Major Elementary teacher makes learning fun for Pre-K students

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As we count down to ABC13's Share Your School Supplies Drive, we are highlighting great teachers from across Houston.

Jennefer Cruz is entering her 19th year teaching Pre-Kindergarten. Cruz, a teacher at Major Elementary in Spring ISD, says she has always loved working with children, even from a young age.

"Helping students was my passion," said Cruz. "Even when I was at church, I used to love working in Sunday school classrooms and giving all my best for students."

Cruz says she was also inspired by a teacher who helped her as a child after she immigrated to the U.S. from Honduras.

"She was my ESL teacher and she helped me develop my language," said Cruz. "Even when I was injured, she came to my house to give me classes, personal classes, so that I wouldn't miss anything from school. That passion that I saw in her, that's how I decided, you know what, I want to be a teacher."

Cruz says as the new school year begins, having necessary school supplies is crucial to a student's success.

"You have low income families that are not able to provide school supplies, so we use a lot of our own personal materials to be able to give our students the best," said Cruz. "Notebooks, pencils, crayons, markers, anything that you are able to help with. They need to receive the best education and the way that they can is by being ready with school supplies and anything that they need to start the school year."

You can help teachers and students start the school year off right at ABC13's Share Your School Supplies Drive this Friday, August 9th. You can also click here to donate online or text "SYSS2024" to 71777.