LSAISD Class of 2018 Profiles
Adam Avila
District: SAISD
Election District: 1
“I've always believed that education was the foundation to leading a quality life. I'm excited to learn and develop my strengths while establishing positive relationships that may help me and others apply proactive ideas to the education within our communities.” – Adam Avila
Callie Flynn
District: SAISD
Election District: 6
“I’m excited about joining Leadership SAISD because I want to be part of improving educational outcomes for our students. As a former teacher in SAISD, I understand the challenges and opportunities our district faces. Today, as a homeowner within SAISD and a hopeful future parent, I want to do my part in ensuring our community has vibrant, advanced learning opportunities. I’m excited about the possibility of joining other like-minded individuals to help make all SAISD schools into places where students are valued and successful. “ – Callie Flynn
Colleen Mulholland
District: SAISD
Election District: 1
“I believe that one of the most pressing issues facing SAISD today is the economic instability among its families. Economic instability at home often inhibits students from reaching their full potential in the classroom as their academic success is threatened by outside stressors. Strengthening parents’ involvement in their children’s education is made difficult when those parents juggle multiple low-wage jobs to stay above water. This is further exacerbated by complicated housing situations and an increasing shortage of affordable housing. Students who are forced to move schools repeatedly face greater challenges than their less mobile peers. I do not know the solution for solving address economic instability. I believe that the fix is gradual and requires many, many small steps. This is an issue that exceeds any one district/organization’s capacity, and it requires the buy-in from many community stakeholders. I think that SAISD must effectively demonstrate the harmful effects of such instability in order to subsequently educate and persuade people of the many peripheral issues that affect student success in the classroom. I believe data collection should be prioritized in order to inform the efforts moving forward.” – Colleen Mulholland
Clarissa Ramon
District: SAISD
“I am excited about learning more about the roles and responsibilities of the school board. I believe participating in this program is a unique opportunity to understand the challenges facing the public education system today. With so much focus on our federal government at the moment, I am interested in learning about the impact I can have locally. I am also excited about the opportunity to gain leadership development skills and a solid understanding of how our public education system is funded.” – Clarissa Ramon
Courtney Wai
District: SAISD
Election District: 6
“When I started taking race and ethnic studies in college, I stopped feeling like I was just floating through my educational experience and starting feel fueled about my role as a young woman of color in social justice work. These frameworks shape all that I do today not just my passion and expertise in culturally responsive teaching, but also my extensive experience as an educator and teacher coach who focused on developing inclusive classrooms. I would be honored to contribute my lens and personal and professional experiences in teacher development, adult facilitation, community engagement, and racial equity work.” – Courtney Wait
Elizabeth Delaney
“I have a passion for education and for ensuring every child has the opportunity to learn in the way that they respond to best. I worked in the non-profit world for over 2 two years in social and children’s services and during that time I developed skills in research, communications, grant writing, and organization. I feel these skills along with my experience in the non-profit world will provide a new outlook to LSAISD and my fellow participants. As the Grant Writer for the SAISD Grants Office, I can provide insight into the needs of the district and sources for funding.”
– Elizabeth Delaney
Heather Eichling
District: NEISD
“My son is starting Pre-K 4 this year at Lamar ES. I'm fully committed to not only his education but the education of his peers. I want all students at Lamar and SAISD to succeed. My family comes from the Westside of SA and went to SAISD schools. I am excited about the changes and improvements I see in the district and want to do my part to expand and increase the successes of SAISD students, teacher, staff, parents through engagement, training, and community development.” – Heather Eichling
Joni Vara
District: NISD
“I am a product of SAISD. My parents are products of SAISD. My cousins, aunts, and uncles are products of SAISD. I want to learn how to support education in my community. I want to advocate for students and their parents. This opportunity would give me a chance to give back to the community in which I grew up. I want to be an agent of change.” – Joni Vara
Kimberly Bonoan
District: NISD
“I am excited about engaging with local education leaders, community organizations, and decision makers to learn more about the issues facing school districts and what I can do to help bring change. I am also excited to be around like-minded individuals who will help me to grow and understand the issues in my community.” – Kimberly Bonoan
Kaci Boylan
District: AHISD
“The program I work for is a summer literacy summer camp. Half of our summer sites are in SAISD and I want to build a stronger relationship with the district in order to better serve our students and families. “– Kaci Boylan
Maggie Morales
District: Southside ISD
Veronika Gutierrez
Implementation Specialist, San Antonio ISD
District: Floresville ISD
“I'm excited to engage in meaningful discussion about the current issues our education system is being challenged with. I want to assist in reforming schools so that our students can reap the benefits of it. I'm looking forward to engaging in dialogue with many different constituents that bring forth varying perspectives.” – Veronika Gutierrez
Vanessa Lewis
District: Judson ISD
“I will be able to share with others my unique lens of the educational system within San Antonio. I grew up on the East-side of San Antonio and have family and friends that graduated from Sam Houston, Highlands, and Brackenridge. I have worked for two school districts in San Antonio and will be working with four districts this upcoming school year. In elementary school, I took speech classes and was about two points from attaining a gifted and talented program. While in middle school I was placed in a dyslexia class, however, I was mostly helping the other students.” – Vanessa Lewis
Chris Caesar
District: NISD
“I moved to San Antonio a year ago and have spent that time learning my job, learning about SAISD for my role, and exploring the city. In that short time, I have come to love San Antonio, and am excited to increase my engagement with the life of the city. And since I am an educator, it is logical that I begin with exploring the world of education in the city. “ – Chris Caesar
Shene Simon
District: NISD
“It is an opportunity to continue my research and quest to better understand the educational climate and landscape for the greater San Antonio area. As a recent San Antonio resident and advocate for educational equity for girls and women this opportunity is paramount to equip me to have a stronger and clearer voice for girls in public education.” – Shene Simon
Angie Alonzo
District: NISD
“I am excited about joining Leadership SAISD because I am looking for a program that can satisfy my professional growth ambitions while diving into the world of community involvement and leadership. This community is especially meaningful to me because this is where I am raising my three children. I see the need in the community and it is reminiscent of the district I attended in my hometown of Laredo. My sense is that with enough leaders and advocates, it is possible to make a difference for our children. There is nothing more exciting than that!” – Angie Alonzo
Brook Colgan
District: SAISD
Election District: 6
“I moved to San Antonio, Texas 8 months ago from Georgia and in that time I have become very active in the ACLU People Power group here. This activism work has connected me with the community, including SAISD, and I am eager to meet other leaders in the community and learn about the complexities of SAISD. I am excited to discover a role for my civic engagement through this experience. Ultimately I hope that I can use everything I gain through this program to guide my continued work on behalf of students and the SAISD community.” – Brook Colgan
Chellie Fernandez
“I am excited about this opportunity for two reasons. First, I consider myself to be a continuous learner. I initially came to Chicago to develop a deeper understanding of Community Schools, but also explored Trauma Informed Practice, Restorative Justice and Social and Emotional Learning. The second reason I am excited to join this group is because I believe leaders especially leaders of color must equip him(her)self with all tools necessary to create systemic change. I believe this opportunity will do both.” – Chellie Fernandez
Sandra Uribe
Government & Community Affairs, San Antonio ISD
“I am excited about the opportunity in serving the school district that supported and educated me. I believe Superintendent Martinez and staff have worked vigilantly in transforming our school district by hiring top-notch educators, building our business and community partnerships, and dedication a foundation where parent and families can be supported. I believe in the power of knowledge, teamwork and constant evolution. I believe our most important assets are students, families and community.” – Sandra Uribe
Ryan Loyd
District: NEISD
“I am a communicator, first and foremost. Some have talents in math. Others know how to build things. I'm the words guy, and I am able to connect and communicate effectively with friends, family, colleagues, as well as educators and children at SAISD. I feel that I would be able to lend those talents to spread the word about the exciting things happening within the LSAISD cohort, whether it be through social media, blogs, video or audio. I am proficient in this area, and have held positions that have trained me well for these tasks. It is a skill, and thankfully, it is also a passion.” – Ryan Loyd
Anne Ortiz
District: SAISD
Election District: 2
“I look forward to joining Leadership SAISD. It it exciting to me to learn more about the intricacy of processes within the school district and how all those things come together establish policies that affect our students. How can I as a community member better serve and advocate for educational issues, if I am not well informed?” – Anne Ortiz
Ashley Vidaurri
3rd Grade Teacher, Frank Madla
District: SAISD
Election District: 2
“As an educator and advocate for students from historically marginalized backgrounds in urban schools, I have seized opportunities to increase my knowledge of the ongoing systemic issues and prevalence of educational inequity in our schools. While I have dipped my toes in this learning process, especially after completing my first year as an educator, I seek much more. Leadership SAISD would provide countless opportunities to not only increase my knowledge, but apply what I have learned with the broader education landscape in San Antonio.” – Ashley Vidaurri
Elizabeth Arevalo
District: SAISD
Election District: 1
“I am excited about joining Leadership SAISD because I am a proud graduate of SAISD schools. From Herff Elementary and Douglass Elementary to Martin Luther King Middle School and Brackenridge High School I have had the opportunity to build a network of close friends and colleagues. I’m looking forward to learning more about the operations of SAISD and developing my leadership skills in hopes to one day be an administrative employee or school board member for the district. Also, I know several graduates from previous cohorts and they have all spoken very highly of the program.” – Elizabeth Arevalo
Hugh Hawthorne Farr
District: SAISD
Election District: 1
“I wish to channel my nearly 14 years of non-profit leadership (Salvation Army & Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) into public education advocacy. In particular the SAISD.” – Hawthorne Farr
Alejandro Araiza
Alamo Colleges
District: SAISD
Election District: 5
“I’m excited about joining Leadership SAISD because the program identifies the main factors within the ISD and reasoning of why there is a need for community engagement and civic engagement. I would like to participate and provide a new thread of reasoning in being in the program which is active alumni engagement. The program focuses on engaging citizens who otherwise wouldn’t meet to discuss important topics occurring in education and most importantly within SAISD. The program provides information the community needs to know to improve the success of students and a dashboard of college access and completion issues surrounding SAISD.” – Alejandro Araiza
Cherise Rohr-Allegrini
District: SAISD
Election District: 1
“As a parent in SAISD for six years, I’ve been active in both my school and the district. Currently, I am President of Friends of Bonham, a 501(c)3 that supports programs at Bonham Academy through fundraising and other resources. I have also been a member of the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) since 2014. I’d like to learn more about how policies are planned and adapted for the school district. I’m excited about joining other committed community members in both learning about and bringing expertise to SAISD.” – Cherise Rohr-Allegrini
Natasha Jones
Assistant Principal, SAISD
District: East Central ISD
“I am excited about joining Leadership SAISD because I am always interested in learning, developing, and putting into action strategies to improve education. As a leader in SAISD, I can see the many challenges that educators face. I believe that we must create a culture in education that embodies the many challenges we are faced with in society. This leadership cohort is opportunity for me to serve on a committee that will embrace meaningful change.” – Natasha Jones
Sara Harrington
UTSA
District: SAISD
Election District: 4
“I am currently the facilitator of the AFT Teacher Leader Program, which seeks to have members (SAISD employees) engage in action research focusing on policies that directly affect their careers in education. I see this program as a way to educate myself while bridging connections between SAISD employees and leaders within San Antonio.” – Sara Harrington
Denise Weaver Rodriguez
Implementation Specialist, SAISD
District: Poteet
“My experiences of being directly impacted by leadership decisions within SAISD would be my strong contribution to the LSAISD community. Working as an instructional leader, in the role of an implementation specialist, has also given me a unique perspective into the impact educational decisions have within SAISD classrooms.” – Denise Weaver Rodriguez
Judith Solis
District: SAISD
“'I’m very excited about the possibilities of this initiative. I strongly believe in the power of people. What I foresee happening is a strong united group that wants only the best for the students of SAISD. Leadership SAISD can offer insight to the needs of the community where our students live. The group can provide suggestions and make positively impacting recommendations. I have always become part of all the communities where I have worked and being part of this group would allow me to get connected in order continue to provide the type of support that my assigned campuses need because I would have firsthand knowledge about the community where our students live. Overall, I would be very excited to be part of a group that wants the best for our students. I take my position very serious, as well as, the responsibility to provide the best service to all and being part of the Leadership SAISD would only make me a better servant leader. – Judith Solis
Pamela Foster
Early College Program, Alamo Colleges
District: La Vernia
Andres Arredondo
Jordan Thomas
District: NEISD
“The idea of being a part of a growing network of committed civil servants advocating for cause of our most vulnerable and promising population--our children fires me up! I a lot of the inequity I see is simply due to a lack of resources and plays out most vividly in SAISD schools. I do not believe students potential should be limited by their zip code.” – Jordan Thomas
Stella Camacho
District: Edgewood ISD
Yevette Jackson
District: Judson ISD
“One of my goals is to be and teach parents and students how to advocate for their education rights in a positive way. I would also like to teach teachers how to be better advocates also. More importantly, I want to be familiar with the issues that do not support all students receiving an excellent education.” – Yevette Jackson