Spring Branch ISD Featured News

 

Marquiza Grant remembers the day she stepped back into a mainstream first-grade classroom as if it were yesterday.

Having spent her kindergarten year in Special Education due to her hearing loss, she was both nervous and hopeful when she learned she was ready to join her peers. “The students welcomed me with warmth and open arms,” she says, her eyes shining. “I felt valued and loved by my teachers and classmates despite my hearing loss.”

That sense of belonging would shape Grant’s life in profound ways. After graduating, she carried the lessons of empathy and Limitless Curiosity into every corner of her world. Eleven years ago, when she first walked through Spring Branch ISD’s (SBISD) doors as a young custodian, she did so with a quiet promise to herself: one day, she would return—but not just as the student who had been uplifted, but as the teacher who would help others find their voice.

“It was important for me to see what it’s like behind the scenes,” Grant explains. “I wanted to learn every role in the district so that when I became a teacher, I could truly understand and advocate for everyone I work with.” As she swept hallways and wiped down desks, she soaked in the spirit of SBISD—the camaraderie among staff, the genuine care for students, and the deep belief that Every Child has potential.

 

 

That belief found its ignition in the SBISD THRIVE Teacher Certification program. Grant still recalls the day she opened an email from Dr. Jennifer Cobb, detailing a pathway for para-educators and support staff to earn their teaching credentials while working full time. “Reading that email sparked the flame I thought I’d had to blow out,” she says. Encouraged, she enrolled, juggling early morning classes with her custodial duties.

“The journey so far has been great,” she admits, “though some of the classes have been a bit of a challenge. But with discipline and motivation, I pushed through.” Every assignment reminded her of why she returned to SBISD in the first place: to show gratitude for a district that had once lifted her into a mainstream classroom, and to pay it forward to the next generation of learners.

Grant speaks passionately about student behavior and the motivations behind it. “When I see ‘bad’ behavior, I always assume there’s an underlying factor—and nine times out of ten, I’m right,” she says. “I want to be a comfort for that kid.” Having been the student in need of understanding, she knows that Special Education children “just so badly want to be seen and valued—not made fun of for their disability.”

Her own journey was far from easy. From middle school through college, Grant went without hearing aids, leaning on sheer determination and the support of caring teachers to help her bridge the gap. Yet even in her toughest moments, she never gave up. “I still pushed through because that’s how passionate I am about my dream,” she reflects.

This fall, Grant will bring her story full circle as she joins the team at the Lion Lane School, where she will serve students who are deaf or hard of hearing. In her mind’s eye, she already sees the bright smiles and feels the warmth of her future classroom. “I want students to feel safe, loved, and confident,” she says. “I hope my impact is so huge and that, years from now, my former students come back to tell me about their own success.”

To anyone who feels the same spark of passion, Grant offers simple advice: “If this is your passion, go get it. Don’t blow out that fire within you—it’s too big to extinguish. Add more fuel to it and chase what you truly want.” She credits THRIVE with helping her “go back to school and finish what I started,” and believes it can do the same for others.

As Marquiza Grant steps into her new role, she carries with her the lessons she learned as a little girl who once needed a little extra help—and the promise she made long ago: to come back, to teach, and to light the way for those who follow.

Are you interested in learning more about SBISD's THRIVE Program? Click here to learn more.