Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Teacher in running for national award
SILOAM SPRINGS — Jenny Marroquin, a career and technical education teacher and FCCLA advisor in the Siloam Springs School District, has received some high praise since she started teaching.
Marroquin, a Siloam Springs graduate herself, has already won the Association for Career and Technical Education award for new teacher of the year on a state and regional level, beating out thousands of other career and technical education teachers in the south. Now she heads to nationals.
“Jenny is up for the national new CTE teacher of the year, and that award will be given in Las Vegas on Nov. 30, and Jenny will be attending,” Superintendent Jody Wiggins said.
Wiggins continued, saying, “She is one of five regional representatives that are up for that award, and we wish her luck. It’s a great honor just to be our region’s representative, but I think she has a pretty good chance because she’s pretty special.”
“I became a teacher because of the great CTE teachers I had in high school, here in Siloam Springs,” Marroquin said.
In her short time teaching in the Siloam Springs district, Marroquin has taken up teaching a wide variety of career and technical education classes, as well as advising high school FCCLA through a national competition. She has also recently received her master’s degree in education leadership.
“At the moment I am feeling a little nervous but very excited,” Marroquin said. “I never imagined making it this far. When I was awarded the Family and Consumer Sciences New Teacher of the Year award for Arkansas in 2020, I didn’t imagine getting to move forward and be awarded the Career and Technical Education CTE new teacher of the year award for Arkansas, much less for the region.”
She continued, saying, “It will honestly be an honor just to stand on the stage as a national finalist. CTE was an important part of my high school education here in Siloam Springs. CTE is the reason why I became a teacher and why I feel so passionate about my content and all the other areas of career and technical education.”