Zepeda-Garcia honored as January Employee of the Month

It is with pleasure that we honor Claudia Zepeda-Garcia, Teacher in the CIRCLE Autism Program in the Special Education Department, as the January 2020 Employee of the Month.

Claudia has many outstanding qualities that make her stand out as a person, teacher and leader. She has been a team member of the CIRCLE program for almost nine years, treating every person she encounters with the utmost kindness and respect. Claudia is loved by her parents, students, colleagues, Alvina staff and the Caruthers community.

Some of the traits that make Claudia an exceptional teacher are her humility, steadiness and knowledge. She is a servant leader, humbly guiding others through her actions and positive attitude. She is caring and steady in high-stress and challenging situations that sometimes arise while working with her student population. Claudia is skilled and knowledgeable in teaching students with autism. She has become a leader in the CIRCLE program and uses her knowledge from years of experience to offer support and advice to other teachers.

Claudia is also a leader and example of inclusion at her school and in her community. In addition to mainstreaming during the regular school day, Claudia’s students are involved with school projects, field trips and team sports with their general education peers. She has worked diligently to build relationships with the Alvina community to ensure that her students are valued members of the campus.

“People may have a hard time getting to know our students,” said Claudia. “Once you make the connection, it’s just beautiful. I see something special in every child I serve.”