Pinay teacher Cristina Marie Senosa was named as the “2021-2022 State Teacher of the Year” in the US Virgin Islands, making her the first international teacher to receive this award.
The Virgin Islands Department of Education (VIDE) announced Senosa’s recognition on Facebook, saying, “[We congratulate] Ms. Cristina Marie Senosa of the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School who has been named the 2021-2022 State Teacher of the Year.”
“Ms. Senosa is the VIDE’s first international teacher who has received this distinction. Her win was announced at the VIDE’s 2nd Annual Excellence in Education Awards on May 10, 2021. Congratulations, Ms. Senosa!”
Senosa shared in a DZMM interview the factors that were considered in choosing the recipient of the “Teacher of the Year award.”
“I was unanimously chosen sa school kasi ang hinahanap nila ‘yung meron kang classroom involvement, good relationship and rapport sa parents and the community, tapos meron kang extra-curricular activities at certified ka na teacher dito sa Virgin Islands,” she said.
Aside from representing both her school and district, Senosa said that she’s also standing for the Philippines. “It was an overwhelming experience to represent my district for the State Teacher of the Year, tapos nanalo pa as the State Teacher of the Year. Hindi ko lang dinadala ‘yung distrito ko saka ‘yung school ko but I also lift the banner or the flag of the Philippines very high.”
Last year, she was also awarded as the “2020-2021 St. Thomas-St. John District Teacher of the Year.”
Senosa has been teaching Social Studies at the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School for five years already. Prior to working in the US Virgin Islands, she was also a teacher in Doha, Qatar.
