Sylvia Gonzalez, Employee of the Month for September, is a clerk at Crespo Elementary School. She has also served as a teaching assistant at Dávila elementary and Deady middle schools and was recently awarded her 20-year HISD service pin.
As the campus clerk at Crespo, Gonzalez welcomes visitors to the office, maintains the list of students who ride the bus, and serves as the data-entry clerk for Volunteers in Public Schools, the Magnet program, and disciplinary issues. While serving as the Parent Teacher Association president at Dávila Elementary School, she coordinated fundraising efforts to purchase a new $5,000 marquee. She was also instrumental in bringing a SPARK park to that campus in 2003, as well as a magnet communications program to Deady Middle School the following year. Gonzalez also spearheaded efforts to beautify nearby Mason Park and to create a school garden at Crespo, where students have already grown tomatoes, bell peppers, herbs, and onions. For her next project, Gonzalez hopes to create an outdoor classroom space.
Originally from Matamoros, Mexico, Gonzalez moved to Texas with her family in 1970. She is a proud member of Austin High School’s Class of 1980, and a product of HISD’s Franklin elementary and Edison middle schools. Gonzalez lives in Houston with her husband of 31 years, and two of their three children, Aaron and Lalo. When not working, Gonzalez enjoys reading, jogging, and participating in church-related activities.
"Ms. Gonzalez is a caregiver at heart," says Crespo ES Principal José "Auden" Sarabia. "She is high-energy, warm, and compassionate, which is an incredible combination, since she is the first person our students, faculty, and community members see when they walk in our doors. Ms. Gonzalez is an integral part of all the wonderful things happening at Crespo.
"Ms. Gonzalez is a truly unique individual," adds Assistant Principal Diana Lum. “It is not every day that you come across someone who has the ability to place a smile on everyone's face. She is always willing to go above and beyond to make Crespo a better place. We are truly blessed to work with her."
“I have known Ms. Gonzalez for more than five years, and she is a remarkable person,” explains teacher Gustavo Tamayo. “Her outstanding service to our school has no precedent. Thanks to her efforts, our school even received a grant from the American Heart Association this spring, and now our students learn their numbers with the help of a beautiful vegetable garden.”
