Fernando Braz — a certified special-education educator for 23 years, advisory teacher, and coordinator of the Cross Country Indoor and Outdoor Boys and Girls program for 21 years — was awarded the Wasabi Fenway Bowl Honor Roll on Dec. 17 at Fenway Park.
The Wasabi Fenway Bowl Honor Roll is a charitable program focused on recognizing and thanking educators who have gone above and beyond to support their students and respective communities each year, selecting 30 educators from over 200 nominated.
“When I was nominated, that’s what they targeted: my ability to make connections, my ability to be available, my ability to teach and coach up when necessary, so I think that there’s the ability to be versatile in so many ways. Making connections is something that they thought was important education,” said Braz.
“I’ve never seen myself being recognized for what I love to do. Having said that, I believe the fact that I have my philosophy in education is always to establish relationships first. Whoever I’m privileged to be a part of whether is students and colleagues and the people I work with, I believe because of that what I’ve done for those years stands to that philosophy,” he added.
Braz was a student-athlete at Peabody High School and Boston College, where he majored in education. During his college studies, he decided he wanted to work specifically with at-risk kids with special needs.
Twenty-three years later, Braz has stuck with his philosophy and understands that, to be a successful educator in today’s world, you need to have an open mind. “I think educators, we all — whether we’re beginners, experienced at the end of our career — we have to have an open mind. I think having an open mind about who’s in front of us and understanding that everybody has a different need is something that should be in our foremost minds when we walk into our buildings, into our classroom,” said Braz.
He added, “Twenty-five students have 25 different needs. We as educators have to find a way to manage that and still be able to take the time that we have allocated to us, make that student as interested as possible.”
According to Braz, the biggest challenge special-ed educators face today is the work behind their work and the lack of support for the teacher in the classroom.
Braz understands a big challenge for teachers is how special education is paper-driven, based on legal contracts. “I understand is a legal contract but the lack of support to the teacher in the classroom when they get year after year an additional paperwork that we have to put in as part of our job, along with the responsibility of students in front of you, that’s the biggest challenge,” said Braz.
Braz has found refuge in coaching, which allows him to connect his passions, commitments, responsibilities, and values. But the world of student athletics has changed, according to Braz.
“The challenge of getting student-athletes to be dedicated, be committed, to sacrifice is become a real challenge,” he said. Over the years, he’s seen less commitment from athletes and parents in the sports.
But those challenges aside, Braz always advises future athletes that their sports are secondary to education. “Now 25 years and dealing with certainly that college-level coaches and admissions and getting kids into that as student-athletes, into that level, what I’ve learned is that no matter how good you are in your discipline, regardless of the sport, you still need that education, your block, to get into the door,” said Braz.
“That’s how competitive the world is out there now, at the next level. Regardless of what sport you play, you got to have the foundation, which is the classroom,” said Braz.
“Don’t follow your kids’ physical potential and ability as an athlete, but pay attention to what they do in the classroom because that’s the gateway into college and student-athlete. It’s not how good you are. It’s how well-rounded you can be in the academic,” he added.
Braz was nominated by Tammy Brunet, a former attendance era for the Peabody Veterans Memorial High School. “He has done a lot for the kids, and he’s a very humble quiet guy and doesn’t do anything to be recognized. And when I work with him at the high school, I really quickly, gained respect for how much he did for the students under the radar, and he really has a way of recognizing the kids that have great accomplishments and making them really feel proud, but then he has a way with a group of students that really are struggling and need sometimes a reason to be in school, a reason to feel proud of themselves, and he supports that group of students so much,” said Brunet.
“He really goes above and beyond and isn’t doing it for great accolades,” added Brunet.
