Kathy Diaz's Legacy To Be Posthumously Honored As She Becomes First Person in 50+ Years to Receive Street Name in Her Honor in Homestead, Florida
HOMESTEAD, Fla., July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the family of former assistant principal of Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center Kathiria Deleon Diaz announced that she will be posthumously honored with a street re-naming ceremony on Saturday, July 30.
It marks the first person in 50+ years to receive a street name in the City of Homestead. Her name will adorn the street in front Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center, where she graciously served the community, school and thousands of beloved students until her passing on Sept. 24, 2020 from Stage 4 Pancreatic cancer.
Homestead mayor Steven D. Losner, the commissioner and several council members will be on-hand to honor Diaz's legacy and contributions, especially as one of the founding teachers at Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center. The petition for the street renaming generated over 40,000 views, 1,900 signatures of support and letters of support from the Mayor of Miami, the CEO of Roc Nation and several other CEOs of major corporations, among many others.
Diaz, who graduated with a master's in teaching at Florida International University, dedicated her life to serving students at the school. She started as a teacher ? and was recognized as "Teacher of the Year" ? and went on to spearhead the intervention program and Saturday school. Over the years, she would take on different roles, serving as Grade Level Chair, Educational Excellence School Advisory Council Chair and Reading Coach before she eventually became Assistant Principal.
During her career, Diaz would go above and beyond the responsibilities of an educator or executive, making her office a haven for children who were often bullied or had behavioral issues. She would stay late waiting with students as their parents picked them up. In some cases, students would be neglected by their parents and Diaz would drive them back home instead of leaving them with police. She cared for students with drug and alcohol addiction problems and served as an intermediary with social services to ensure children had a place of refuge.
When she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, Diaz continued to juggle her chemotherapy sessions with her school commitments. Despite being at high-risk amid the global pandemic, she would still give out lunches and laptops to students to ensure they had access to resources to complete the school year. Additionally, Diaz led faculty meetings virtually during her chemotherapy sessions and even oversaw a meeting two days before she passed and while in hospice care.
Throughout her career, Diaz was the first and last one in the building ? she would open the school and leave after midnight. She leaves behind an 11-year-old son named Jeremy Elliott Diaz and thousands of former students and colleagues across the Homestead community that want to honor her memory.
SOURCE Family of Kathy Diaz
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