Liliana Rada of Mitchell High School has been named Nspire Today!’s Teacher of the Week, sponsored by TC & More in Scottsbluff.
Rada is in her fifth year as a Spanish teacher at MHS. In addition to her teaching duties, she’s the class sponsor for the high school juniors; she coaches junior high cross country runners; and she’s the sponsor of the Spanish Club. Every summer, she takes students out of the country for an educational trip.
The person who nominated Rada said, “She’s a teacher who gives endless support to any of her students. She’s also one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. She’s always there for people. She’s just an overall great person.”
Rada said she loves teaching at Mitchell High School.
“I enjoy being at Mitchell because of the community we have here. The staff is great, and I feel like we have really kind-hearted students. It’s a small enough school where I feel like you can reach a lot of the kids. We just have a really great thing going on here. It’s like one giant family here.”
Rada said her family history played a part in her decision to teach Spanish.
“My family migrated from Mexico,” she said. “I saw the struggle with them learning English while still keeping the Spanish. So, I have a passion for this. I like when people can communicate with each other, including if it’s someone you meet from a different country. I just think there’s something special about that.”
Rada graduated from Morrill High School in 1990. She graduated from Grand Canyon University in Arizona in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in education.
Rada and her first husband, Jesse Guzman, who passed away in 2009, were married for seven and a half years. Liliana got remarried about three years ago to David Rada, who teaches government and world history at Mitchell High School.
Outside of school, Liliana said she enjoys spending time with her family, including her three children: Draven, 24; Andre, 22; and Elena, who’s a 15-year-old sophomore at MHS.
Liliana said she also likes to read.
She said she enjoys living in this area.
“I like smaller towns,” she said. “I like the small-town feeling and people knowing one another. When I lost my husband [Jesse Guzman], I felt like I had so much support from a lot of people. I don’t think you get that in bigger cities sometimes.”
For being named Nspire Today!’s Teacher of the Week, sponsored by TC & More, Liliana will receive a $10 gift certificate to TC & More, which is located at 1621 Broadway Ave. in downtown Scottsbluff. Gift certificates may be picked up at TC & More.
TC & More, which is the only business in western Nebraska that sells educational materials, offers a wide selection of classroom decor for area teachers. In addition, TC & More offers home decor, gifts, purses, toys, and so much more. TC & More, which encourages people to “Like” its Facebook page, also provides free gift wrapping and a 10 percent discount for seniors and military personnel.
If you would like to nominate an area teacher for Nspire Today!’s Teacher of the Week honor, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
In addition to being recognized online, teachers honored as the Teacher of the Week will also be recognized in Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues) to the magazine, please send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. To pay with a credit card, please call 308-220-8865. If you would like to increase your subscription to $20, Nspire Today! will donate the extra $5 in January to Buckboard Therapeutic Riding Academy.
