Rosa Maria Ceballos de Llano
A LIFETIME EDUCATOR AND POET
About Me
Rosa María Ceballos de Llano, a native of Nuevo Laredo, a Spanish teacher in Laredo, Texas for 49 years (39 high school and 10 at university level 1968-2017) holds a BA from Texas A&I, Kingsville; a MS fromTAMIU; and has completed all the course work for a PhD in Hispanic Studies from Texas A&M University, College Station (ABD).
She received two National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowships in ‘93 and ’94; the UT Excellence in Teaching in ’95; the Texas Foreign Language Association, Texas Spanish Teacher of the Year in 2003, and was named to the Laredo Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000.
Her students’ poems are featured in the Spanish textbook Persona a Persona 2 published by Macmillan in 1982. Her methods of teaching Spanish were published by Macmillan and Houghton Mifflin in 1982. Her poem Fronteriza/Border Woman was featured in the NPR series, Border Voices in 2003.
She was named Poet Laureate of Laredo for 2021-2022.
Recognitions
Awards
2020 Named Laredo Poet Laureate by the City of Laredo Commission for the Arts, approved by the City Council and Mayor Pete Sáenz, to serve 2021-2022.
2008 Raíces Award, Cigarroa High School (for promoting Calavera poems)
2003 Spanish Teacher of the Year, Texas Foreign Language Association
2000 Inducted into the Laredo Women’s Hall of Fame
1998 Scholarship from the Spanish Embassy to study in Salamanca, Spain
1996 Traditions Award, Webb County Heritage Foundation (for Mother’s Day Program)
1995 Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Texas (one of ten top teachers)
1994 Teacher of the Year, Cigarroa High School
1994 Bell Award (LISD Outstanding High-School Teacher), Laredo Chamber of Commerce
1994 Golden Apple Award, City of Laredo (48 nominees from city)
1993 El Mañana (Nuevo Laredo’s newspaper) Literary Award
1993 Laredo Times Woman of the Month, June
1993 Teacher of the Year, Cigarroa High School
1992 Traditions Award, Webb County Heritage Foundation (for the Calaveras Poetry Project at Cigarroa High School)
1982 Chapter Sponsor of the Year, Spanish National Honor Society (Gabriela Mistral Chapter, Martin High School)
1980 Spanish National Honor Society Chapter Sponsor of the Year
1964 Valedictorian, St. Augustine High School
Community Involvement
2021 Coordinated and Presented seven Write Poetry Laredo workshops, via WebEx, as Poet Laureate
2021 Literacy Volunteers of Laredo, Spanish Book Club Committee
2020 Selected to the Webb County Heritage Foundation Board
2019 Appointed to the Laredo Commission for Women by the Laredo City Council
2016 Appointed to the Laredo Public Library Board by the Laredo City Council
Fellowships & Institutes
Summer Institute. Literature. Universidad de Salamanca, Spain. 1998
Summer Institute. South Texas Writing Workshop, Laredo Community College. 1997. Wrote my first poem in English.
National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellowship. “The Enduring Maya.” Texas State University, San Marcos. With field study in Yucatán and Chiapas. 1994
National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellowship. Council for Basic Education. Poetry and prose of Rosario Castellanos. Mexico City and Austin. 1993
Summer Institute. Colegio de Nuestra Señora de Lecároz, Pamplona, and Universidad Complutense, Madrid. 1969
Notable Mentions
It is clear that your efforts foster a love of literature written in Spanish and to promote a recognition of the artistic signatures of the Mexican culture have enriched the lives of your students, your school, and your community.
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Rosa María is quite simply the best high school Spanish teacher I have met in thirty-three years in the profession. The focus, interest, understanding, and stimulation she awakens is nothing short of miraculous.
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Congratulations, and on behalf of the children who you have enlightened and inspired, I offer my sincere gratitude. Our children will reap the rewards of your success.
“
ANN W. RICHARDS, FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR
on receiving the Golden Apple award
RAY M. KECK III, TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
PRESIDENT
on receiving the TFLA Teacher of the Year award
GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR
on receiving the Texas Excellence Award for Outstanding High School Teacher
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