Nahyeli Villa started at University High School as a shy freshman afraid of public speaking.
This month she graduated with the confidence to stand before any classroom as the adult in charge.
Villa is one of 23 students in the first graduating class of a Waco Independent School District program meant to grow the next generation of teachers.
The Future Educators Academy exposes students to education careers early on by placing them in elementary school classrooms, where they work directly with children and create lesson plans.
Waco ISD officials hope the students will return to teach at the district, helping improve recruiting and retention in a district that has to replace 20% to 23% of its teachers each year.
That’s the path Villa hopes to pursue. She plans to attend McLennan Community College and Tarleton State University and return to her hometown school district as a teacher.
“I definitely do want to come back to this program and help students who were like me,” Villa said. “Especially since I’m the first and I got the experience through the program, I’d want to come back and give to the program.”
Future Educators Academy ended the school year with 120 students from Waco and University high schools, and program officials expect a record freshmen class of 70 in the fall.
Academy students have been stationed at South Waco Elementary but will relocate to J.H. Hines Elementary this fall as South Waco comes under control of the Third Future Schools charter school system.
Villa said the program has given her the confidence to thrive in any classroom setting.
“I know if I wanted to come back to South Waco, I’d be OK, because I know these students and I know my realm,” she said. “And then even if I were to go to a different campus or a different city, or whatever, I would be OK, because I know … I can handle any kind of student or any kind of challenge in a classroom.”
Future Educators Academy coordinator Kathleen Knight said the district could benefit from hiring teachers with ties to the district.
“They grew up in our community, and they want to give back to our community, and so we want to invest in them,” she said.
“And then they will reap the rewards, because there is a huge teacher shortage right now. And if it’s your passion and this is your community, then this is where you’ll end up.”
The program targets students who reflect the district’s socioeconomic status, making sure those students have opportunities and additional resources.
Students receive help in finding scholarships, federal college aid and through a college prep class. At the end of the program, students leave with an education aide certificate and dual credit hours.
The district works with McLennan Community College to allow students to take college courses and receive dual credit hours even if they don’t pass the Texas Success Initiative test usually required for dual credit courses.
An MCC professor teaches twice-weekly courses to the teens at the elementary campus, with emphasis on basic principles of child development and classroom instruction.
The college has created a pathway for the high school students to align with MCC’s education courses. Six students have earned an associate degree from MCC, and Villa is one course away from that degree.
Others in the program get an education aide certification, along with a letter of intent to hire from Waco ISD. Villa and other seniors participated in a “signing day” ceremony with the district in late April.
“I’m so proud of all of them,” Knight said. “Some got their associate degrees. Some aren’t ready yet, but they’ve grown so much in the two years I’ve been with them.”
Knight herself had a nontraditional path to becoming an educator. She earned her alternative education certification through MCC after going back to school at the age of 40. She began as an intermediate teacher at Waco ISD and later became dean of the ATLAS program.
After the previous Future Educators Academy coordinator retired, a former principal suggested Knight consider the position. She was hesitant at first after building relationships with Tennyson staff and students. But after speaking to the previous coordinator, she knew it was the right choice.
“It was a God thing,” Knight said. “I felt in my heart that there was a reason that I needed to be here, so I love it.”
After taking over as coordinator in 2024, Knight plans to stay until she retires.
“This is where I will finish out my career, God willing,” Knight said.
Disclosure: McLennan Community College is a financial supporter of The Waco Bridge, a nonprofit news organization that is funded in part by donations from individual donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Bridge’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
