Zuni teacher honored

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff writer

ZUNI — An educator from the Zuni Public School District has been named to an elite national list of 20 emerging leaders in education technology.

Cynthia Trujillo, who is beginning her third year as director of technology for ZPSD, was named one of “20 to Watch” by the National School Boards Association’s Technology Leadership Network.

“A nationwide search was conducted to identify individuals who reflect the spirit of creativity and collaboration that embraces the power of technology to enhance learning for students, inspire colleagues, transform operations, and engage communities,” reported a NSBA news release.

According to Dr. Kaye L. Peery, the ZPSD superintendent and the person who nominated Trujillo for the award, that description fits Trujillo’s work in Zuni. In a telephone interview, Peery explained the school district had a lot of challenges in technology when Trujillo was hired, and it was a district where everyone was doing something different in terms of school technology.

In recognizing Trujillo to be one of 20 educators selected from a nationwide search, the NSBA release states: “Cynthia Trujillo is honored for taking a group of individuals with little or no technology training and transforming each member of her technology staff into knowledgeable, customer oriented service technicians. She has been called a visionary as a result of her work with community and tribal leaders to pioneer a new student information system, implement PLATO for academic remediation, and to ensure the availability of high speed connectivity for all school sites, as well as making it available to the entire Pueblo of Zuni.”

Trujillo was also cited for creating a summer youth program that trains students to be highly qualified technology technicians and for working one-on-one with the family of a student whose medical condition causes him to be hospitalized frequently and who needs technological assistance to keep him connected to his school community.

Peery believes Trujillo is getting the local and national attention she deserves. “She goes above and beyond,” she said, “to help kids and the community.”

Trujillo said in a phone interview she was surprised and honored to be selected, and she was pleased that a rural school district in New Mexico could compete with major urban area school districts.

Originally from the very rural community of Maxwell, Trujillo, who is Hispanic, said she came to Zuni because she wanted the experience of working in a Native American community.

“It has been an amazing experience,” she said. Working with Zuni students has taught her the importance of honoring their ceremonial traditions, and working at ZPSD has made her a better technology educator.

Trujillo expressed particular pride in the accomplishments of her student technicians and her school technology staff.

Calling her students her “pride and joy” and describing her staff as “phenomenal,” Trujillo said both groups have been trained to work professionally and to focus on customer service. The customers they serve, Trujillo explained, are the students, teachers, and staff of ZPSD.