The AlumNow series showcases former students’ post-graduation successes.
We recently caught up with Kenedi Houston, who is now a social media concierge for Grocery Connect at Bonton Farms. Read about her educational journey at Dallas ISD and how her teachers impacted her to give back to her community.
What high school did you graduate from and what year did you graduate?
Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center in 2020.
What is your current occupation?
I am a social media concierge for Grocery Connect at Bonton Farms.
What made your Dallas ISD education unique?
I had a world-class educational experience at JBS Law Magnet in high school and Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School during middle school.
Without Dallas ISD, I would not have been exposed to intermediate AP Spanish language courses, Dallas Urban Debate Alliance, Texas YMCA mock trials, or job shadowing and internship opportunities with the Dallas Bar Association, Frank Crowley Criminal, and George Allen Civil courthouses.
While at Dallas ISD, I served in leadership roles as a member of Townview Ambassadors, on the yearbook committee, vice president of the Law Magnet National Honor Society, publicity chair of the NAACP Juanita Craft Youth Council, president of the Townview League of United Latin American Citizens Council #1118, and media team ambassador for Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas.
What are your responsibilities as a social media concierge?
I assist with signing up to shop online at Kroger.com for healthy recipes and produce digital graphics for customer-relationship management on social media platforms.
What are some career or personal highlights/accomplishments?
In high school, I earned my Girl Scout Gold Award in 2020 for organizing, collecting, and distributing multicultural books to children at For Oak Cliff’s Back to School Fair and N.W. Harllee Early Childhood Center.
Who was your favorite Dallas ISD teacher or what was your favorite course?
I had a variety of favorite courses and teachers in high school. Each one taught me the importance of working hard to learn even as difficulties arose. As one of the few Black non-native Spanish speakers in Mr. Ramos’s APSpanish courses, the resilience I developed ultimately benefited me years later when I studied at La Universidad de las Americas Puebla in Mexico for three weeks. Studying abroad was an eye-opening cultural experience worth every penny!
What advice, if any, would you offer to students who are interested in your career field?
Do not be afraid to ask for help to advocate for your educational needs. Please try to find a great mentor who can help guide you. The Alumna magazine I created with fellow Dallas ISD and UT Austin alumni is our way of giving back to our community who gave us such a great launching pad. Feel free to connect with us on LinkedIn to ask about our career goals, because I’ve learned it is not always what you know, but who you know when networking.
