Baptist Educators Serving Texans (B.E.S.T.)

2023 Educator of the Year nomination information will be available later this year.

Why are we presenting these awards?

Since 1886, Texas Baptists have been strong supporters of university education in Texas. The B.E.S.T. Awards (Baptist Educators Serving Texans) will be given annually in order to:

  1. Recognize the value and the positive contribution our Texas Baptists universities are making to our public school systems in Texas.
  2. Identify and celebrate individual Texas public school educators who, every day in their classrooms, live out their faith to the students they serve.
  3. Encourage Texas Baptists (BGCT) churches to remember that their mission gifts through the Cooperative Program support our Texas Baptists universities and the training of approximately 800 new public school educators annually who invest in the lives of children for years to come.

Who can be nominated?

A candidate for a B.E.S.T. award is an educator (teacher, coach, counselor, administrator, etc.) in a state approved or accredited school, prekindergarten through grade twelve. Each candidate currently must be:

  • A teacher or administrator in a Texas public school system;
  • A graduate of one of our nine Texas Baptist Universities; and
  • A member of a Baptist church supportive of the BGCT (Texas Baptists).

2023 Recipients

Josias Hernandez
Graduate of Baptist University of the Americas

Liz Hagins
Graduate of Baylor University

Lori Rapp
Graduate of Dallas Baptist University

Dori Ballard
Graduate of East Texas Baptist University

Darby Isereau
Graduate of Houston Christian University

Judith Ozuna
Graduate of Howard Payne University

Jimmy Pogue
Graduate of Hardin-Simmons University

Mark Fitzwater
Graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

Sara Wallace
Graduate of Wayland University

2022 Recipients

Phairen Yaites Brown
Graduate of Dallas Baptist University

Adolfo Chavez
Graduate of the Baptist University of the Americas

Jay Fischer
Graduate of Baylor University

Nicole Flores
Graduate of Hardin-Simmons University

Cash Fortune
Graduate of Wayland Baptist University

Pat Hardy
Graduate of Howard Payne University

Adrien Kenebrew
Graduate of East Texas Baptist University

Molly Nipper
Graduate of Houston Baptist University

Lynda Solis
Graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

2021 Recipients

Bobbette Bell
Graduate of Howard Payne University

Jennifer Carlile
Graduate of East Texas Baptist University

Dolores Jean Kemp
Graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor

Hector Marquez
Graduate of Baptist University of the Americas

Ashley Minton
Graduate of Baylor University

Jonathan Powell
Graduate of Houston Baptist University

Daisy Sanchez
Graduate of Hardin Simmons University

Cynthia Spencer
Graduate of Dallas Baptist University

Rodney Wallace
Graduate of Wayland Baptist University