Cassandra DeBottis of Kingwood Park High School named District Teacher of the Year and wins $10,000 check sponsored by Robbins Auto; Aimee Harris of Whispering Pines Elementary School named Elementary Teacher of the Year and wins $5,000 check sponsored by GTS Technology Solutions
Cassandra DeBottis, a science teacher at Kingwood Park High School, is the 2025-2026 Humble Independent School District and Secondary Teacher of the Year and Aimee Harris, a fifth grade math teacher at Whispering Pines Elementary School, is the 2025-2026 Elementary Teacher of the Year.
DeBottis won a $10,000 check sponsored by Robbins Auto and Harris won a $5,000 check sponsored by GTS Technology Solutions at the Humble ISD Education Foundation Boots and Bling Gala held at Stampede Houston on April 4. Additionally, courtesy of Whataburger, both winners will enjoy a year of complimentary Whataburger.
DeBottis is in her 14th year of teaching and for the past four years has been at Kingwood Park High School serving as the high school biology and pathophysiology teacher.
Pathophysiology is a course that is the study of diseases and how it affects the body. The course is for juniors and seniors. DeBottis started with one class of this subject when she arrived at Kingwood Park and has now grown it to three classes.
DeBottis also sponsors the Women in Science Helping Educate Students (WISHES) club as well. The club brings in guest speakers from NASA, Exxon Mobil, local hospitals and engineers to discuss challenges women in STEM have experienced and how they overcome those challenges.
“I think children need cheerleaders,” DeBottis said. “Every child deserves a cheerleader: a teacher who is going to walk in every day with the biggest smile on their face.”
Debottis’ innovative approach to teaching extends beyond the classroom, as she creates meaningful service-learning opportunities for her pathophysiology students that blend academics with community service.
One of those meaningful service-learning opportunities was “Cuddles for a Cause”. This year, DeBottis’ pathophysiology students collected stuffed animals and made homemade Valentine’s Day cards for patients at the Texas Children’s Hospital.
These experiences enhance students' understanding of health and wellness and cultivate leadership, empathy, and a sense of responsibility to others.
“I hope students will remember their unique experiences, exploring science through virtual reality, learning how to use a tourniquet, or creating functional models of body systems,” DeBottis said. “I encourage other teachers to take risks with unique lesson styles, intended to foster student-centered learning.”
Every year, DeBottis reminds herself of this powerful quote by Carl W. Buehner – "They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel."
She believes a teacher's impact is profound and lasting, shaping students' minds, attitudes, and futures.
“I’ve always had fun with my kids,” DeBottis said. “I enjoy just sitting with them and talking to them and just being part of their life and understanding them.”
Teaching is Aimee Harris’ calling, her passion, and her purpose. Harris doesn't just teach math—she teaches perseverance, confidence, and the belief that every student is capable of success, no matter where they start.
Harris is in her 12th year of teaching and her second year at Whispering Pines Elementary School as a fifth-grade math teacher.
“Being a teacher is honestly just something that’s just been in me,” Harris said. “I’m doing something that’s important. I’m OK with small victories, I’m OK with small defeats as long as I know that I’ve left something better than how it came to me. Teaching is just what I was meant to do.”
Harris wants her students to walk into her classroom knowing they are valued and leave knowing they are unstoppable.
Math can be intimidating, but Harris strives to make it meaningful, engaging, and most of all, accessible. One impactful lesson was Harris teaching her students how to answer a math problem through mock booking flights through United Airlines’ website. Each student got to come up and “book” their dream flight to see how much a round-trip ticket cost compared to a one-way ticket. They then compared the costs of travel to their dream destinations whether it be by plane, train or automobile. One student even put together a savings plan to fund their dream trip to Mexico.
“They weren’t just learning math, they were learning life skills,” Harris said.
Harris celebrates every victory, no matter how small, because she knows that growth takes time. Her greatest joy is seeing a child’s face light up when they finally believe in themselves.
“My goal as my kids’ educator is to put hope back into hopelessness,” Harris said. “How can I instill something in you that nobody has ever told you that you’re capable of before.I need them to learn to walk in that greatness, whatever it is. Whatever your skill set may be, wherever you are, Ms. Harris needs to meet you there and we walk the path of greatness together.”
The goal is simple: when her students leave the class, they don’t just take math skills with them—they take confidence, resilience, and the unshakable belief that they can achieve anything.
"Every child deserves someone who believes in them. I choose to be that someone,” Harris said.
Each year during the spring semester, Humble ISD schools choose a Teacher of the Year for its campus. The 2025-2026 Finalists and District Teachers of the Year were chosen by a district selection committee based upon essays and interviews in February and March.
All district Teacher of the Year Finalists were honored on stage at the Humble ISD Education Foundation Boots and Bling Gala and received a $250 Visa gift card, courtesy of the Humble ISD Education Foundation.
The annual Boots & Bling Gala benefits the Humble ISD Education Foundation’s Innovative Education grant program, which has awarded $19.3 million in education grants since it was founded in 2000.
District Teacher of the Year Finalists are:
Elementary Finalists
Natalie Waters - Groves Elementary, Fifth Grade
Nancy Torres - Jack Fields Elementary, Kindergarten Bilingual
Charnae Jordan - Oak Forest Elementary, Fifth Grade
Aimee Harris - Whispering Pines Elementary, Fifth Grade
Secondary Finalists
Adam Bowling - Atascocita High School, Science
Jacqueline Howard - Guy M. Sconzo Early College High School, AVID IV
Jessica Wesley - Humble Middle School, Culinary
Camee Faulk - Kingwood High School, Drama
Catherine Summers - Kingwood Middle School, English
Cassandra DeBottis - Kingwood Park High School, Science