CCISD Teachers Honored: Dulip, Ymbert Named Teachers of the Year

By Michelle Christenson, Caller-Times, April 10, 2001

Vinay Dulip and Piedad Ymbert share a devotion to making sure their students learn - whether it's having students write their ABCs in shaving cream or test water in the Nueces River.

In front of a standing-room only crowd Monday, Dulip of Moody High School and Ymbert of Kostoryz Elementary School were named recipients of Corpus Christi Independent School District 2001 Teacher of the Year awards.

Ymbert, who has taught at Kostoryz for 18 years, was named Elementary Teacher of the Year at a meeting of the school board. Dulip, who has taught at Moody for eight years, was named Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Carla Rosa-Villarreal, former principal of Kostoryz Elementary for three years, said she isn't surprised that Ymbert, who teaches kindergarten, received the award.

"She is so, so devoted she goes up on Sunday after church," said Rosa-Villarreal, who is now principal at Grant Middle School. "She gives not just 100 percent but 200 percent in everything that she does."

Rosa-Villarreal said Ymbert would do anything to make sure her students learn.

"I walked into her room and there was shaving cream everywhere," she said. "She had brought shaving cream so they can make shapes of letters so they can learn their letters. What kid wouldn't learn their letters like that?"

Dulip, who was raised in Nigeria, has taught for 20 years, 15 of them in the United States. Dulip teaches chemistry and has initiated several projects that pair Moody students with local elementary school science activities.

Dulip is well respected at Moody and known as a teacher who is always there for his students, said Assistant Principal Jesus A. Adamez.

Adamez said Dulip wants kids to have hands on experiences and includes them in ways such as taking them to the Nueces River to conduct water quality tests.

"He's the type of teacher that always wants to learn," he said. "He tends to always be there after school for his students." Finalists for the awards included: Esmeralda Perez-Gonzalez of Shaw Special Emphasis School, Cerise Weeks of Galvan Elementary, Steven Gonzales of Ray High School and Jane Lee-Rhodes of Kaffie Middle School. The finalists were selected from a pool of 60 nominees.

The winners and finalists will be honored and awarded cash prizes at the Teacher of the Year banquet scheduled for April 26 at the Omni Bayfront Hotel. Ymbert and Dulip advance to the regional judging.

"I am really overwhelmed," Dulip said. "First of all, it was just an honor to be here, to be selected as one of the finalists for teacher of the year."

Ymbert has been a finalist for the district award three times. When her name was announced as the winner, screams and cheers arose from the crowd of about 80.

She thanked her former teacher Ricardo Godoy for making a difference in her life. "I hope that one day someone will say to me, 'You made a difference in my life' and that's what it's all about," Ymbert said.

Contact Paula Caballero and Sara Lee Fernandez at 886-3758 or caballerop@caller.com

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