Medina Valley Middle School teacher, Angela Bowen, was surprised with the KENS 5 EXCEL Award and a $2,000 check from our partner, Credit Human.
SAN ANTONIO — Students and staff at Medina Valley Middle School packed the gym for their weekly pep rally, but this time, the excitement reached a whole new level.
During the celebration, KENS 5’s Audrey Castoreno surprised the crowd by taking over the event to honor one of the district’s most dedicated educators with the KENS 5 EXCEL Award, along with a special gift from our partners at Credit Human.
The energy in the gym was electric as 7th and 8th grade Medina Valley Middle School Science teacher, Angela Bowen, was announced as this year’s EXCEL Award recipient for Medina Valley ISD.
Bowen, who has been teaching for 25 years, was overcome with emotion as her name was called before the entire student body.
But the surprises didn’t stop there, representatives from Credit Human stepped forward with a special presentation – a $2,000 check in recognition of Bowen’s outstanding work in the classroom.
Tears filled Bowen’s eyes as her family joined her in the gym to share the moment.
When the excitement settled, Bowen reflected on what the award meant to her.
“Extremely surprised. My eyes started watering right away,” EXCEL Award Winner, Angela Bowen said. “I was not expecting this at all. It’s a real honor and surprise to have my family here to support me.”
When asked why the moment made her emotional, she added, “I guess because I love what I do. I keep trying to build those relationships with kids and hope that you can make a difference in the life of a child — help them stay on the right path, make good choices, and become productive citizens.”
Bowen’s passion for teaching is clear in her classroom, where her hands-on approach to science keeps students curious and engaged.
“She’s nice, and she really helps us out a lot whenever we need help,” student, Aiden Salazar said.
As for how she plans to use her $2,000 award, Bowen says it will go right back into her classroom so she can continue to make her labs engaging and exciting.
She also says she may treat herself and her family to a nice dinner.