Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora: From Crisis to Connection: How Hope Squad Transformed a School Community
What happens when a superintendent turns heartbreak into hope through student-led wellness?
In this episode of Superintendent Hot Seat, Dr. Salazar-Zamora joins Michael McCormick to share a deeply personal and transformative story of leadership, student mental health, and community resilience. As the 2023 Texas Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Z leads Tomball ISD—one of Texas’ fastest-growing and most diverse school districts.
She discusses how student suicide rocked her district and how that tragedy became the catalyst for launching a powerful peer-support initiative: Hope Squad. Dr. Zamora reveals how giving students the tools to support one another helped rebuild trust, connection, and purpose—and how the district has not seen a student suicide since the program’s implementation.
Dr. Zamora also highlights the importance of wraparound services, early intervention, and sustaining emotional wellness through rapid growth and societal change. Her insights remind us that even in the face of crisis, authentic leadership, vulnerability, and student voice can spark real systemic change. This episode is a moving reflection on leadership, faith, and the urgency of whole-child wellness in today’s schools.
🎧 Listen now to hear Dr. Salazar Zamora’s powerful story and why student wellness must start with connection, compassion, and courageous leadership.