Owasso High School’s 2024 teachers of the year
By Reagan Rozzi
As schools across the country wrap up their first semester of the 2024-25 school year, students and staff begin to grow weary in their studying and preparation for the new year. A “burnt out” sensation is highly common in schools after repeating a mundane routine for a consecutive six months. From a career standpoint, teaching can be significantly exhausting: crafting their own curriculum in order to form the mind’s of the upcoming generation on a daily basis. However, to recognize the duty of this group, the “Teacher of the Year” program was made to recognize and thank our country’s teachers. Those who compete are given the chance to win the National “Teacher of the Year” title, paid 12-month leave, national travel opportunities and speak at teaching seminars across the country.
The Teacher of the Year program is an election-based process, beginning with write-ins, then progressing to semi-finalist and finalist ballots, all of which are to only be filled in by staff. To be considered for the title, teachers must have at least three years of experience in the Owasso district.
This year’s winners coincidentally happened to both be English teachers: West Campus’s Mrs. Adriana Marcella and East’s Mr. Andrew DeBella.
Andrew DeBella began teaching at OHS in 2017, with two prior years spent at Union High School. What started as a student internship quickly became his full time job. He has a total of nine completed years teaching, with this being his 10th year. DeBella did not initially intend on pursuing a career in education, but after seeing the way his father (a former vocational-technical school professor) impacted his students, DeBella knew he wanted to follow in his footsteps.
Picture of Andrew DeBella taken by Reagan Rozzi
“I remember when people would see him in public, like, his students would see him in public and they would stop him and they would be like, ‘Mr. DeBella … you’re one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever had and you helped me get a job,’” DeBella recalled. “I remember as a little kid following my dad around, being ten, 12 years old or whatever and being like, ‘I wanna do that.’”
Because of his father’s mentorship and guidance from his future professors, DeBella knew teaching would be a career he could put his all into.
DeBella was teaching his second hour sophomore Advanced English class when OHS administration knocked on his door. The group piled in to announce the award, taking a group picture with him and his class. And in a true full-circle moment fashion, DeBella made his first call to his father to share the news.
After telling his immediate family next, DeBella, his wife and daughter went to Nola’s Creole and Cocktails for a celebratory lunch.
Even a few weeks after receiving the award, DeBella is still in shock and immensely grateful to the peers that voted for him.
“There are so many people deserving of this award and honestly you almost feel like when you do win … other people should have won.” DeBella shared. “You always feel like that, especially when people congratulate you. You’re like, ‘Well, yeah, but you do an amazing job too, like, you deserve this too.”
As the competition progresses, DeBella isn’t worried about winning the official title. He is simply grateful to have an outlet in which he can passionately talk about his career.
“I have a captive audience to talk about my classroom, to talk about what I do, and I love talking about what I do and I love talking about my classroom,” DeBella shared.
West Campus’s choice is just as dedicated to English and her students, making her undoubtedly a perfect pick for Teacher of the Year. Adriana Marcella started her teaching journey in Colorado, only a few years after DeBella began his. She knew she had a preference to teach the middle school age range, and she had just finished her master’s as well as her student teaching experience when she accepted a job for 8th grade English. Her first day was in March of 2019, taking the place of the original teacher who had abruptly walked out on the job.
Picture of Adriana Marcella taken by Reagan Rozzi
Marcella bravely plunged into the new environment and finished out the school year strong. In the first year of her career, the outbreak of COVID-19 in March of 2020 sent all students and staff home for quarantine. Without getting to say goodbye, Marcella was disappointed that her first independent school year had been stripped from her grasp.
Later into the summer of that year, Marcella and her family moved to Oklahoma while she took a year off to help her family become established in the new state. She resumed teaching in August of 2021 at Owasso High School’s West Campus where she taught ninth grade on-level English.
Marcella, similar to DeBella, also did not initially show interest in teaching.
“I never really even thought that I would be a teacher,” Marcella laughed. “I kinda fell into teaching because I wanted a career, but I wanted a career where I could still be a mom.”
Growing up, Marcella’s favorite teachers always taught English, which significantly influenced her decision of a specific subject.
“I didn’t come from a mom-and-dad household. I come from a pretty rough upbringing and a pretty rough background. It was always my teachers or my coaches who made me feel like somebody. … That’s what I hopefully wanted to be for someone else.” Marcella shared.
In addition to on-level English, Marcella also teaches intermediate English for those who may not learn as well in a conventional classroom and a credit recovery hour where students missing graduation requirements can finish those quickly before the end of the year.
It was during her credit recovery fourth hour when Marcella unexpectedly, but deservedly, received the award. After the initial intimidation of the school’s entire administration entering her room, Marcella graciously accepted the award and sent out an email to all West Campus staff thanking them for their votes.
Marcella smiled, “It was just very surreal and very, like, ‘Wow I’m in a building with such qualified smart people, and for them to have not only elected me in the first place, but then voted for me,’ … it makes [me] feel like I’m doing a good job.”
Marcella not only received flowers from her husband and her own kids, but also got to go out to lunch with a few of her teacher friends to celebrate.
“[With] this job definitely, definitely you do have your burnt out days and I think that’s when it is so important to have your group. … The three teachers that I work with—Ms. Walls, Mrs. G … and Mrs. Berry—they just help recharge and I help recharge them too. … I just love my little hall.”
Marcella shared how overwhelmingly honored she feels to have been recognized for her passion.
“I know I’ve put my heart into this profession.”
For now, both DeBella and Marcella will work to help prepare their students for their semester and exams as well as prepare themselves for the next phase of the Teacher of the Year process. Contestants are asked to create a portfolio of their career and a brief speech to present to a panel during the district competition. If granted to progress further, their next step is to compete at the state, then national, level.
Not only do we wish these teachers luck in their upcoming competitions, but we also thank them as well as all teachers for their infinite patience and passion for their profession.