Latinos for Education hosted its fourth annual Latino Educators Shine Awards at the State House on Wednesday, honoring Lourdes Adorno Gonzalez, an academic dean at Alma del Mar Charter School in New Bedford. This year, 40 Latino educators from across the Commonwealth were honored by state legislators for the trailblazing work they do every day.
Gonzalez was recognized by Representative Christopher Hendricks for her dedication and commitment to the work she does for her students.
The event was hosted in partnership with State Senator Adam Gomez. Several state leaders also received awards at the event, including Senator Jason Lewis, Representative Alice Peisch, Senator Pavel Payano, and Representative Jessica Giannino, for their work advancing educator diversity.
Gonzalez was born in Puerto Rico and moved to New Bedford when she was 12 years old. She was a part of the founding Alma team in 2011 and has held a variety of roles over the past 14 years, including director of operations, behavior interventionist, lead teacher, and now academic dean, a role in which she oversees the K-2 grade teachers at the Frederick Douglass campus.
"I feel blessed and honored to have been chosen to represent Alma del Mar and all the work we do to foster a welcoming learning environment for our scholars including our Latino community,” Gonzalez said. “I will continue to push our scholars to find their potential so they can excel in everything they do while attending Alma and beyond. Our scholars are our Legacy!"
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ms. Lourdes Gonzalez as an Alma colleague and family member for the last 10 years,” said Taylor DeLoach, Executive Director of Alma del Mar. “Lourdes’s commitment to serving this community is unmatched, and what I admire most about her is the joy that she brings to our work each day. She is an invaluable member of our Alma team and is so worthy of this recognition!”