Former Student Wins Tennessee Teacher of the Year Award
At the start of this year, alumna Dr. Brandi De La Cruz was named Tennessee’s Teacher of the Year for 2026. De La Cruz has taught at Collierville High School in Tennessee for six years.
De La Cruz first earned her school’s Teacher of the Year award, then advanced to become District Teacher of the Year, West Tennessee Teacher of the Year, and, ultimately, the Tennessee Teacher of the Year for 2026.
After briefly majoring in business administration, before an unexpected opportunity led her to education. After overhearing that a local school had lost its geometry teacher, she asked what it would take to become a teacher – and soon launched what has become a 16-year career in the classroom.
De La Cruz said her biggest challenge in teaching is making sure she never does it alone.
“Some of the hardest parts of teaching are making sure you are not going at it alone,” De La Cruz said. “Find your people and go out and do things together outside of school. Rely on them when you can. Teaching is a team sport – family doesn’t always understand the problems that go on.”
De La Cruz credits her success to UA Little Rock and the support she received when beginning her teaching journey. She started four weeks late into the semester, but fellow professors helped her catchup. When she failed the Praxis test — the exam required for teacher licensure – on her first attempt, her advisor helped her prepare to retake it. She passed with flying colors. That support inspired the way she teaches in her own classroom. She prioritizes building strong relationships with her students, which she says helps them push themselves to succeed. That passion shows up in her students’ test scores.
“I’m a huge proponent of going out and telling people just to try teaching,” De La Cruz said, “You may fall in love with it.”
After a nontraditional start, De La Cruz wouldn’t change it for the world and hopes this inspires others to try education when they don’t feel like they know what direction they want to go.