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Laura Nunez, an East Palo Alto Academy math teacher, had just given birth to her daughter when she found out she had accomplished another great milestone — she was nominated and selected as a finalist for NBC Sports All-Star Teacher Award.
This award, presented by Provident Credit Union, recognizes outstanding K-12 educators throughout the Bay Area and Sacramento region. The winning teacher will receive $30,000 for their school.
As an East Palo Alto local, Nunez is no stranger to the community, the struggles and the unique culture of the city. After graduating from Eastside College Preparatory School, she attended Stanford University to study communications. Being a first generation student, Nunez said her parents always pushed for education.
Growing up in East Palo Alto, Nunez said it was rare for her to see people grow up in the community and stay. When she went to Stanford, she felt like it was “far enough away” to get out of the small bubble of East Palo Alto, but she realized that if everyone left to achieve “bigger and better” things, the community would never change.
While at Stanford, Nunez said she started to miss her hometown and began to appreciate it more. After graduating, she returned to the community and found her passion for teaching while working for a nonprofit that partnered with East Palo Alto Academy.
Nunez slowly moved up the ranks to become an instructional aide, substitute teacher and then finally a math teacher. Her entire teaching career has been at East Palo Alto Academy. Nunez is also a board member for Ravenswood Elementary School District.
“I went into teaching because of the community,” said Nunez. “I wanted to make a more personal impact.”
Reviving the athletics program
One of Nunez’s biggest accomplishments is admitting the school back into the sports league after it had been on probation for seven years due to a history of bad sportsmanship and administrative difficulties.
As the athletic director, Nunez worked tirelessly to prove that the school’s culture, climate and leadership had changed. With her help, East Palo Alto Academy is now three years into the league with eight different sports including basketball, volleyball and soccer.
Nunez said some students who might not have someone at home encouraging them to get good grades find motivation through sports. In order to participate as an athlete, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA. Nunez said she sees many students are driven to achieve academic success in order to continue playing in sports.
In support of the sports program, the school started athlete contracts, making students go to tutoring and holding them accountable for their grades. “By pushing academics over athletics, it’s using it as a motivator for students to come to school and to have their grades up if they want to play,” said East Palo Alto Academy Principal Veronica Miranda-Pinkney.
“For a lot of students, they come away with a sense of belonging, building relationships, sportsmanship and lessons they can’t learn from the classroom. This is building character in students,” Nunez added.
Miranda-Pinkney said Nunez has already let her know that if she wins, she would like the $30,000 to go towards purchasing vans for the sports teams.
Dedication to students
While Nunez is currently on maternity leave, Miranda-Pinkney said she won’t stop working. With a baby in her arms, Nunez is still involved in the school’s yearbook club, attends school events and sports games.
Miranda-Pinkney said Nunez is like Superwoman. “Here is somebody from the community and being a mother is not stopping her. It’s pushing her to do even better, to be a better role model for her little girls,” she added.
When Nunez was a student, she said she didn’t have any role models in the community — someone who was from East Palo Alto, stayed and accomplished great things. Now, Nunez is a serving as a mentor and prime example to her students that you don’t have to leave to do pursue success.
“There’s so many ways that the city has changed and there’s so many ways that you can make it and still be here,” she said. “There’s opportunity here and a lot of students and people that grew up here want to come back and stay here, because this is home, and they don’t want to see it change.
Nunez’s passion for the community is evident and she said she does not see herself ever leaving East Palo Alto.
Award information
The All-Star Teacher award is given to the finalist who has collected the most amount of votes. Nunez is among five teachers who are up for the grand prize of $30,000. Voters must be 18 years old and all votes must be made by June 2 at 11:59 p.m.. One vote can be submitted per person per day.
Visit nbcsportsbayarea.com/ast to cast your vote.
