SHSU Alumna Honored with School Dedication by Aldine ISD

HUNTSVILLE, TX -- Rose Avalos, a Sam Houston State University alumna, was honored for her 46 years of service to the Aldine community by having their newest high school named after her. The Rose M. Avalos Pathways in Technology Early College High School was dedicated in October, in a room full of Avalos’ colleagues, co-workers, friends and family.

Teaching was always Rose Avalos’ goal ever since her childhood. This goal seemed far-fetched at first, as she would be the first in her family to graduate high school and college. While still in school, her teachers gave her hope and validated her dream of being a teacher.

Graduating from Sam Houston State in 1976 with a Master of Education, Avalos felt that attending SHSU fully equipped her with the tools and skills necessary to be a successful teacher and administrator.

“The expectations were high, but they were reachable and very meaningful. I think the instructional program at SHSU gave me a wide range of learning experiences that applied to what I wanted to do and I knew that I wanted to be a teacher,” Avalos said. “I feel fortunate that I got to go there and experience the instruction.”

Avalos began her teaching career in Aldine in 1972 at Stovall Middle School. She then taught at MacArthur High School and was a counselor at Hambrick and Grantham Middle Schools. Additionally, she was a program director overseeing bilingual, ESL and foreign language, an assistant principal at MacArthur High School and the first principal of Escamilla Intermediate School. She then returned to MacArthur to serve as the principal for 11 years until she retired in 2005. Upon her ascension to principal of MacArthur, Avalos became the first woman to serve as a comprehensive high school principal in Aldine ISD.

“It was just natural for me to get up and present to a large crowd or group without any hesitation and it was because of the training at SHSU,” Avalos said. “I feel like it was a gift.”

After her 2005 retirement, Avalos was elected to a seat on the Aldine Board of Trustees, where she held all four board offices and chaired numerous committees. She was selected to be a member of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Leadership Class of 2014. She also serves as a state director for the Texas Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials and the North Harris County Association of Retired Teachers and School Professionals.

At the dedication, Avalos was also presented with proclamations from the Texas House of Representatives, U.S. Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee and Sylvia Garcia, State Senator Carol Alvarado and Harris County Precinct 1 County Commissioner Rodney Ellis.

She acknowledged the community of Aldine for providing her opportunities and support throughout her life.

“This afternoon you heard about some things that I have accomplished in Aldine, but I have a very different perspective. What I see is what Aldine has done for me. It gave this shy, quiet little girl with big eyes and pigtails hope and value,” Avalos said. “It gave me a solid education that helped me be successful in college. It gave me my first real job as a teacher and over a span of 33 years, it gave me so many opportunities to work and grow professionally. But, best of all it has given me such wonderful lifelong friends. It has cemented in me the hope and value of the power of education and what it can do for an individual.”

Avalos is still in awe over the fact that a new school now bears her name. She knows that a dedication like this is the greatest honor that a teacher could receive. For current education majors at SHSU, Avalos offers words of encouragement.

“Being a teacher is such a powerful thing because you have the opportunity to change a person’s life. Teachers may not ever get rich money wise, but, they will get rich in knowing that they’ve touched people and made a difference in their lives,” Avalos said. “When they come back and they want to visit you and let you know how they’re doing, that’s the biggest bonus. When you know that you made a difference, it’s worth all the money in the world.”

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