Sponsors of the Teacher of the Year Gala included IN2 Architecture, Inc. and HKS Architects as Golden Sponsors, the Birdville Education Foundation as a Silver Sponsor, Texan Graduation Supply - Herff Jones, INSURICA, VLK Architects and Bob and Susan Griggs as a Bronze Sponsor, Fort Worth Community Credit Union, Five Star Ford, Brio Direct, EECU and VLK Architects as a Stargazer Sponsor, and Tito and Sue Rodriguez as Partner Sponsors. City partnerships included North Richland Hills, Richland Hills and Watauga. 

When Sherri Holt was nine years old, a scoliosis diagnosis changed more than her health — it changed how others saw her. 

In a small rural community, she quickly became known as “the girl with the back brace,” and before long, assumptions about her abilities led to years of incorrect academic placement. It wasn’t until a freshman English teacher challenged those assumptions that Holt’s path changed forever.

After reading her first essay, Holt’s teacher immediately sent her to the counselor’s office, advocating for an immediate placement into what would now be considered honors English. Her teacher saw her ability before she saw her file and met Holt where she was – not where paperwork said she belonged. 

More than three decades later, Holt has built her career making sure students experience that same life-changing moment of being seen. Now in her 31st year in education and her ninth year teaching government and economics at Griggs High School, Holt has made belonging the foundation of her classroom. 

And on Thursday night, surrounded by friends, family and colleagues, Holt was announced as Birdville ISD’s Secondary Teacher of the Year at the district’s annual Teacher of the Year Gala. Holt was selected as the BISD Secondary Teacher of the Year from a pool of 13 applicants, consisting of teachers from all BISD secondary campuses. 

Holt, along with BISD’s Elementary Teacher of the Year, Calli DeJarnett, will receive monetary awards from the Birdville Education Foundation, the Susan Griggs Exceptional Teaching Award Endowment, and EECU. They will also receive a personalized ring and golden apple from Herff Jones.  In addition, Holt and all of the BISD Teachers of the Year received gifts from local partners including the Birdville Education Foundation, city of Richland Hills, Chick-fil-A, TCP Catering, Heavenly Crust and Andy’s Frozen Custard.

“Before students can achieve, they must believe they belong,” Holt said in her application. “When students feel seen and valued, they begin to believe in what’s possible.”

That philosophy shapes everything from instruction to the culture she intentionally builds each day.

For Holt, creating connections often begins with simple gestures. Whether it is coffee in the morning, favorite snacks for her students or an open-door environment where conversations happen naturally, what might seem small to others has become a powerful way to build trust – especially for students navigating difficult circumstances.

Those daily acts of care have helped create a classroom where students feel safe taking risks, asking questions, and engaging deeply in learning.

Holt also works to make lessons relevant by connecting academics to students’ lives through music, poetry, art, and current events, creating meaningful entry points into complex topics like government and economics. Her journey to social studies came after years teaching English, including serving as a department chair, but her mission has remained unchanged – help students see their own potential.

That mission is rooted in personal experience. Because one teacher once looked past a file and saw possibility, Holt understands the power educators have to reshape a student’s future.