A former Miami Lakes teacher got a different lesson when hundreds of students showed their appreciation for her dedication. Hundreds of students and staff members at Miami Lakes Educational Center surprised Katrina Cordova with a heartfelt tribute on Tuesday for her commitment to students, famili es, and her community. “She’s one of the most important women in our school because of all the things she’s done, and she’s like a mother to her students,” said student Lena Fucci. Cordova, who previously worked as a teacher, was greeted with an uproar from 400 seniors at the school. “I think it’s one of the best things I hope that I had a role in teaching them to be, which is selfless, so it means a lot to have a day that’s for them during their senior week become a day for me,” said Cordova, who currently serves as the activities director for Miami Lakes Educational Center. The school dedicated the day to Cordova’s determination to go above and beyond while mentoring and inspiring her students. “As an educator, you always think about whether your work is going noticed, whether it’s appreciated or not, and this is a testament to almost 20 years of being in education and making a difference each and every day,” said Cordova. As part of their message of gratitude for Cordova’s years of work, she was gifted a check to be donated to a local community-based charity of her choosing and tickets to any event for her and her family, courtesy of the national “Making a Difference On-And-Off The Field” campaign. Cordova told 7News it was a special moment for someone who comes from a family of educators, a family that helped transform her into the selfless mentor who’s impacted so many students throughout her career. “It means a lot to me because my mom was an educator too, so this for her would have been amazing,” said Cordova. Cordova added that over the years, every student she’s had the opportunity to work with holds a special place in her life. ...read more read less