2006 Award Winners

Hertha Ramirez
Belmont-Cragin Early Childhood Center
CPS - State Pre-K

Growing up in war-torn El Salvador, Hertha Ramirez saw firsthand the effect of violence on children. Ramirez found her way out of the violence of El Salvador to teach peace in Chicago schools. When she was a sophomore in high school, the civil war in Ramirez’s homeland was the impetus for her to come to America. Speaking not a word of English, Ramirez arrived in Chicago. A few years later, she graduated from Northern Illinois University and quickly got a job as a pre-kindergarten teacher. She earned her master’s degree a few years later. Today, she teaches 3- to 5-year-olds at the Belmont-Cragin
Early Childhood Center on Chicago’s west side. "She stands out in her ability to make children love school, love learning, and love their teacher," says Principal Maria Cabrera, "and her enthusiasm is hard to match!"