“We don’t need it to be perfect the first time,” she added. “We’ll revise and continue to revise.”

An avid reader since childhood, she hopes to pass that passion on to her students.

“It was the literature that drew me in, but it was the writing that helped me continue to grow as a teacher,” she said. “It’s an interesting dynamic because English encompasses the literature and the writing.”

Garcia has not written any stories for publication. However, she does write.

“A lot of my writing is to help students and to model writing,” she said. “Usually, my audience is my students, and trying to help them.”

When not in the classroom, Garcia enjoys reading historical fiction, “so ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ is right up my alley.”

Garcia grew up in the Marquette Park neighborhood of Chicago’s Southwest Side. Her family then moved to Garden Homes, an unincorporated area of Cook County not far from the Mount Greenwood neighborhood.

It’s fitting she wound up teaching at Nazareth as she is a graduate of Mother McAuley High School, another well-known Roman Catholic high school.

Garcia attended DePaul University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in secondary education and English and her master’s in interdisciplinary studies.

Garcia enjoys the educational environment at Nazareth.

“There are many mentors in this building who have helped me grow as a teacher. I’m so grateful,” she said.

Golden Apple President Alan Mather said in a statement: “These last two years have truly taken a toll on teachers, staff, families and students. While great teachers have always been impactful, this is particularly true during this past year, where these finalists have demonstrated the commitment to providing ongoing support and high-quality instruction to their students and we are proud to honor them.”

Nazareth Principal Therese Hawkins said in a statement: “Ms. García’s passion for literature and her masterful skills at facilitating deep, thought-provoking discussion are second to none. She is an admired and much-loved member of the Nazareth Academy family and we are bursting with pride at this recognition.”

Golden Apple winners are expected to be announced in mid-April. Typically, the award is presented while a teacher is in her classroom with students.

Northwestern University provides a spring sabbatical to award recipients at no cost. Each recipient receives a $5,000 award.

Award recipients become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a community of educators who play an important role in preparing the next generation of teachers in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs, which are dedicated to addressing the teacher shortage in Illinois.