The Socorro Independent School District proudly honored Lauren Moore, the administrative specialist at Mission Early College High School, as the district's 2026 Support Employee of the Year. She was recognized for her exceptional contributions and unwavering commitment to students, faculty and staff.
Moore was celebrated along with 55 other exceptional School Support Employees of the Year, including four finalists, during the SISD Support Employee of the Year Award Ceremony on May 1 at the Student Activities Complex (SAC) II.
The award recognized a team member who consistently demonstrated outstanding customer service.
“I'm just doing what I was supposed to be doing, and that would be pleasant, be nice to people. They deserve that,” said Moore, who has worked in SISD for 16 years and has over 40 years of experience in education.
“When they come in, they deserve to be treated with respect and to be heard and to be taken care of. And I don't care if it's a student, a parent, a teacher, they all deserve the same,” Moore added.
Mission Early College High School Principal Ben Ortega has worked with Moore for seven years and has known her since high school. He considers her a mentor who helped him transition to his role as principal when he first started at Mission Early College.
“It was just really, really comforting to be able to walk into the campus and see her familiar face and get that reassurance that I needed. She props me up every single day. She props the school up every single day. I could not be more proud of her,” Ortega said.
As part of the School Support Employee program, SISD schools and departments select one School Support Employee of the Year each January to represent them in the districtwide competition.
In February, nominees were interviewed by a diverse panel that included directors, students, teachers, and parents, leading to the selection of four finalists. In April, a second selection committee, comprising cabinet members, directors, principals, teachers, students, and parents, interviewed each finalist and ultimately chose the overall winner.