LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Melba Munguia was nominated by one of her students.

"If you were to ask me about Miss Munguia, the first thing I would say is that she's the smartest and sweetest person I have ever met in my life. Miss Munguia gives you the same feeling and energy you have when you're a child on Christmas Day opening gifts in front of the chimney. You go into Miss Munguia's classroom, and you know it is going to be a great day. Miss Munguia manages to explain everything with such detail, magic, passion and excitement, that you will simply learn math, even if you think you are bad at it. She's not only a great teacher, but a very nurturing person who makes her students feel unique and loved," said the student.

"Before my junior year, Miss Munguia selected students to take accelerated honors chemistry and pre-calculus courses. She personally taught them the material for each of these classes. By doing so, she significantly increased her workload, but she gladly did so because it meant her students could advance towards even more advanced courses. Because of Miss Munguia, I feel significantly more prepared for college. She has opened countless doors for me academically by doing so," said the student.

Beyond helping her students accomplish their academic goals, she also makes sure every student feels recognized and supported. This year, before Christmas break, Miss Munguia wrote each of her students personalized letters, bought them cookies, and even made them an integral out of candy canes. 

"For many students, calculus is the class that breaks your GPA as much as it breaks your will to take any math class ever again. Somehow, Miss Munguia has made it so that I look forward to going to her class every day. Whether it’s by sending us math memes on Remind, dressing up as a Rubik's cube on Halloween, or sharing hilarious anecdotes in class, she manages to make calculus not only bearable, but enjoyable," said the student.