Eleven students represented the Socorro Independent School District at the Education in Action’s Summer 2022 Lone Star Leadership Academy Camps.
These outstanding students were among 800 students from across Texas to be selected for the program.
The students traveled to Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio, and Houston/Galveston to take part in the weeklong, overnight camps. They focused on developing their leadership skills while learning about the great state of Texas.
Sebastian Carrillo, a current sixth grade student at John Drugan School, was nominated for the program by the counselor at his previous school, Loma Verde Elementary.
Carrillo attended the San Antonio/Austin summer camp. He visited the Natural Bridge Caverns in San Antonio and the state Capitol in Austin, where he met Texas state Sen. Cesar Blanco.
“On this trip, I learned a lot about the importance of communication which is crucial for any team and especially a team leader,” Carrillo said. “I also really enjoyed the caverns because I love science, exploring and adventures.”
The Lone Star Leadership Academy camps enhance the topics students are learning in school through visits to notable and historically significant Texas sites.
Other students visited the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, Perot Museum, and the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in the Dallas/Fort Worth program; the offices of state legislators at the Texas Capitol, the Supreme Court of Texas, bat watching on the Lone Star Riverboat, and The Alamo in the Austin/San Antonio program; and NASA, a boat tour of Galveston Bay with a marine biologist, the San Jacinto Battleground Monument, and Moody Gardens in the Houston/Galveston program.
Valerie Chavez, a fifth-grade student at Jane A. Hambric School, was nominated last year by her fourth-grade teacher to attend the summer camps.
As part of the Dallas/Fort Worth program, Chavez visited AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
“It was really fun,” Chavez said. “We did a lot of activities, saw new places and made new friends.”
Chavez said during her time at the camp she learned about the importance of history and that a leader has a lot of patience.
The Lone Star Leadership Academy experience provides a unique opportunity for outstanding students to learn about Texas leaders and what it means to be from the Lone Star State.
Participants discuss what they learn, complete problem solving and decision-making simulations, exercise creativity, and practice presentation skills in leadership groups.
In addition, participants bond with other students and make new friends while adding to their resume of academic achievements, developing leadership skills, and bringing home a wealth of information to supplement what they are learning in school.
For Socorro High School freshman Eliab Rojo, who was nominated by his previous principal at Hurshel Antwine Middle School, the biggest takeaway from his time at the Houston/Galveston camp was that a good leader needs to exert confidence.
Rojo said he also enjoyed seeing the museums, visiting historical sites and meeting new people.
“It was pretty fun,” Rojo said. “It’s an unforgettable experience.”
SISD students who were nominated and participated in the 2022 Education in Action’s Lone Star Leadership Academy Summer Camps:
Danika Navarrete - Hurshel Antwine School
Eliab Rojo - Hurshel Antwine School
Valerie Chavez - Jane A. Hambric School
Anabelle Richardson - Loma Verde Elementary
Sebastian Carrillo - Loma Verde Elementary
Evalie Gomez - Mission Ridge Elementary
Evelyn Rojas - Montwood Middle School
Isabel Lopez - Montwood Middle School
Mariska Valdes - Montwood Middle School
Delilah Fuerte - Sgt. Jose F. Carrasco ES
Sophia Howard - SSG. Manuel R. Puentes MS
Published August 31, 2022
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