BY NICOLE MEHLMAN-DAVIDOW

Pelonero was selected as the grand prize winner of the Buffalo Bills and M&T Bank’s Touchdown for Teachers program. Chosen from 2,600 nominees, Pelonero was recognized for her work with migrant students. Her efforts earned the Maryvale School District a $5,000 grant and an added surprise from a fan favorite.

After working as an English as a New Language (ENL) substitute, Pelonero was offered a position as a social studies teacher at Maryvale High School. Still, she could not shake her passion for helping her ENL students. “I was asked to split time between social studies and ENL, and I lobbied to do that work just because I loved those students so much.”

Her students were not only new to the English language but also processing their journey from South America to Buffalo. “I worked with the asylum-seeking students from Venezuela and Ecuador that entered into the Maryvale district, and the community had controversial opinions about them residing here with their families,” said Pelonero. “I wanted to be their point person starting the first day of school. I remember teaching a few of them how to use their lockers.”

Pelonero did more than help with lockers and navigating schedules. “I catered a bunch of South American food to one of my classes so that they could have something from home,” she recounted. “These kids just experienced some of the worst moments of their life, having to walk the Darien Gap, up through Mexico and then they were bussed to Buffalo. That’s traumatic, and they felt disconnected from their culture.”

This small gesture grew into a community-wide event at Maryvale. “I was the advisor for the culture club, so we created a Culture Day. Students worked on making artwork, informational posters and games, and some brought attire related to their background,” she said. "Kids and parents brought in food that they made, and we played music from all over the world.”

Pelonero’s father saw his daughter going above and beyond her original call of duty. He nominated her for the teacher of the year honors, and through his letter, the Buffalo Bills and M&T thought so, too. During the November ceremony, the Bills surprised Maryvale students with the arrival of wide receiver Khalil Shakir, who presented the award and coached the students in a basketball game against their teachers.

“This is Buffalo, so if you have a Bills player coming, it's a big deal,” said Pelonero with a laugh. “It was such a cool experience, especially for Maryvale. We don't get things like this.”

Pelonero was part of UB Teach’s first cohort, and her academic advisor, Louise Lalli, EdM ’17, was a key supporting figure in her journey from a history major to a history teacher. Lalli wasn’t surprised to see her former advisee earn high honors. “She consistently distinguished herself as an exceptionally mature and insightful student, with a profound understanding of societal disparities that far exceeded her years,” said Lalli. “Breanna faced every challenge with unwavering determination and remarkable resourcefulness, turning obstacles into opportunities for growth.”

Since the ceremony, Pelonero has taken a job as a social studies teacher at Hudson High School of Learning in Technologies in New York City, but her roots in Buffalo run deep. She still makes time for her former students when she is in town visiting. “I hope to always keep in touch with this cohort of students because they were so meaningful in my life.”