For Rachele Plá, a longtime educator at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, one of the most important lessons she teaches is “helping students learn the true meaning of their vocation in life.”
“I want to help them (students) learn that their dignity and their worth come just from being themselves,” she said. “I want them to live their faith.”
Plá is St. Mary of the Assumption’s middle school religion teacher, school librarian and computer/technology teacher. She previously taught pre-kindergarten and physical education there.
Ashley Lewis, principal of the school, said that as a religion teacher “Rachele strengthens (students’) faith by answering the questions that come up and gives them a Catholic lens to look through.”
“She pushes us to be our best, and she is always making sure we actually grasp what she is teaching,” said eighth grade student Ariana Selman. “I would say to her, ‘Thank you for making me feel like I can succeed in life.’”
Selman’s classmate, fellow eighth grader Sinanga Choh, said Plá is “a very kind teacher (who) always goes out of her way to help.”
“She teaches things slowly and does not rush us. She uses words we understand, and she is always very considerate,” Choh said.
Plá has instructed every one of St. Mary of the Assumption School’s 265 students at all grade levels.
Lewis said that Plá has taught “every single child in this school – when they start here at 3 years old and when they leave here for high school. She is one of the teachers who influences the entire school.”
Plá’s dedication to teaching and her students was recently honored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. She was among this year’s 10 archdiocesan Catholic school educators to be named a Golden Apple Award winner.
The annual award recognizes a teacher’s professional excellence, leadership, commitment to Catholic values, and devotion to teaching in Catholic schools. Winners each receive a $5,000 prize, along with a golden apple.
The Golden Apple Awards, sponsored by the Donahue Family Foundation, honor outstanding Catholic school teachers in this archdiocese and several other dioceses. Jack and Rhodora Donahue, founders of the Pittsburgh-based foundation, sent their 13 children to Catholic schools.
Renee Clark, the intermediate resource and testing coordinator at St. Mary of the Assumption School, nominated her fellow educator for the award.
Clark called Plá “an exceptional educator who consistently goes above and beyond for her students, colleagues, and the entire school community. Her dedication, leadership, and commitment to improving our school make her truly deserving of this recognition.”
Plá and her husband Carlos have three children: sons Alex and Joey and a daughter Bella. They are residents of Upper Marlboro and parishioners at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish.
Teaching at the Catholic school “has given me the opportunity to grow in my own faith. I can talk openly about God and that helps me grow as a teacher,” Plá said, adding that she wants her students to know that “I am going to lead you, and I am going to learn along with you.”
Plá’s outlook on teaching the faith was also noted by Father Samuel Plummer, pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, who said the teacher “incorporates her Catholic faith from the start to the finish of the school day by exercising kindness, compassion, and concern for all of her students.”
“Mrs. Plà is a convert to the Catholic faith and knows first-hand that the faith is not just a bunch of doctrines, dogmas, and rules, but a deep abiding relationship with Jesus Christ,” Father Plummer said. “It is with her passing on of the faith and her example that she hopes the students will grow in relationship with the Lord.”
He also noted that “one of the things that Mrs. Plà is very passionate about is her love for God's creation.”
Outside of the classroom, Plá has not only organized and run the school’s annual book fair, but she recently started a recycling program at the school to help reduce waste and teach students about environmental responsibility.
Each year, the school’s third and seventh grade students go on retreat to a farm in Southern Maryland where they learn about caring for the environment. Lewis said that Plá “coordinates lessons with the science teachers for weeks in advance of these trips, studying the Laudato Si’ (encyclical by Pope Francis), learning about native plants and animals, and preparing students for this hands-on experience.”
Father Plummer told the awards committee that “Mrs. Plà is a former Marine who sacrificed greatly for our country. This spirit of sacrifice emanates throughout her life, which she brings every day to school.”
That sentiment was echoed by the school’s principal.
“Rachele is an exemplary model of the qualities that make a Golden Apple Award winner,” Lewis said. “She is dedicated to her vocation and faith and is a pillar at St. Mary of the Assumption.”
Eighth-grade student Megan Nsikak Akpan said Plá “teaches us how to be reverent and respectful. She is one of these teachers I can always look to for help.”
As students and colleagues celebrated Plá’s award, she thanked them and told them that “I love you all and I look forward to keep going with you on our journey of faith.”
Plá said being a Catholic school educator “is my calling.”
“God directed me to this path,” Plá said. “This is where God wants me to be. This is my special calling.”
