New to Westwood this year, Coach Steven De La Cerda brings not only 13 years of experience in the Social Studies department and coaching baseball and football, but also a philosophy that goes far beyond the classroom. For him, success isn’t measured by how well students can memorize the facts, but by the kind of people they become after they leave his class.
After recently moving from the Dallas Metroplex to Georgetown, Coach De La Cerda is beginning his first year at Westwood as a World Geography teacher, varsity baseball assistant coach, and football offensive assistant. Before moving to central Texas, he taught in Frisco, Dallas, and Lewisville. He served a variety of roles in the Social Studies department along with coaching. Although he has an extensive background in both academics and athletics, teaching wasn’t always his plan.
“I think I realized late,” Coach De La Cerda said. “In college, I was going to go to law school, and I ended up working for a congressman right out of college. But my mom’s in education, my sister is a teacher, [and] my brother-in-law is a teacher, so education is in our family.”
Over time, his interests in sports, working with youth, and certain subjects led him to the classroom.
“I figured those three culminated by being an educator, so here I am now — this is the start of year 14,” Coach De La Cerda said.
That combination of influences has shaped his approach both in the classroom and on the field. While he recognizes the importance of academics, he sees teaching as a chance to impact students’ lives far beyond their high school career. While he values content and learning, what matters most to him is helping students develop as people.
“I measure my quote-on-quote success with the reward part of it,” Coach De La Cerda said. “Whether or not when someone leaves me, they are a better human being, and that they have general perspective of how life can be difficult and how to respond to life.”
For him, it’s about teaching beyond the subject. By focusing on character and perspective, he sees the classroom as a place for both knowledge and resilience.
“Everybody’s going to be a husband, a wife, a father or mother, a sibling or citizen. They’re part of a culture, [a] community — and it costs nothing to be a good person,” Coach De La Cerda said.
Outside the classroom, Coach De La Cerda is a “girl dad” to his nine-month-old daughter. While his professional life is busy, being a dad has reminded him to slow down and appreciate small moments, something he’d like to pass to his students.
“That takes up a big portion of my time when I’m not here at school,” Coach De La Cerda said.
Coach De La Cerda also enjoys college football, officiating, and the occasional game of basketball, though his family time comes first. Even his hobbies, like travelling with his wife and listening to podcasts, contribute to his teaching.
“That helps me in the classroom,” Coach De La Cerda said. “It fills me with more knowledge, but also I like to visit places. As it pertains to social studies, I like to bring back those experiences as examples back to my classroom.”
This year, his primary focus is adapting to teaching freshmen, something he hasn’t done in over a decade.
“I just want to see growth with my freshmen,” Coach De La Cerda said. “I want to know that they’re critically thinking, and that they’re having open and honest conversations.”
Beyond the classroom, his goals center around maintaining a positive mindset and staying emotionally grounded.
“My ultimate goal is that when I get here and I leave here, I feel the same,” Coach De La Cerda said. “If at any point coming to work and leaving work doesn’t feel right, then I’m probably not at the right place. But I am at the right place.”
So far, his transition to Westwood has been positive. He has found the school’s culture welcoming and inspiring. As he adjusts to the new environment and incoming changes, Coach De La Cerda feels motivated to work hard by the high expectations and strong sense of community at Westwood.
“There is a high academic standard here, and it’s important for us as educators to meet that standard,” Coach De La Cerda said. “It is a very inclusive school, and I feel that there’s an opportunity for everybody here — nobody should ever feel left out.”
