Bryan Elementary staff and administration held a Tree Planting Ceremony for one of their former educators, Jesus Trejo, Jr., on Saturday, September 29, 2018. Trejo was a dedicated math teacher for over 17 years and unexpectedly passed away. His fellow educators have very fond memories of the type of person and educator that he was.
“He was a dedicated individual that led by example by building relationships with students,” said Ms. Linda Sanchez, principal. He made them believe anything and everything was possible so that they could be successful.”
One of his co-workers, Lupita Hernandez, addressed his family members and all in attendance by telling them several memorable stories both on a personal note and as a teacher. She talks about one specific instance in which he first interviewed for employment at Bryan Elementary. She said the thing that stood out for her and the rest of the committee was when he said, that he ate lunch with his students every day. The committee was absolutely impressed with his dedication to his profession but most importantly his devotion to his students.
Several family members helped with the planting of the tree: Tony Trejo (son), Marcelino Barbosa (brother-in-law), Israel Perez (brother-in-law), and Oscar Vega (uncle). The tree is planted in front of the principal’s office and it joins another tree that was previously planted for Zelda Abbott †, a former counselor at the campus. A bench has also been placed in front of the area for anyone that would like to sit and reflect.
A nice addition made to the tree was the 17 pencils that were tied to it by family members to represent each year he was an educator. A small reception followed the ceremony and many of his family members were in attendance such as: Betty Trejo (wife), Tony Trejo (son), Ina Trejo (daughter), Jesus Trejo (father), Gertrudis Trejo (mother) along with his siblings, nieces, and nephews.
Trejo was an individual that not only taught his students about math but also taught them life lessons and so much more. He was invested in his students and he was excited about his kids becoming the future leaders of this community. He is a true educator in every sense of the word and he has made a huge impact on his students, co-workers, family and his community.