An eight-year teaching veteran, Heather Barrera has spent all but one of those years at May ISD, where she serves as an elementary teacher.

"I have taught 3rd and 4th math for most of my career," said Barrera, who spent her first year at Rising Star and has been at May ever since.

"Math wasn't my favorite as a kid. Once I got into my college methods for teaching Mathematics courses, and my professor really taught us the 'why' behind how math works, I really started to enjoy it and I hope to pass that understanding along to my students." Barrera attended high school in May and Brownwood and later went on to graduate from Tarleton State University.