A Dell City High grad, Adriana Sanchez joined the district in 2015, and quickly found a place at the heart of the day-to-day life of the school. She's a central presence in the school's front office, and as executive administrative assistant, she's a vital aide to the superintendent. She's embraced large responsibilities, and plays a critical role in making our school run smoothly.

 

Here's a profile of Ms. Sanchez from 2015:

 

Adriana Sanchez joined Dell City ISD as a full-time employee in October 2015 and serves as a paraprofessional, facilitating online coursework and dual-credit college classes for students. Many of the district's staff members are new to small-town life and to Dell Valley. But Sanchez is a native Dell Citian. For her, working at the school is a homecoming.

 

The Dell City district used online resources to supplement classroom instruction – and to offer courses in subjects for which the district doesn't presently have a teacher. In Spanish courses, in chemistry, business English and music theory, Sanchez facilitates online study for students in grades six through 12. Sanchez said her role is to connect students with their online instructors – and to help the kids “maintain discipline and focus.”

 

Online resources provide vital educational opportunities for students. But Sanchez said they also help students develop skills that will serve them well in post-secondary education and the work world. Students strengthen their facility with technology – and they learn to take the initiative in their studies, she said.

 

“For college, you have to learn how to pace yourself, you have to learn how to be responsible and be on task,” Sanchez said. “They're taking that challenge on now, and doing very well.”

 

Dell City ISD has a number of students who are English-language learners. In addition to attending English courses with their classmates, these students receive personalized language instruction online. Sanchez said the online support for these students can be very effective.

 

“We had a student who had zero English-speaking ability at the beginning of the school year, and he's doing very well,” Sanchez said. “He can carry on a conversation with you now, and he's only been in school here for eight weeks.”

 

Sanchez also coordinates the Texas Success Initiative at the school. High-school students who are found to be college-ready take courses through El Paso Community College, earning college credits in English, math and other subjects. Sanchez said there are currently five students – representing the sophomore, junior and senior classes – enrolled in the dual-credit program.

 

Sanchez said dual credit provides great value for the students.

 

“We have sophomores who are taking multiple college courses, who, by the time they graduate high school, may be very close to an associate's degree,” Sanchez said. “And it's all free of charge for them, so it's a neat program.”

 

A 1994 Dell City graduate, Sanchez left the community after graduation. She attended UTEP, and then departed college to raise a family and start a business. She helped run a company that provided temporary fences and restroom facilities to construction companies and for large events. The company launched in El Paso, moved to San Antonio and then to Dallas.

 

In 2015, Sanchez decided to leave Dallas and move back to Dell City, with her two daughters – Victoria, now a senior, and Nicole, a third-grader. Sanchez said the move was a “great decision.”

 

“We did the stock show last year and showed a rabbit – and that was a first for us,” Sanchez said. “It's been really nice to bring my girls from a city to a small town, for them to experience small-town life and be involved in things like 4-H or FFA.”

 

Sanchez' Dell Valley roots run deep. Her parents are also Dell City School alumni, and both had 30-plus-year careers with flagship institutions in the community – her father, Rafael, at Dell Telephone Cooperative, and her mother, Delia, at Rio Grande Electric Cooperative.

 

Sanchez has known Dell City ISD Supt. Fabian Gomez for her “entire life,” and she said she was excited to work with him and at the school that shaped her childhood.

 

“I grew up down the street from him,” Sanchez said of Gomez. “I was extremely proud of his accomplishments, and I jumped at the chance when I had the opportunity to come be part of the team.”

 

With years of experience in business administration, Sanchez said it's a transition to move from the office to the classroom. But she said Dell City ISD is a great environment for a new educator. There are mentoring opportunities that wouldn't be available in a larger school.

 

“This school system gives you a lot of one-on-one with your coworkers and your administration,” Sanchez said. “They are there to help you along and help build your skills. It's a great place to learn and a very welcoming environment.

 

“And the kids always put you in a good mood,” she said. “It's a very challenging job, but it's a very rewarding job – I love it.”