Journalism teacher Megan Ortiz walked onto the stage during the TAJE Fall Fiesta award ceremony to introduce former Humble ISD assistant superintendent of high schools Trey Kraemer.
The two first met in 2009 when Kraemer hired Ortiz to start the journalism program at Summer Creek High School where he was then the building principal. Ortiz, who was a Texans beat writer for the Houston Chronicle at the time, switched careers and began teaching.
Both Ortiz and Kraemer were honored during the state journalism conference with Ortiz winning the Trailblazer Award and Kraemer winning Administrator of the Year.
“I think [the award is] great for me having retired, and then I saw yesterday that Mrs. Ortiz got the Trailblazer Award,” said Kraemer, who retired in June after 34 years in education. “I just have such a special relationship with her, going back to when she first came into the education side of it. And I feel like she’s been one of my heroes as it relates to educators. And so to be here to support (her students) and support her, I’m happy to be here.”
Kraemer won the Administer of the Year award through the Texas Association of Journalism Educators. This award is given out to honor an administrator who has been an advocate for scholastic journalism during their career.
“It’s an honor,” Kraemer said. “It’s just kind of an acknowledgment of my love and passion for journalism, and the work that all of our teachers and staff do and the kids that are associated with it.”
With Kraemer at the district level, student journalism grew in Humble ISD. Four high schools now have print or online news sites. All six high schools have yearbooks. None of the schools are subjected to prior review or prior restraint.
“I think, sometimes when you have leaders like that, you kind of take it for granted,” Ortiz said. “But, I think it’s also important to celebrate those people who do the right thing day in and day out and support [the program] for years.”
Ortiz, who has taught nine years at Kingwood Park, was named a Trailblazer for “efforts to expand the scope and capability of Texas scholastic journalism and benefit others who follow their lead.”
She is currently the Region 9 representative for TAJE. Ortiz has organized and hosted two summer camps for fourth-eighth graders, as well as two regional journalism conferences at the school for the Houston area.
“My mom was my high school journalism teacher, and my brother is an amazing high school journalism teacher. And so I have just learned a lot from them,” Ortiz said. “And I don’t really see myself as doing anything overly special, but I know the impact high school journalism had on me. It changed my life. I do look at teaching as a way to pay it forward because of what I got from my journalism program in high school from my mom.”
She was honored during a teacher luncheon at the TAJE Fall Fiesta in San Antonio.
“I just thought it was surreal, because I was in a room with a lot of great high school journalism teachers in San Antonio when I got it, and it’s people I still look up to,” Ortiz said. “And so it was special to be honored in front of them.”
