Recently, a well-known teacher at Ray has been on leave.
Mark Mateo, the beloved AP Physics teacher, is a part-time enlisted soldier in the Texas Army National Guard who has been teaching at Ray for just over a year. Last week, Mr. Mateo was deployed to the Texas-Mexico border as a result of orders from the U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks.
“Mr Mateo was a great teacher,” Alejandro Reyes, a student of his, commented: “He was interactive and also understanding and fair. Overall, he was a great teacher and also a great person, always trying to help out. It was always fun coming to his class and learning something everyday.”
The Texas National Guard is currently being deployed to the border as part of a controversial effort to enforce immigration laws in high traffic areas. Guardsmen work alongside Border Patrol agents, and have the authority to make immigration arrests.
This partnership aims to strengthen border security and stop illegal immigration. If you’d like to read more about the National Guard, you can learn more here!
Many of his students are saddened to see him go, but there is no doubt they wish him the best of luck while he’s on duty.
Headline edited by Michael Hoang 2/26/25.
