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A pair of Bastrop County educators recently got a surprise visit from H-E-Buddy after being named finalists for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards program.
Marissa Marciel and Jennifer Blum were chosen for representing the best of public education professionals, going the extra mile to serve their students and community while inspiring others to do the same, according to H-E-B officials.
One of the nation’s largest monetary award programs for educators, finalists across Texas and their schools each receive checks ranging from $1,000 to $2,500, presented in classrooms and school assemblies with surprise announcements. Over the next month, H-E-B will recognize 50 finalists and award a total $120,000.
Winners, who will receive cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, will be announced at a ceremony May 3 in Houston, where $480,000 will be awarded.
ELGIN’S TOP TEACHER
Marciel, who has spent her entire eight-year tenure with Elgin Independent School District, is a gifted and talented teacher at Trinity Ranch Elementary.
“(Marciel) is innovative and cares deeply for her students, all colleagues and our entire organization,” Trinity Ranch Principal Arthur Martinez said. “She is an empowered individual making a difference with her students.”
Martinez said the elementary teacher creates multiple project-based, hands-on lessons to push higher-order thinking with her students. She gets excited when she is able to bring innovative ideas to the classroom and goes above and beyond to elevate lessons with special guests.
While this is the first time she has been nominated for this award, it is not Marciel’s first spotlight. She was twice named Elgin Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year (2020, 2025) and earned the 2019-20 Elgin ISD Elementary School Teacher of the Year award.
Martinez, who came to the new campus from Neidig Elementary, said one of the reasons he wanted Marciel on his staff was “her infectious ability to bring smiles and positive energy to all who know her.” He said it’s “amazing” to have a staff member nominated for such a prestigious award in the first year of his campus’ program.
“Our school vision is to be a premier elementary school in Texas, and having a teacher attain this award is evidence that we are on track to achieve our vision,” Martinez said. Students gathered around Marciel as she fought back tears of joy during her surprise visit last month, accompanied by H-E-B representatives and the chain’s life-size grocery bag mascot.
BASTROP’S BEST EDUCATOR
Blum is a 17-year veteran in education and counselor at Adelton Elementary School in Bastrop. Like Marciel, Blum was caught off guard when she was visited at her campus Jan. 14.
“I thought I was doing a presentation for administrators, so when it did happen, it was surreal,” Blum said. “I just show up to work every day and love on my kiddos — I’m just grateful to be here and do what I do. I have no idea who nominated me, but it was a life-changing moment.”
Blum, a Tomball native and self-proclaimed “Houston girl,” spent the first eight years of her education career as a fourth-grade teacher at Tomball Independent School District. She moved to the nearby Conroe Independent School District in 2016 as a reading interventionist with Patterson Elementary, where she later transitioned to counseling.
“I was a dyslexia interventionist during COVID and a lot of my kids didn’t have access to internet,” she said. “We saw a lot of loss because of the access to technology because they couldn’t be in class.”
In 2022, Blum and her family moved to Bastrop when her husband, Landon, accepted a position at First National Bank in Bastrop. She became the counselor at Mina Elementary School, where she served for two years before making the switch to Adelton.
Blum is also no stranger to recognition, named Teacher of the Year in Tomball and Humanitarian of the Year in Conroe.
