Monica Nuñez is a science teacher at Santa Teresa High School in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. She has 13 years of teaching experience at the secondary & elementary level. Monica taught 4th grade at Santa Teresa Elementary. During this time, Santa Teresa Elementary was awarded a National Blue Ribbon Schools Award in 2010, by Former President Barack Obama.
Monica has received both her bachelor’s & master’s degrees, in education, from New Mexico State University. In 2018, she was awarded the TRiO New Mexico Alumni Achiever Award. This award is bestowed on outstanding former TRiO participants (NMSU-Upward Bound) that have made significant civic, community, or professional contributions in their professional and personal lives.
As a former state ambassador for the New Mexico Teacher Leader Network and a former member of the Secretary’s Teacher Advisory, Monica serves as an advocate for teachers, parents, and students in New Mexico.
As a 2017 National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, Monica was able to embark on an expedition to Antarctica this past December. She is now able to bring her experiences back into the classroom and community. As a former National Park Service Teacher-Ranger-Teacher, Monica understands the vital importance of bringing real-world experiences into the classroom. Her goal is to broaden her students’ understanding of the world around them. Monica’s work with National Geographic has led her to be a part of New Mexico’s Geographic Alliance. This alliance is essential to improving geographical education in New Mexico. In addition, Monica is the host and mentor of the newly launched National Geographic Educator Certification pilot in Mexico. Her participation in this program has led her to work with teachers at the international level.
Santa Teresa, NM
United States