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“We cannot fill our kids’ cups if ours are empty.”
— Abigail Callazo, Elgin Elementary teacher of the year
One of Elgin’s educational professionals recently enjoyed a retreat stay for local teachers, coming home with a greater sense of pride in the important work that she does.
Abigail Callazo, who won Elgin Elementary’s teacher of the year, was selected out of 3,000 candidates from the Austin and San Antonio regions for the Holdsworth Educator Retreat, a nonprofit founded by H-E-B chairperson Charles Butt.
The Lake Austin campus is dedicated to building stronger leaders for Texas public schools, a place of relaxation, professional development and further education.
“As teachers, we can feel a little underappreciated or even forgotten at times,” said Callazo.
Holdsworth aims to treat teachers like the superheroes that families always claim they are, according to representatives, recognizing those in a community who truly make a difference for young learners.
“My experience was beyond spectacular. Every person that greeted me kept expressing absolute gratitude for the profession I decided to choose, it almost didn’t feel real,” added Callazo.
The retreat featured workshops on nutrition and stress management, offered group exercise options and featured state of the art classrooms, a 300-person lecture space and rooms for overnight stay.
Part of the refuge’s focus was to reinspire and help these learners better see just how important they are in a community.
Speakers gave personal testimony on experiences that have changed the outcomes for students who may have been headed down the wrong path in life, according to Callazo, who claimed she rediscovered her “why.”
“We have to believe in our kids, because sometimes, we are the only ones rooting for them,” she said.
Holdsworth helped Callazo recognize that while kids and their education come first, teachers must make time for themselves and their mental health.
“We cannot fill our kids’ cups if ours are empty,” added the pre-k teacher.
Callazo found a sense of community amongst her fellow educators, and believes that every teacher should look into the retreat, if not simply take more time for selfcare.
“We as teachers help shape the future and deserve so much recognition, and at Holdsworth this is exactly what you will receive. Their saying is public education holds worth, and this retreat truly meant that, and it holds worth to me,” she said.
Public school professionals can find more information on the eye-opening program at https://stories.holdsworthcenter.org/educator-retreat/.
