2021 TCCB Teacher of the Year

Dr. Diana Torres Rivera L – Dr. Torres Rivera, R – President Mary Beth Marchiony

Dr. Diana Torres Rivera Named 2021 TCCB Teacher of the Year

Dr. Diana Torres Rivera was selected as the 2021 Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops High School Teacher of the Year. The award, announced Feb. 1, was created to recognize and celebrate Catholic school teachers across the state who have shown “remarkable dedication to the spiritual and intellectual formation of their students.”

“I am very honored and happy, not just for me only, but that our entire school is being recognized,” Torres Rivera said. “I think it lets us all know that people are paying attention to, and appreciate what we are doing.”

Torres Rivera added that every student and faculty member at Bishop Dunne is a part of the award she’s received. “Without them, I would not have any of this success,” she said. “It sounds like a cliché, but it is totally a team effort. I’m just so happy I get to share it with everyone here at Bishop Dunne.”

In a letter to Torres Rivera, Lisette Allen, director of education for the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, said the selection committee was “most impressed” by Torres Rivera’s passion for teaching as a vocation and ministry. “As a Spanish teacher, you emphasize the importance of culture and the Catholic faith and go beyond the academic objectives of literacy and fluency, challenging students to lead holy lives,” Allen wrote. “This is truly extraordinary.”

Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Dallas, Matt Vereecke, said Dr. Torres Rivera’s award from TCCB was the Diocese’s first ever. “This is a very big deal and really quite an honor,” said Vereecke, noting that there are more than 390 Catholic schools in the state with more than 20,000 employees. “When we talk about the best of the best — we’re talking about Diana Torres Rivera truly being the best of the best.”

Torres Rivera, who began her teaching career at the University of Seville in Spain while completing her Ph.D., has taught at the Oak Cliff school since August 2016.

When she was hired as a Spanish teacher at Bishop Dunne, it marked the first time she worked in a faith-based school setting. She said it quickly became clear she had made the right choice. “Bishop Dunne is the reflection of our faith, welcoming, nurturing, passionate and diverse. I remember leaving the interview and saying that I was so excited to have the opportunity of being a teacher and also sharing my faith intentionally.”

“We’ve known all along what a gem and a treasure she is for our school, and we are thrilled that Diana has been recognized statewide,” said Mary Beth Marchiony, president of Bishop Dunne. “We feel we are really blessed to have someone like Diana, who believes in the mission of Bishop Dunne and who believes so much in our students.”

Marchiony praised Torres Rivera for having an “incredible gift” when interacting with the students, making her popular with students, their families and her colleagues. “Our kids love her because she is so engaging in the classroom,” she said. “And she is a great colleague. She does all the little things that need to be done in a school to make everyone around her successful.” At Bishop Dunne, Torres Rivera has been the chair of the school’s World Languages Department since 2018 and the sponsor of Latinos Unidos since 2017.

The Bishop Dunne president added that Torres Rivera’s faith also plays a key role in her impact on the community. “Faith is an important part of who she is and she brings that to the classroom — and not just her Spanish classes but also to our entire school community,” she said. “To have teachers who have such strong faith makes us all better. To have her a part of our team, we are just so lucky.”

Excerpted from The Texas Catholic, 2/2/2021, Michael Gresham.