Roosevelt Alexander Elementary Teacher Olivia Watson Sacks-up H-E-B Finalist Award & Cash Prize for Leadership

KATY, TX [February 6, 2025] – In a surprise ceremony that included her family near and far, Roosevelt Alexander Elementary teacher Olivia Watson learned she’d been named a finalist for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Award. In front of family, some of them watching over FaceTime, her dozens of students and several campus administrators, Watson was honored from among the thousands of nominations and applications the program garnered.

One of only five statewide finalists being considered for The Leadership Award in the elementary category, Watson’s category includes outstanding teachers with 10-to-20 years in the classroom. As a finalist, she and her school each received a $1,000 cash prize. This year’s winners will be named in May at the annual awards banquet, and if selected, Watson and Roosevelt Alexander Elementary will each receive a $10,000 cash prize.   

“Ms. Watson is an amazing teacher and is so deserving of this recognition,” said Dr. Charmaine Hobin, principal of Roosevelt Alexander Elementary. “She is always thinking of new, creative ways to inspire her students and spark their love of learning.”   

Watson teaches gifted and talented (GT) students at Roosevelt Alexander, and because of the District’s pull-out model, she’s cultivated long-established relationships with her students, some as far back as kindergarten.  

A proud University of Houston graduate, Watson began her career in Alief ISD and has served in Katy ISD for 11 years. She is quick to credit the wider, tight-knit community built at Roosevelt Alexander for her success and loves that she has built relationships with her students and their older siblings and family members over the years.   

“I hope my students love learning and that they continue to be lifelong learners,” she said. “I really hope that every student that I teach knows that knowledge is the key to what the future holds, and they might not know what the future holds, but they have to be willing to learn about it.”  

Established in 2002, the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards honors outstanding educators in Texas and has awarded more than $14 million to teachers, counselors and principals. Visit www.heblovesteachers.com to learn more.   

Roosevelt Alexander Elementary’s Olivia Watson Named H-E-B Award Finalist Photo Gallery   

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