The Goodwill Excel Center

Inspiring Adult Learners - High School Teaching Positions Available

Are you an exceptional high school teacher seeking a new opportunity? The Goodwill Excel Center is growing, and we want you on our team!

We offer:
• Competitive Compensation & Teacher Incentive Allotment
• Affordable Health, Dental, and Vision Benefits
• Tuition & Certification Support
• And much more!

Join us in empowering adult students to achieve their academic and personal goals. Submit your application today!

Careers | The Excel Center Careers At Excel, you’re part of a community of passionate educators who believe in the transformative power of learning and highly motivated, dedicated adult learners seeking to change their lives through education. Finally, a job that can ignite your inspiration and offer excellent benefits, too...

Community Schools, The Exploration Center, and Central Office will remain closed tomorrow January 27, 2026.

Due to anticipated extreme temperatures and unsafe road conditions, Excel Community School campuses, The Exploration Center, and Central Office will be closed tomorrow, January 26th. We will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide updates. Please take care and take necessary precautions to stay warm.

Due to anticipated extreme temperatures and unsafe road conditions, Excel Community School campuses, The Exploration Center, and Central Office will be closed tomorrow, January 26th. We will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide updates. Please take care and take necessary precautions to stay warm.

🎓 It’s never too late to learn!

Whether you’re finishing what you started or starting fresh, we’re here to help you reach your goals.

Enroll today and take the next step toward your future!

https://excelcenterhighschool.org/enroll-now/interest-form/

Wrapping up the month with our last Principal Spotlight!

For Simon Solis, a single step into a classroom as a substitute teacher sparked a lifelong passion for education. That initial experience led him to pursue certification while working as a teacher assistant; a move that set the stage for a meaningful and impactful career. Two years later, he earned his first teaching position as an 8th-grade math teacher and football coach, a role he held for eight years.

Despite his success in the classroom, Simon decided to step away from education to start a cell tower communications business, seeking a new challenge. After two years, he realized something was missing. “At the end of the day, I wasn’t happy,” he reflects. “The stars aligned in 2014 when I was presented with an opportunity to work at the Excel Center for Adults. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.” Now, after 14 years with the organization, he continues to pour his heart into serving staff and students, a mission he describes as life changing.

What Simon enjoys most about his role is witnessing the transformative power of education firsthand. Each day, he sees how the program reshapes lives, not just by opening doors to opportunities, but by reigniting a belief in what’s possible. One of his most cherished memories is the day the Norwood Campus first opened its doors. “We were only allowed to enroll 100 students,” he recalls, a moment that marked the beginning of a powerful journey for countless learners.

With more than a decade of leadership, dedication, and a heart for helping others grow, Simon continues to shape lives and futures every single day. His journey exemplifies the power of perseverance, passion, and purpose, and a reminder that education doesn’t just change what people know, it transforms who they believe they can become.

With an incredible 33 years in education, including 16 as an administrator, seven years working in corrections at the Billy Moore as a campus and regional director, and now with the ETJE Regional team, Tricia Kelley brings a depth of experience, resilience, and passion that few can match. Over the course of her career, she has dedicated herself to helping students break barriers, rewrite their stories, and pursue brighter futures, no matter where their starting point may be.

When asked what she enjoys most about her work, her answer is immediate: “Without a doubt, our students.” They are at the center of everything she does, the reason behind every decision, every challenge faced, and every victory celebrated. Watching them grow, persevere, and succeed is the most rewarding part of her role.

Outside of work, she’s an avid hunter and fisherwoman. Growing up she was the only girl of six siblings. These passions reflect the same determination and grit she brings to her work each day.

Throughout Tricia's decades-long career, one skill has proven especially valuable: the ability to see the big picture and not get lost in the petty details. Staying focused on the end goal and students’ success is a guiding principle that has served her and her teams well. It’s also the foundation of her advice for those entering adult education: “If you don’t have the heart, you won’t make it. That kind of thing isn’t learned, it just is.”

Tricia’s loves witnessing the transformation of her students’ lives. Graduation days are especially emotional. “I’m always moved to tears,” she admits. “I know the stories behind our students and what they’ve overcome to walk that stage. It takes commitment, courage, and dedication to face something that was once an uncomfortable place. To watch grown men make that transformation is, for me, breathtaking.”

From the classroom to the correctional system and beyond, Tricia has built a career defined by heart, perseverance, and hope. Her leadership is proof the power of education transforms lives.

For Amanda Pastor, a career in education wasn’t part of the original plan, but it quickly became a calling. Her journey began in 2010 as a graduate assistant at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, TX, where she initially set out to become an autoimmune and genetics researcher. However, she soon discovered that her true passion wasn’t behind a lab bench, but in front of a classroom. That realization set her on a new path that would shape the course of her life and career.

In 2022, Amanda relocated to the Austin area, teaching at Third Future Schools and IDEA Public Schools, where she took on various leadership roles that fueled her desire to step into administration. The next chapter of her career began in 2023 when she enrolled in a Principal Certification program, and by July 2024, she was offered the position of Campus Director at Goodwill Excel’s South Campus, a role she embraces wholeheartedly. Now in her second year, she says that despite the challenges, she loves both the work and the people she serves alongside.

One of her most cherished memories at Excel was the May 2025 graduation ceremony. “What a beautiful event,” she recalls. “I was so proud to see my graduates and cheer them on.” Moments like these remind her why she chose this path, witnessing the transformation of students as they reach milestones they once thought impossible.

Outside of work, there’s a fun side to Amanda that might surprise people: she’s a devoted Star Trek and sci-fi fan who could spend hours watching reruns if she weren’t busy raising six kids who are all active in sports!

Among her proudest achievements as a leader is the record-breaking growth and attendance her campus has achieved which was a testament to the dedication and talent of her team. “It’s 100% due to the team I have,” she says. “And I got their back 100%. That’s no small feat in education!”

Through her dedication, empathy, and unwavering belief in the power of education, Amanda continues to lead with heart; creating a campus where students are empowered, teams are thriving, and futures are rewritten every day.

For Erik Galindo, education has been more than a career, it’s been a calling shaped by a decade of diverse and impactful experiences. His journey began in the classroom, teaching biology for a year before spending four years as a physics teacher while also coaching football and track. But his drive to lead and make a broader impact quickly propelled him beyond the classroom and into leadership roles that would shape the rest of his career.

Education has always been a priority for Erik, both personally and professionally. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree from UT Arlington. He recently defended his dissertation and is set to receive his doctoral degree from Texas Tech University on December 12th. This milestone reflects his dedication to continuous learning and growth.

As he approaches his one-year anniversary with the Excel Center in February, Erik reflects on what has made the journey so meaningful. “What I enjoy most about my job is running into students later in life and seeing them succeed and find happiness,” he shares. “That’s what it’s all about for me.”

His passion for education comes from a deeply personal place. Having experienced firsthand what it felt like to have teachers who didn’t listen to him as a student, he was determined to be the kind of educator who would make a difference in the lives of others. One of the skills that has been most valuable in his leadership journey is his ability to speak publicly. This talent allows him to connect with students, staff, and the broader community in meaningful ways.

From the classroom to campus leadership, Erik has built a career defined by resilience, growth, and a relentless belief in the potential of every student. His story is a powerful reminder that education doesn’t just change lives, it transforms futures.

For Miguel Garza, the path to education wasn’t a straight line, it was a journey of rediscovery. He began as a Computer Science major, but partway through college, he found himself wondering whether that was truly where he belonged. A conversation with a close friend reminded him of something important: he’d always envisioned himself as a coach. That insight changed everything. He switched his major and never looked back, a decision he now calls one of the best he’s ever made.

Since then, Miguel has built a diverse and impactful career across Texas schools. He’s served as a Head Junior High Coach and PE teacher at Diboll ISD, a Varsity Offensive Coordinator in three different districts, and has taught an impressive range of subjects including Computer Literacy, ESL, Social Studies, History, Reading (6th–8th grade), and Cognitive Intervention. His passion for helping students grow eventually led him into school leadership, where he has served as Assistant Principal and Principal in four different districts before finding his home at Goodwill Excel Center. Now in his second year with the organization, he continues to lead with energy, empathy, and purpose.

What drives him most is seeing transformation firsthand. “I truly enjoy watching our students rediscover their confidence,” he shares. “Seeing them take pride in their accomplishments and realize it’s never too late to achieve their goals is what makes this work so rewarding.”

A lifelong sports enthusiast, Miguel has a creative side that often surprises people. “Even though I’ve always loved playing sports,” he laughs, “I was also the guy in the locker room playing guitar and sketching cartoon stories about my teammates.” Those sketches eventually turned into mini “books” that circulated among the team, essentially a locker-room comic series before they ever thought about publishing rights.

Through his leadership, empathy, and belief in the potential of others, Miguel exemplifies what it means to lead with both heart and vision, creating a campus where learning, connection, and transformation thrive side by side.

After 28 years in the Texas education system, Jenny Capps decided to take an unexpected leap and retired in 2024, moving from Southeast Texas to the edge of the Arctic Ocean in Alaska. While she was there, she served as a principal in an Inupiat village. Immersed in a culture, climate, and community vastly different from anything she had ever known, she learned lessons about adaptability, humility, and human connection that continue to guide her today.

Upon returning to Texas, she felt called to continue serving students who often struggle behaviorally and may not always find understanding or support in traditional educational settings. Her passion lies in reaching those whose actions sometimes conceal deeper needs, challenges, or potential. Through her work with Excel at the Stiles Campus, she has found what she calls her true home, a place where she can meet students where they are and help them realize how capable they truly are.

When asked what she enjoys most about her role, Jenny doesn’t hesitate. “Being an advocate and a ‘light’ for our students,” she says. “To many, we are their peace and a safe place free of judgment. We’re here to encourage, support, and help them grow academically, socially, and personally.” She finds joy in watching students accomplish what they once believed was impossible, describing the pride on their faces as “hope in action.”

Her inspiration to enter education came early. “My 5th grade teacher, Glenda Lucia, changed my life,” she shares. “I have spent my life being for others what she was for me.” That legacy of influence continues in her own leadership. She believes the most valuable skill in her role is “the ability to see beauty in everything around me,” explaining that she has always been able to see the good in people, a gift that shapes how she leads, teaches, and mentors.

Through her unwavering commitment, compassionate leadership, and faith in the potential of every person she serves, Jenny continues to embody what it means to lead with heart.