Shawn Lucena was named Nacogdoches ISD’s Director of College and Career Readiness in June, stepping into a role previously held by Coy Van Valkenburgh, who left the district when her family moved out of state.
Lucena is back at NISD after spending two years as principal in Mount Enterprise ISD. He previously spent 15 years with NISD as a middle school science teacher and since 2018 as an assistant principal at then Mike Moses Middle School.
Lucena is a 2007 graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He received a Master of Science degree in 2016 from the University of Texas-Arlington.
The role of Director of College and Career Readiness oversees NISD’s Career & Technical Education Department, a large-scale program that covers a wide range of disciplines and offerings that students can choose from.
The CTE department also fosters professional relationships with Nacogdoches area employers and Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas in an effort to tailor classes and pathways to meet regional employment needs. And the program continues to grow, with classes now offered in younger grades at McMichael Middle School.
“CTE is such a vital and important part of our overall program at Nacogdoches ISD,” said Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo. “We are able to attract students to NISD because of the depth and breadth of what we offer in CTE.
“These students can choose pathways that can lead to job opportunities after high school or can complement a college degree plan.”