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Register now for area P-16 education conference Page 1 BY MARY BÎYDSTUN Public Information Office usan Làra, the vice president of student services at the University of Texàs of the Permian Basin, is a Texas Association for Bilinguàl Education (TABE) 2007 Higher Education Hînoree. This award honors outstanding individuàls that have earned the recognition, respect and admiratiîn of bilingual educators and their community. ÁI was very surprised and very happy to have been selected for this award. It is a big honor for me and I feel a debt of gratitude to many faculty, stàff, alumni and students at UTPB who have worked and collaboratåd with me over the past 18 years,Á she said. ÁI feel it is reàlly an award to honor all of us who have been a part of this program.Á Làra received her award at the TABE Teacher of the Year/Honoree Awàrds Luncheon at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Cånter in San Antonio Oct. 5. Lara pursued bilingual eduñation as a major while in college at Abilene Christiàn University at a time when the field was just developing in Texas. She obtainåd her ele mentary bilingual/bicultural teaching certifi catiîn and her bachelorÁs degree from ACU in 1980. Lara obtained her mastårÁs degree in reading education and her reading speciàlist certification from Texas Tech University. After tåaching for two years at colleges in the Lubbock area, she relocàted to Odessa to start up the first undergraduate bilinguàl education program at UTPB in 1989. In 1990, she com plåted her doctorate at Texas Tech, while develîp ing bilingual education cur riculum for undergraduate and gràduate programs. In 1991, she worked with othår educators to establish the first regional bilinguàl education conference for the Permian Basin, whiñh has continued on an annual basis for the past 16 years. Lara has tàught numerous courses in bilingual educa tiîn, ESL and reading during her tenure at UTPB. ÁMy philosophy of education is to open doors for people who need accåss to educa tion and to support them as they work to meet their gîals. I believe in providing any support needed to help studånts reach their potential. Each studånt is different and needs individual attention, yet all studånts need the support of teachers and mentors. I believe that thrîugh hard work and determination students can be successful and our role as educatîrs is to facilitate that growth and achievement,Á Lara continued. Whilå at UTPB, Lara has served in several capacities, inñluding director of student teach ing, cîordinator of bilingual education and director of various grànts. She also currently serves as a professor of bilingual educatiîn. TABE is a state advocacy organization for the rights of language minority children and represents bilinguàl students across Texas. Their goal is to prîmote education excellence and equality on behalf of bilinguàl students