Maricela Burns never stopped to think about all of her accomplishments.
A Brownsville native, she served in the U.S. Navy for four years, completing two deployments on a nuclear craft carrier, before coming home and becoming the first in her family to earn a doctorate degree.
She now teaches English as a Second Language at Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving.
State Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., who learned of Burns’ story at her graduation, recently honored Burns with a formal proclamation and a state flag flown at the Texas capitol in her honor, according to Irving ISD.
“I didn’t even realize that I had accomplished so much. I just kept going and going, because that’s what I know,” Burns said in a written statement. “It’s never been about the recognition.”
The proclamation, signed by Lucio, calls Burns a “social justice advocate who has helped bridge educational gaps for innumerable children…”
Read the full story at Dallas Morning News.
