The Weslaco school board has approved renaming the district’s performing arts center after the late Susan Peterson, a longtime educator and beloved community member.
The approval came during a Jan. 18 board meeting.
Peterson began teaching at Dr. Armando Cuellar Elementary in the early 1980s, spending much of her career as a principal and administrator with the district before her death in December 2020. She’s also well-known in the community for being Weslaco East High School’s first principal.
The death of the widely beloved “Mrs. P” hit the Weslaco community hard, interim Superintendent Criselda “Cris” Valdez said Wednesday, a legacy she says the center’s renaming seeks to honor.
“It’s a true testament of the power of an educator, and how an educator can transform lives and inspire others,” she said. “And in this case, particularly students and the impact that she had within the community. It wasn’t just with the school district, it was with the community of Weslaco as well.”
In many ways, Valdez was one of those individuals whose life Peterson helped transform. Valdez described Peterson as a woman with a “warm, beautiful soul” who gave the interim superintendent her first shot at educational administration by recruiting her as an assistant principal when Weslaco East opened.
“She was a mentor,” Valdez said.
The performing arts center is a particularly appropriate facility to rename, Valdez said, considering how often Peterson would attend orchestra and choir and band events.
“It’s symbolic of her dedication and passion and the love she had for Weslaco ISD, doing her life’s work, and she did an outstanding job of it,” she said. “So it’s a tribute to her; and she loved fine arts. So I understand she was at most of the fine arts events for the district.”
A committee will decide logistics relating to the renaming, Valdez said.
“I think it’s a good representation for Mrs. Peterson,” Trustee Isidoro Nieto said before the board voted to approve the renaming. “I had the opportunity to work with her as a principal for six, seven years, and then of course later on here at central office. So it’s a good tribute to Mrs. Peterson.”
