Print
E-mail
Comment
GPJC Rotary celebrates Red Ribbon Week
 |
| Three Woodland Acres Middle School students recently spoke at the Galena Park/Jacinto City Rotary Club about their experiences in Austin. They went to the Texas capital as part of Red Ribbon Week. |
By MATT HOLLIS
Keeping children safe from drugs and alcohol is a concern any parent should have when it comes to their children. During the week of Oct. 18 through 26, schools across the nation focused on this issue through Red Ribbon Week, the largest and oldest anti-drug campaign in the country.
At the recent Galena Park/Jacinto City Rotary Club meeting, three students from Woodland Acres Middle School spoke about their experiences in Austin where they learned how they pass bills at the Texas State Capitol. The students went with Tabitha Sapien, a Woodlands Acres counselor. The trip coincided with Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week was established in honor of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a federal drug agent who was kidnapped and killed in Mexico in 1985.
“You know, it’s funny how things work out in life,” said Salvador Rodriguez, one of the students. “One little thing can make a big difference. In this case, it was a big thing that made a big difference. Enrique Camerena also know as ``Kiki,`` gave his life for the wealth of all of us in this room and the whole United States. People from his home town started to wear red ribbons in honor of him. While we were in the bus to Austin, Mrs. (Tabitha) Sapien asked me if I wanted to be a representative, and I said yes. The progress is amazing and it feels good when your bill passes.”
Marco Guzman said it was like a dream going to the Capitol.
“It was a long ride there, but good things happened,” he said. “I am glad I had the privilege to do this.”
Alberto Garza said Camarena’s sacrifice to make the streets safer from drugs made quite an impression on him.
“I gained a greater understanding of the life of Kiki Camarena,” he said. “Kiki was a good man that wanted to make a difference and whose legacy still lives on. Today, he is my hero.”
The bill was not a real bill, but it did teach the students the process of how the state government does its job.
Part of the bill the students passed included having drug-sniffing dogs in schools and offering a scholarship for students 18 and up who demonstrate they are drug free.
The boys also toured the capitol and sat in the Texas Senate. About five other school districts in Texas were in Austin at the same time as the Woodland Acres students.
On hand for the boys’ speeches were U.S. Rep. Gene Green, Precinct 3 Constable Ken Jones and Dr. Mark Henry, GPISD superintendent.
The boys’ visit was a part of an educational theme the GPJC Rotary Club was holding in the month of October.
Earlier in October, Dr. Allatia Harris, San Jacinto College North president, came to the GPJC Rotary Club to talk about what is going on in higher education.
“Given the state of the economy, if we want to remain a viable economy, our goal should be to educate Texans in high school and beyond,” Harris said. “Every Texan should have the opportunity to earn a college degree.”
Harris pointed out that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s initiative Closing the Gaps was designed to increase the number of college graduates including African Americans and Latinos in Texas. The shift in demographics is imperative for the initiative’s success, Harris said.
“If we don’t shift, then there will be no college graduates,” she said. “We are making progress and San Jac is an important part of that.”
Harris also talked about the college’s P-16 initiatives where students are prepared for college in high school.
“San Jac has taken steps to look at the curriculum to see if they are prepared for college,” she said. “When they finish high school, they take tests. The tests indicate that some are not ready even if they pass high school. Community college is all about opportunity. A person with an associate’s degree can half a million more than someone with just a high school diploma.”
Harris said the college is interested in expanding its dual credit program, help people get GEDs and enter its English As a Second language program. She also said the college wants to put together a Community Advisory Committee made up of community members who can give input on what students should be learning so they can enter the workforce easier once they graduate.
At the recent Galena Park/Jacinto City Rotary Club meeting, three students from Woodland Acres Middle School spoke about their experiences in Austin where they learned how they pass bills at the Texas State Capitol. The students went with Tabitha Sapien, a Woodlands Acres counselor. The trip coincided with Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week was established in honor of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a federal drug agent who was kidnapped and killed in Mexico in 1985.
“You know, it’s funny how things work out in life,” said Salvador Rodriguez, one of the students. “One little thing can make a big difference. In this case, it was a big thing that made a big difference. Enrique Camerena also know as ``Kiki,`` gave his life for the wealth of all of us in this room and the whole United States. People from his home town started to wear red ribbons in honor of him. While we were in the bus to Austin, Mrs. (Tabitha) Sapien asked me if I wanted to be a representative, and I said yes. The progress is amazing and it feels good when your bill passes.”
Marco Guzman said it was like a dream going to the Capitol.
“It was a long ride there, but good things happened,” he said. “I am glad I had the privilege to do this.”
Alberto Garza said Camarena’s sacrifice to make the streets safer from drugs made quite an impression on him.
“I gained a greater understanding of the life of Kiki Camarena,” he said. “Kiki was a good man that wanted to make a difference and whose legacy still lives on. Today, he is my hero.”
The bill was not a real bill, but it did teach the students the process of how the state government does its job.
Part of the bill the students passed included having drug-sniffing dogs in schools and offering a scholarship for students 18 and up who demonstrate they are drug free.
The boys also toured the capitol and sat in the Texas Senate. About five other school districts in Texas were in Austin at the same time as the Woodland Acres students.
On hand for the boys’ speeches were U.S. Rep. Gene Green, Precinct 3 Constable Ken Jones and Dr. Mark Henry, GPISD superintendent.
The boys’ visit was a part of an educational theme the GPJC Rotary Club was holding in the month of October.
Earlier in October, Dr. Allatia Harris, San Jacinto College North president, came to the GPJC Rotary Club to talk about what is going on in higher education.
“Given the state of the economy, if we want to remain a viable economy, our goal should be to educate Texans in high school and beyond,” Harris said. “Every Texan should have the opportunity to earn a college degree.”
Harris pointed out that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s initiative Closing the Gaps was designed to increase the number of college graduates including African Americans and Latinos in Texas. The shift in demographics is imperative for the initiative’s success, Harris said.
“If we don’t shift, then there will be no college graduates,” she said. “We are making progress and San Jac is an important part of that.”
Harris also talked about the college’s P-16 initiatives where students are prepared for college in high school.
“San Jac has taken steps to look at the curriculum to see if they are prepared for college,” she said. “When they finish high school, they take tests. The tests indicate that some are not ready even if they pass high school. Community college is all about opportunity. A person with an associate’s degree can half a million more than someone with just a high school diploma.”
Harris said the college is interested in expanding its dual credit program, help people get GEDs and enter its English As a Second language program. She also said the college wants to put together a Community Advisory Committee made up of community members who can give input on what students should be learning so they can enter the workforce easier once they graduate.
Submit a Comment
|
You must be logged in to post a comment.
|
Not yet a registered member?
Click here to become one. Comments to stories and articles on the Web site are not edited or pre-approved before appearing online. Readers posting comments are solely responsible for those comments. Comments must be germane to the story to which they apply. Online comments that are libelous, profane or personally attack another site participant can be reported as abuse using the link provided on each comment. Comments reported as abusive will be reviewed and may be removed from view, as will off-topic comments. BE CIVIL. Individuals continually posting abusive comments to the site may have their registrations revoked. |
