Collins Middle School Math Educator Sandra Castillo ‘11 Named Recipient of Latinos for Education Shine Award
Ms. Castillo presented the Latino Educators Shine Award at State House
SALEM (July 15, 2026) – Sandra Castillo, a grade 6 mathematics teacher at Collins Middle School, was among 57 Latino educators presented with the Shine Award Wednesday, June 24, at the fifth annual Latinos for Educators Shine Awards ceremony at the Massachusetts State House.
A member of the Salem High School Class of 2011, Ms. Castillo was honored alongside Ana Brea, a Spanish language educator at Salem Academy. She was nominated by Salem State Representative Manny Cruz ‘10 (7th Essex District).
The Latinos for Education Shine Award honors educators for the extraordinary impact they make in classrooms and communities, fostering cultural pride and student success. Educators are nominated by their state legislators.
“I am pleased to join Senator Joan Lovely to honor and recognize Salem’s very own, Ms. Sandra Castillo, for recognition at the Educators Who Shine Award,” said Rep. Cruz. “Ms. Castillo is a dear friend, a community leader, and an educator who brings out the very best in her students. As an educator she is laser-focused on the needs of her students, helping them tap into their brilliance, and she is a great role model for all of our kids. I want to congratulate Ms. Castillo for all she has accomplished in her professional career and hope that she will continue to teach in Salem for years to come.”
An alumnae of Collins Middle School, Ms. Castillo was lauded for the profound and lasting impact she has on her students.
“This award means the world to me,” said Ms. Castillo, a lifelong resident of Salem. “One of my biggest reasons for becoming a teacher was to have a greater impact on students and help them rewrite the narrative that they are ‘bad’ at math. I feel incredibly grateful that I’m able to connect with students the way I do and make math more engaging and accessible for them. Being an educator that students can see themselves in makes this recognition especially meaningful.”
Ms. Castillo is the latest Salem educator to be honored by Latinos for Education. Last year, Joanna Rodriguez ‘10, a City Connects Coordinator at CMS, was a recipient of the Shine Award while Bentley Academy Innovation School Assistant Principal Yamiliz Cruz was named one of 27 educators and community leaders to receive the LFE Aspiring Latino Leaders Fellowship.
In October 2023, Janet Garcia, a bilingual reading specialist at Bentley Academy, and Odilia Smith, a Spanish language educator at CMS, received the Exceptional Latino Educator awards.
As a student at SHS, Ms. Castillo was a member of the National Honor Society as well as a three-sport athlete in volleyball, gymnastics and track and field. She also served as the senior class treasurer and was a member of the Student Council, Peer Leadership Group, Salem Leadership Institute and La Union Latina.
She earned her undergraduate degree in Economics from Bucknell University in 2017.
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are all passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens we view all of our work through. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff serve all of our students, regardless of ability or language. Salem Public Schools enrolls approximately 4,000 students across its eleven schools.
