Liliana Luna, Nash Elementary Assistant Principal, has been selected as the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA) Region VIII Assistant Principal of the Year.
TEPSA recognizes outstanding assistant principals from the twenty regional Education Service Centers throughout the state. School administrators are nominated based upon exemplary performance and outstanding leadership. As a Region VIII winner, Luna will now move forward in the selection of the TEPSA National Assistant Principal of the Year that will be announced at the end of March.
“I am very honored and humbled to be selected for this award,” said Luna. “I share any kind of recognition I receive with the phenomenal teachers I have had over the years and with my parents who sacrificed so much to make sure I received an education. My hope is that I can inspire children to dream big and understand that hard work and perseverance can get you anywhere you want.”
Luna began her career in education as a First Grade Teacher at 15th Street Elementary (now Theron Jones Early Literacy Center) in 2004. In 2007, she moved to Morriss Elementary to be a Kindergarten Teacher. Luna was selected in 2010 to be part of the TISD Administrative Intern Program and served as the Assistant Principal for Highland Park Elementary until 2011 when she was named Assistant Principal for Nash Elementary.
She holds a Bachelor of General Studies with a Concentration in Reading along with a Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction, a Master of Education in Educational Administration in Educational Administration and Principal Certification in Grades EC-12 from Texas A&M University – Texarkana.
“As a first-generation college graduate, my immigrant parents always encouraged me to continue my education,” said Luna. “It was a high-priority for me to go further in obtaining a Master’s Degree. TISD supported that opportunity through their Graduate Cohort Program which funded teachers the opportunity to complete their Master’s Degree.”
She is a 2020 Leadership Texarkana graduate and serves as a volunteer for Court Appoint Special Advocates (CASA) of Northeast Texas. Luna is a member of TEPSA, member of Northeast Texas Alliance of Black School Educators and is currently enrolled in The Bill Ratliff Superintendent Academy through Region 8 Education Service Center.
She is married to Ricardo Luna and they have two children – Ricky, who is a 7th grade student at Texas Middle School, and Leo, who is a Kindergarten student at Nash Elementary. They are members of St. Edward’s Catholic Church where Luna is a Sunday School teacher.
Regional winners will be recognized during the TEPSA Summer Conference in Austin in June 2020.
