SAN ANTONIO – An award-winning South San Independent School District elementary teacher has died at 30 years old.
Salena Rose Sanchez, a fourth grade teacher at Neil Armstrong Elementary School, died on Jan. 14, according to an obituary.
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Sanchez taught at Armstrong for five years and was awarded the South San ISD Teacher of the Year in 2023.
Sanchez also received the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching, recognizing her as the best educator in South San ISD in 2024.
Sanchez formed the “Kind Kids Club” during her time at Armstrong. She was affiliated with “Cultivar” at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in partnership with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
“She absolutely adored her students and wanted them all to know she was so proud of them,” the obituary states. “While receiving treatment, her class received the perfect attendance award in honor of Ms. Sanchez.”
Sanchez obtained her bachelor’s degree in education from The University of Texas at San Antonio, and will be posthumously awarded a Master of Education School Leadership from Trinity University, according to the obituary.
The obituary stated her goal was to work in the curriculum and eventually become a principal.
“As an educator at Armstrong Elementary, Salena poured her heart into shaping young minds, inspiring both her students and fellow teachers with her passion for learning and her unyielding commitment to making a difference,” the obituary stated.
