Candidate: Bethzaida Garcia

Bethzaida’s top priority will be students and staff safety, increase salary for classroom teachers expand technical and trade certification programs and improve student achievement. Bethzaida has been an educator for more than 20 years.  Bethzaida will like to continue with her lifetime mission of empowering and nurturing children and teens to make our school district stronger.

Bethzaida has a Master’s Degree in Counseling/Education from the Ana G. Mendez University and a Baccalaureate Degree in Social Work, Psychology and Education from Turabo University.  Since her beginnings as a teacher assistant in Osceola High School and teacher of special needs in Poinciana High School she understands the need of a holistic approach including teachers and parents’ involvement and student interests. 

Bethzaida is the founder of Life in your Hands a non-profit organization that has its roots in domestic violence and abuse awareness. As a survivor, Bethzaida strongly feels that in order to eradicate domestic violence and abuse in the large scale you need to approach it from its roots. Bethzaida is in the business of saving lives.  Her program focus is to spread the word against domestic violence, child and elderly abuse, bullying and sexual assault thru television, newspaper, radio.  

 She works closely with churches, private and public organizations, providing workshops and consultation to strengthen the community.   Bethzaida also provides counseling services, safety and self-defense awareness classes to individuals and families through the program that covers Central Florida and Puerto Rico. 

 She is a community liaison for a local radio station and work as Public Education Coordinator for Osceola County Fire Rescue and EMS. 

 Bethzaida served as the County Liaison to assist the families and survivors of the Pulse shooting and the Coordinator of the Hurricane Maria Reception Center that assisted more than 15,000 people that were displaced from Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.  

 Bethzaida has been recognized by the Governor of Florida, Telemundo, Department of Justice, Osceola Board of County Commissioners, Univision and other organization with different awards and public recognitions as an exemplary leader that goes way and beyond to help the community.

Bethzaida and her husband Eddie live in BVL.  Her husband is a law enforcement officer and they together have five children, four grandchildren and two more on their way. Currently her youngest daughter is in the 8th grade and one of her grandchildren is in the 3rd grade, both in Osceola County.