Stephanie FitzSimon, head theater director at Navasota High School, was awarded the 2023 Top Secondary Teacher of the Brazos Valley, making her the first teacher outside of the Bryan/College Station area to win the contest since its inception in 2021.
Now in her 16th year of teaching, FitzSimon is a seasoned educator with a passion for the arts and all those she influences along the way.
“Mrs. FitzSimon is probably one of the most dedicated teachers on our campus,” says Kristi Ramsey, the principal at NHS. “Every year, she leads a fall production, One Act Play, a spring musical and a drama program in the summer and does a great job of it. There's never any downtime.” FitzSimon joined Navasota ISD in 2018 after teaching in Mumford ISD for almost 10 years, where she started their art program and taught both art and theater. Since coming to Navasota, FitzSimon says she has been blessed to play a role in transforming their now-flourishing theater program.
“We went from a teeny tiny little classroom to now a big black box classroom and a newly remodeled theater,” FitzSimon says. “Our musicals get bigger and bigger every year, and we're currently fundraising to take [the students] to musicals and shows and hopefully, eventually, we're going to do an out-of-state trip.”
The accomplishments that have been made in the NHS theater program stand as a testament to FitzSimon’s dedication to her students and the community. Outside of the classroom, FitzSimon also leads many fundraising initiatives to alleviate the financial burden that comes with participating in extracurriculars.
“Approximately 80% of our students come from low- income families, so I don't like them to pay out of pocket for anything if I can avoid that,” FitzSimon says. “We currently have a GoFundMe that always goes straight to our Booster Club and that helps fund everything from T-shirts and meals to trips to see shows.”
Insite Media presented Mrs. FitzSimon with a plaque from its parent company, Integ and a gift basket featuring gift cards from Wings’N More, Zeitman’s Grocery Store, Shipwreck Grill, Amico Nave and Dixie Chicken; gift certificates from 7F Lodge, DeGallery and HotWorx; OPAS tickets, mug, stationary and potted plant from Integ, candle from Heartworks and wine from Messina Hof.
A huge thank you to all the businesses who donated prizes for the gift basket. Congratulations again to Mrs. FitzSimon and to Navasota High School and Navasota ISD!
