Sharon O’Leary was hired at South Texas College in 1999 to start the college’s music program. Now, 26 years later, the program is going strong, and she has been named Faculty of the Year for largely contributing to its growth.
“I cried when saw I had been named Faculty of the Year,” said O’Leary. “Since 2008, my Department Chair Daniel Cather has been nominating me and this year, I told him would be the last year he does. I don’t like too much attention.”
O’Leary said year-after-year she saw other deserving faculty members get named, but Cather never lost his faith. He said he knew one day she would also become a Faculty of the Year award recipient.
“Sharon O’Leary represents the very best of what makes education at STC so special. She embodies the compassion, warmth and empathy that our caring college is known for,” said Chair and Assistant Professor of Music Daniel Cather, DME. “She has shown incredible determination as the department’s founding member and has ensured that it has grown and thrived in all circumstances.”
He added that when he was hired in 2008, the department became a team of two, and O’Leary has been the best mentor, colleague and friend he could have hoped for.
“Through her work, we have expanded exponentially to a team of 10 full-time faculty, plus thriving dual credit, adjunct and lecture instructors,” he said. “Years of witnessing her humor and commitment to holistic education – one that cares for knowledge and the emotional well-being of her students – has motivated me to nominate her every year since 2021 with the firm conviction that longevity of teaching excellence of the highest caliber deserves to be honored and celebrated.”
Helping students stay the course has always been O’Leary’s goal since becoming an educator and entering STC before the turn of the millennium.
O’Leary has entered her 33rd year as a college-level faculty member and has taught music in various capacities for more than 40 years.
With no sight of retirement on the horizon, O’Leary is excited to teach in the new Cooper Center expansion, which includes new classrooms, music rooms and rehearsal rooms, and to continue seeing STC’s Music program grow with its established ensembles such as choir and wind ensemble, where she also performs as a clarinet player and its newest – Mariachi ensemble.