(TIPPIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – Jan. 17, 2023) – Tippin Elementary School’s Summer Steele was named the 2023 Region 19 Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year by the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association.

Steele, who was El Paso ISD’s Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2015, began her career in education teaching at Park Elementary School.

“In the six years I have been an assistant principal, I’ve had the opportunity to learn and grow from the guidance of other assistant principals,” she said. “I can truly say that I feel privileged to work alongside individuals who dedicate their lives to advocating for the children and staff they work with, and I feel nothing short of lucky to represent them.”

Her principal, Gina Rodriguez-Nuñez, arrived with an entourage of staff to announce the news to Steele before the winter break. It was a big surprise for Steele, who was dressed for pajama day, and reading “’Twas the Night before Christmas in Texas” to a third-grade classroom when Rodriguez-Nuñez arrived with flowers.

“I am extremely proud of Ms. Summer Steele. Her hard work, dedication and passion make her so deserving of this recognition,” Rodriguez-Nuñez said. “As her principal, it has been a pleasure to watch her grow as an educational leader. She truly cares about each member of the Tippin community, and her daily actions and interactions reflect that.”

She will represent Region 19 and compete for the 2023 Texas Assistant Principal of the Year.

“I haven’t fully processed the recognition. I still feel like I’m living in a dream,” she said.  “I became an educator so that I could create a stable and welcoming home for the children in my classroom. I became an administrator so that I could create that same sense of home for an entire community.”