H.R. No. 682 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to honor 1-2 Nereida Samuda Zimic of Travis High School on her recent selection 1-3 as the Texas Foreign Language Association's Spanish Teacher of the 1-4 Year; and 1-5 WHEREAS, A native of Panama, Mrs. Zimic has been an educator 1-6 for 25 years and has taught at the elementary, junior high, high 1-7 school, and college levels; for the past 15 years, she has made a 1-8 profound impact on the lives of many Austin students as a Spanish 1-9 teacher at Travis High School, and she has capably directed the 1-10 school's foreign language department since 1985; and 1-11 WHEREAS, A teacher in the truest sense of the word, she takes 1-12 a special interest in all of her students' progress and always 1-13 helps and encourages her pupils to reach their highest potential; 1-14 and 1-15 WHEREAS, Throughout her distinguished tenure, Mrs. Zimic has 1-16 remained committed to high academic standards in the classroom, and 1-17 both she and her students constantly strive to "reach for the 1-18 stars"; they have been amply rewarded for their efforts, as her 1-19 pupils have received high scores in foreign language contests and 1-20 on the National Spanish Examination, and her advanced placement 1-21 students have consistently earned credit towards university course 1-22 work; and 1-23 WHEREAS, This highly skilled and talented educator has 1-24 developed a variety of activities to reinforce learning about the 2-1 language and culture of Spanish-speaking countries, and by 2-2 combining Spanish art, music, dance, and cuisine with essential 2-3 elements, she has created a wonderful and popular course in the 2-4 school's curriculum; and 2-5 WHEREAS, In testament to her outstanding teaching skills and 2-6 warm and caring disposition, many of her former students have 2-7 returned to their alma mater to thank her for the positive 2-8 influence she has had on their lives; and 2-9 WHEREAS, Mrs. Zimic also has earned the respect and 2-10 admiration of her colleagues, and her outstanding leadership during 2-11 the school's restructuring process, as well as her friendly and 2-12 helpful manner, have made her a valued member of the faculty; and 2-13 WHEREAS, A proven leader in her chosen field, she has earned 2-14 three grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and 2-15 recently was voted Travis High School Teacher of the Year; and 2-16 WHEREAS, Throughout her outstanding career, Mrs. Zimic has 2-17 sought to instill knowledge, self-esteem, and a positive outlook in 2-18 many future leaders of our state, and she is indeed worthy of our 2-19 highest praise and recognition for her exceptional efforts; now, 2-20 therefore, be it 2-21 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 2-22 Legislature hereby commend Nereida Samuda Zimic for her outstanding 2-23 career as an educator and congratulate her on her selection as the 2-24 Texas Foreign Language Association's Spanish Teacher of the Year; 2-25 and, be it further 2-26 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-27 prepared for Mrs. Zimic as an expression of high regard by the 3-1 Texas House of Representatives.