Texas Baptists recognized nine public school educators as BEST—Baptist Educators Serving Texas.
The Baptist General Convention of Texas established the annual BEST Awards to celebrate Christian educators who are living out their faith daily among their students and to honor the Texas Baptists institutions that taught them.
The 2022 award recipients are:
- Adolfo Chavez, a graduate of the Baptist University of the Américas and school counselor in the Midland Independent School District.
- Jay Fischer, a graduate of Baylor University and middle school principal in Midway Independent School District.
- Phairen Yaites Brown, a graduate of Dallas Baptist University and school counselor in the Crowley Independent School District.
- Adrien Kenebrew, a graduate of East Texas Baptist University and basketball coach in the Hamshire-Fannet Independent School District.
- Molly Nipper, a graduate of Houston Baptist University and STEM teacher in the Spring Branch Independent School District.
- Pat Hardy, a graduate of Howard Payne University and Texas State Board of Education representative for District 11.
- Nicole Flores, a graduate of Hardin-Simmons University and elementary school teacher in the Abilene Independent School District.
- Lynda Solis, a graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and director of bilingual and ESL services in the Waxahachie Independent School District.
- Cash Fortune, a graduate of Wayland Baptist University and principal in Petersburg Independent School District.
Cooperative Program Director Bruce McCoy and Texas Baptists’ office of Cooperative Program ministry coordinated the award process.
The annual BEST award is presented to select graduates of Texas Baptist institutions who currently serve in faculty or administration roles in the Texas public school system and are members of a church supportive of the BGCT. One graduate is selected from each Texas Baptist educational institution.
Graduates from these universities represent 6 percent to 8 percent of the more than 357,000 public school educators in Texas.
“We are so pleased to announce these splendid educators as this year’s recipients of the BEST Award. Each of these top-tier educators are representative of thousands of our graduates who serve as salt and light in the public schools across Texas,” McCoy said.
“They are standard bearers for quality education and personal integrity. They represent Jesus for us daily in and through their diligent and vital work.”
Award recipients will be honored during the 2022 BGCT annual meeting Nov. 13-15 in Waco.
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