Years at Silva: 3

Years teaching overall: 4

Professional Medical Experience: Nurse supervisor with the Department of Public Health and NICU/Nursery Nurse 

Teacher Bio: 

Mrs. Jessica Brown has been at Silva for the past three years where she also serves as the Silverettes dance team coach. She is a registered nurse with a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing and has experience as a research assistant for UTHeatlh School of Public Health. Mrs. Brown has worked at Del Sol Nursery/NICU and for the City of El Paso Department of Public Health Nurse Supervisor.

Years at Silva: 1

Years teaching overall: 1

Professional Medical Experience: Volunteer Educator in Rural Health Program Peace Corps Ecuador (1999-2001),  Medical Technologist at the Department of Veterans Affairs (2001-2007), and Medical Technologist at El Paso Pediatric Associates (2007-2009)

Teacher Bio: 

Mrs. Amy Carreon is Silva's newest teacher, where she teaches biotechnology and medical terminology. She is a mother of a 12-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter and married to the man she considers to be her BFF. She said her family is very close yet very independent and bond over outdoor activities, with fishing being her favorite. 

Mrs. Carreon stopped working when her oldest child was 10 months old because she didn't like being away from her all day, then became a substitute teacher in 2016 when her son was in the first grade. "I didn't want to commit to the work schedule of a healthcare worker," Mrs. Carreon said. She was finally convinced by another Silva teacher to get her alternative certification so she could become a Health Science Technologist teacher at the school. "Silva was the only school that I applied to/wanted to work at.  I have always worked and volunteered in ways that I feel will help my community. I am an ally/student advocate," Mrs. Carreon said.

Mrs. Carreon not only advocates for students, but considers her classroom a safe space for all students from all walks of life. She is trying to make the world a better place, which is what helped lead her to a teaching position. "I think that if everyone tried to leave everything a little better than they found it, the world would be a better place," Mrs. Carreon said. "I often get accused of being OCD, but I've never been diagnosed and all I know is there is less mess everywhere that I've been and I've never had a cavity in my life."

Years at Silva: 6

Years teaching overall: 6

Professional Medical Experience: Current Physical Therapist Assistant for the past 8 years. She continues to practice with Border Therapy Services throughout the year when school is on break.

Teacher Bio: 

Mrs. Monica Cortez is a Silva alumna in charge of the Junior Rotations and Introduction to Physical Therapy. This is the start of her 7th year teaching, all at the school she graduated from, so she understands what it's like to be in her students' shoes. "My goal each year is to provide students opportunities to find out more about areas that they are interested in, working to improve the ever important soft skills that are necessary to be an amazing healthcare professional, and to instill empathy and understanding for the patients our students will be working with and for," Mrs. Cortez said.

Mrs. Cortez holds a Bachelor's of Science in Kinesiology with a Concentration in Exercise Science and a second major in Health Education, an Associate of Applied Science, Physical Therapist Assistant, and a Master's of Education in Educational Leadership. 

As a Physical Therapist Assistant, Mrs. Cortez continues to treat patients with an outpatient Physical Therapy company that has multiple clinics across the El Paso/Horizon/Las Cruces area. "Orthopedics is my niche area. I love seeing patients after an injury or surgery progress and get back to where they had been before," Mrs. Cortez said.

She also serves on the National HOSA, Inc. Board as the Western Region Local Advisor and as the Area 4 Spring Conference Chair and Area Officer Advisor. She is a member of the Greater El Paso Physical Therapy District and has served as the local PTA representative to the Texas Physical Therapy Association. On campus, she is one of the Senior HOSA advisors and the Class of 2023 Committee sponsor. 

Mrs. Cortez is a mother of two and happily married to her high school sweetheart. Her son is 22 and studying to become a Physical Therapist Assistant to take after his mom and her daughter is a senior at Silva. "These are the most important people in my life, besides my students," Mrs. Cortez said.

Lastly, Mrs. Cortez said she loves to read and usually has a new book each week. She also loves to sing and dance, a Star Wars fan, and believes that Darth Vader is just misunderstood.

Years at Silva: 6

Years teaching overall: 14

Professional Medical Experience: 15 years as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist from entry level to managerial positions.

Teacher Bio: 

Mrs. Dora Meraz is a seasoned teacher with various experiences in the healthcare and education field with a Master's in Education. She worked in the healthcare sector for 15 years as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist in different capacities, from entry level to managerial positions. In her early years in education, Mrs. Meraz was the teacher on site for Clinical Laboratory science students but as she moved up the ladder, her responsibilities included the training of Clinical Laboratory scientists in Transfusion Services, Quality Assurance, and Safety and Infection Control.

Mrs. Meraz also worked as an instructor of Medical Laboratory Technician for EPCC and at the Clinical Laboratory Science Program at UTEP before joining EPISD. Mrs. Meraz has now been working at Silva Health Magnet for 6 years as a facilitator for Health Science Theory and Health Science Practicum 1. She has been promoting healthcare careers as a HOSA advisor and coach. "I love sharing experiences and instilling the love of healthcare careers for our students by exposing them to research and service based learning," Mrs. Meraz said.

Years at Silva: 17

Years teaching overall: 17

Professional Medical Experience: Medical Technologist, with experience in the clinical lab at Providence Memorial Hospital from 1996-2004.

Teacher Bio: 

Ms. Renee Flores is one of the HOSA advisors at Silva and the current Principles of Health Science teacher. Ms. Flores graduated from UTEP in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science. For eight years, she worked in the laboratory at Providence Memorial Hospital then left that position to pursue a Master's degree in Secondary Education, which led her to become a teacher at Silva in 2006. 

Ms. Flores is the youngest of three siblings but the only one living in El Paso with her retired father. In 1992, she lost her mother to breast cancer, whom she misses every day.

At home, Ms. Flores lives with 2 "VERY spoiled" cats: a 14-year-old tabby named Bobbie and Emma, a 10-year-old female Siamese. 

Ms. Flores is also an active member of her church, loves to binge-watch classic TV shows and most importantly, she adores her Sunday afternoon naps.

Her favorite foods are red cheese enchiladas and homemade spaghetti and you'll almost always catch her drinking either iced tea, Dr. Pepper, or coffee. "I must have a cup of coffee in the morning!" Ms. Flores said.

Years at Silva: 1.5

Years teaching overall: 1.5

Professional Medical Experience: Nurse for over 13 years with positions at several local hospitals, home health, school nursing, correctional nursing, and psych. She is currently the Diabetic Educator at DSMC. 

Teacher Bio: 

Mrs. Garcia-Gonzalez is a Silva alumna, where she received her CNA from the school. She then took up a job at the "old Thomason" hospital and became a nurse for over 13 years and hasn't left the medical field since. This is Mrs. Garcia-Gonzalez's first official year teaching.

She has worked at several local hospitals, home health, school nursing, and correctional nursing but her forte is psych, where she was a Director of Nursing for 4 years. Mrs. Garcia-Gonzalez is currently the Diabetic Educator at DSMC.

Years at Silva: 9

Years teaching overall: 13

Professional Medical Experience: Medical technologist, with 15 years at hospital laboratories in all four areas, including the hematology, microbiology, and chemistry department. Her specialty was in the blood bank, where she worked for over five years at the Hospitals of Providence. She became an instructor for El Paso Community College from 2010-2014 as a blood bank instructor, teaching the didactic portion of the course and the laboratory portion for chemistry and microbiology courses.

Teacher Bio: 

Mrs. Leticia Hernandez is a proud Jefferson-Silva Fox since 2014, serving as a health science technologist teacher at Silva Health Magnet HS and with a primary profession as a medical technologist. She has been working in the clinical laboratory for over 15 years at local hospitals and now gets to share her professional experience with her students, who learn from medical professionals with vast experiences in their areas of expertise.

Before joining the Jefferson-Silva community, Mrs. Hernandez held a position as an instructor for the Medical Laboratory Program at EPCC.  "I was an instructor for the laboratory portion of Chemistry and Microbiology courses, and I used to take students to our various local hospitals for their clinical rotations," Mrs. Hernandez said.

Mrs. Hernandez has a bachelor's from UTEP in Science Medical Technologist and earned her Master's in Biological Sciences from Clemson University in 2020. "As an HST teacher at our campus,  I always look forward to assist our students to reach their goals and fulfill their dreams in becoming our future health care professionals," Mrs. Hernandez said.

Years at Silva: 6

Years teaching overall: 6

Professional Medical Experience: Dental hygienist

Teacher Bio: 

Mrs. Jennifer Pacheco obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in dental hygiene, which has allowed her to work in a variety of healthcare settings. One of those locations was at a state school facility where she treated specialized patient populations. “After opening the first dental clinic at the facility, my colleague and I were able to deliver patients with safe, thorough, and comprehensive dental care without leaving their home,” Mrs. Pacheco said.  

After 13 years, she decided to change her career path. In 2017, she started at Silva Health Magnet High School teaching the junior dental rotations class. “A team approach is equally emphasized to get my students prepared for working in an integrated professional health care setting,” Ms. Pacheco said. Her students use the simulation clinic to practice what they learned from the lesson and apply it through demonstrations and role playing. This allows her students to practice their skills and feel confident when working with patients. Students are also taught critical thinking skills through real life case scenarios and case studies.

The junior dental rotation course exposes her students to the field of dental and allied dental professions to learn about the roles and duties associated with these professions. Students attend different sites in the community to observe dental professionals working in the community setting and performing procedures respective of the roles. Some of these sites include the private dental offices, dental health clinics, nursing homes, and elementary schools.

“My mission is to instill great confidence and knowledge in my students so that my students will be exceptional and competent oral healthcare providers. And hopefully inspire them to be members of the Dental and Dental Hygiene community,” Mrs. Pacheco said.

Years at Silva: 4

Years teaching overall: 4

Professional Medical Experience: Registered nurse

Teacher Bio: 

Mrs. Edna Ramirez is a Registered Nurse with a Master's Degree in Nursing Administration and Management and a Certification in Nursing Education from the University of Texas at El Paso. She has been a RN for 12 years and her experience as a nurse includes: adult Medical-Surgical nurse at University Medical Center of El Paso (UMC), Pediatric Intensive Care Unit nurse at El Paso Children's Hospital and elementary and middle school nursing.

She runs the LVN coordination and teaches the practicum for that program. "The program uses a hands-on approach to learning not just in the classroom, but also in our community hospitals and other healthcare facilities. LVN students do more than observation at clinical rotations, they have the privilege to care for real patients. They perform a variety of skills that range from taking patients vital signs to starting IV access and administering medication," Mrs. Ramirez said.

Years at Silva: 20

Years teaching overall: 20

Professional Medical Experience: Nurse Technician in labor and delivery and Registered Nurse in the newborn nursery at Del Sol Medical Center. RN at a Planned Parenthood Primary Care Clinic providing nutritional care for immunocompromised patients.

Teacher Bio: 

Mrs. Sharon Venegas is a Registered Nurse and a Certified Pharmacy Technician. After graduating from UTEP with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she was employed at Del Sol Medical Center as a Nurse Technician in Labor and Delivery and as a Registered Nurse in the newborn nursery. She also worked as a Registered Nurse for a Planned Parenthood Primary Clinic, providing nutritional care for immunocompromised patients.

Mrs. Venegas has now been a teacher for 20 years, all at Silva Health Magnet. She is currently teaching the Pharmacy Technician Certification class, which offers two certifications for students. "The advantage of attending Silva is that our Health Science Technology courses are taught by instructors who have medical backgrounds, so they are able to share their healthcare experiences with the students to enhance the learning process," Mrs. Venegas said.