Freedom High School teacher and Athletic Director Steve Amaro has been selected from more than 300 certificated employees as Liberty Union High School District’s 2009-10 Teacher of the Year. Amaro has taught at Freedom for 12 years.

In 2009, Amaro was the only individual to earn the title of Certified Master Athletic Administrator, a title that only 1 percent of athletic directors ever achieve. During the year he was nominated for State Athletic Director of the Year by the California State Athletic Director’s Association, and received the State High School Boys Tennis Coach of the Year honors from the California Coaches Association. To top things off, he was named Freedom High School’s Teacher of the Year.

While Amaro splits his time on campus teaching English classes, coaching tennis and serving as athletic director, he considers his most significant contribution teaching students to maximize their potential by becoming more aware of the daily opportunities around them. He encourages his students to become interdependent and realize that by working together they will accomplish greater goals.

Amaro lives in Brentwood with his wife Jennifer and their two daughters, Lindsey and Ashley. He is currently working on his doctoral degree in educational leadership at St. Mary’s.

– Contributed by Sarah Singrin