Feliz Ortega, an Alta Vista Elementary School teacher with nearly two decades of experience in education, was honored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars for excellence in the classroom in early January

Ortega, now in her 10th year at Alta Vista Elementary School, was named Teacher of the Year for VFW District 5 and runner-up at the state level in New Mexico. Teachers from across the state attended the recognition ceremony.
VFW District 5 includes Cerro VFW Post 9516, Las Vegas San Juan Argonne VFW Post 1547, Mora VFW Post 1131, Clayton VFW Post 3271, and Raton VFW Post 1793.

She began her education career in 2006 as an educational assistant at Taos High School and Taos Elementary School and later joined Questa High School as attendance secretary while earning her bachelor’s degree at University of New Mexico. She has taught grades two through five, with third grade her favorite.

“Seeing the kids’ faces light up when they finally understand something is what makes teaching so rewarding,” Ortega said.
She described the honor as humbling and said adaptability has been the most important lesson of her career.
“It’s about adjusting to each student’s needs and creating an environment where learning can happen,” she said.

Ortega also leads a letters-to-veterans project with her third-grade students to promote empathy, civic responsibility and writing skills. Veterans and community members interested in participating may contact fortega@questa.12k.nm.us.