MEET SENIOR TEACHER OF THE YEAR: Moises Zelaya Caceres

By: Justin Zulu

For business and foundations of technology teacher Moises Zelaya Caceres, being named senior teacher of the year must have felt like a dream. In his three years as an educator, Zelaya has already made a significant impact at Glenelg, and has certainly made his presence felt.

“It’s very honorable,” Zelaya said about being chosen by the student body. “As a teacher, your main interactions are obviously with students on a day to day basis. I think to myself, how can I be personal with students to help them learn, and are they enjoying what they are doing? It is validating to be recognized like this and hopefully it shows that I am doing something well and that the students are also learning.”

​Since 2022, Zelaya has been instrumental in leading the school’s FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) club, which recently saw more than 45 students participate in the regional competition in November, 25 of whom qualified for the state conference in March, and a final 11 qualified for the national competition in Orlando, FL in late June. 

“FBLA is impactful in the sense that it can promote a certain competitiveness and enjoyment in a  variety of business topics that may not be seen in other classes,” Zelaya said. “Apart from sports, some extracurriculars can be competitive but a lot of them have the grassroots approach (philanthropy and raising funds) so it's good that there is a club that offers that competitive aspect.”

It's not just FBLA members that have experienced Zelaya’s jovial nature and warm smile. His business students have also benefited from his good-hearted attitude and laid back demeanor. 

“Mr. Z is very talented at connecting with students,” said senior Will Piwowarski. “Whether it's finding out what sports we are playing or what's going on in our life, he always makes sure to stay engaged. He brings great energy to students and is great at managing classes. He's taught me that the best way to honor someone is to value what they value.”

Zelaya said he knew he wanted to be an educator since he was in high school. He wanted to give back to the community that gave him so much, and he felt that being a teacher and educating people was a great way to do that.

“I am a first generation college student, so going through the college process I didn’t have much support from my parents,” Zelaya said. “Not because they didn’t want to, but because they just were not educated on the topic. So I relied pretty heavily on my guidance counselors and my teachers, and I was unsure what to do at first but with their guidance I was able to find something that I wanted to do. I wanted to give back to other students.”

When it comes to key attributes that make a great teacher, Zelaya said that it is crucial to develop your own style in order to have success.

“Students are people, too, with their own intricacies,” he said. “I’ve always taken the mindset that I want to have a positive impact, but that doesn’t mean that I'm going to hold their hands through every process. Students always say Mr. Z, you are never upset, and I did this in a way, because if I’m in a mood then you are going to be in a mood. So one key attribute is leaving any personal issues I may be having at home. I just try to be a positive part of someone's day.”

Zelaya attributes part of his positive attitude to making meaningful connections with students in his generation. It is is this vein, Zelaya is able to offer final advice to seniors, and any other students who have his class in the future: 

“I'm in a slightly unique position where you all are going to be my peers generationally,” Zelaya said. “I'm not a generation ahead of you all. I think for us just being younger, we are one of the more diverse generations and many of us leave college with many different problems such as debt. I think you all are going to face many challenges that I myself have faced. But one of the best things I can tell you is to accept that adversity is going to come. Challenges are inevitable but you just have to try and make good out of them. Acknowledging that our generation has weight on our shoulders to fix some of the problems in today’s society and come up with an answer for it is important to keep in mind. Try to put your best foot forward and just be a person that acts with civility.”