A hundred years ago, students walking through open fields to reach Sunset High School were said to resemble a herd of bison.
Today, that same spirit of strength and resilience lives on as the Sunset Bison community celebrates a century of history in Oak Cliff.
“I feel such a sense of pride for Sunset,” said Adriana Tapia, an alum who is now a teacher. “I am proud of what Sunset accomplished over the years and what it represents for our community.”
Tapia, her husband, and both sides of their family have a history with Sunset. Their children are already looking forward to attending when they go to high school.
Naimah R., the 2025-2026 senior class president, shares a similar story.
“It’s a school I’ve always known. Even when I was growing up, I came here for community events,” she said.
An active member of JRTOC, about five generations of Namiah’s family are Sunset graduates.
Tapia and Namiah represent a Sunset community defined by legacy, tradition, and pride.
“Sunset created such a happy environment,” said Thanya Santana Ortiz, a 2013 alum who also returned as a teacher. “So many alumni come back here to teach, and have been here for years. They start here and retire here.”
Sunset High School opened on Sept. 21, 1925, enrolling about 1,400 students who took pride in their school and community.
A legacy that withstood the test of time, that same pride is palpable, a credit to a strong alumni base who come together to ensure Sunset students and team members have access to the best opportunities and resources. Every year, alumni offer grants to teachers and scholarships to the senior class.
“When I see alumni who have fond memories, that means their high school experience was special,” said David Lee, principal. “We want to recreate that sense of pride, legacy, and belonging for our students. We’re very honored to be part of it.”
For Lee, it begins at the door.
“It’s not one thing that fosters pride; it’s an accumulation of everything. We want to create a nurturing environment where students are excited and proud of school,” he said.
Recently, Sunset hosted a celebration week to ring in the centennial. Complete with a parade, ribbon cutting, and pop-up museum, it brought together alumni from all walks of life, including graduates from the 1950s. “It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime historical event that you don’t understand until you live it,” Santana Ortiz said. “We have class reunions and see friends after high school, but not many people can say they can celebrate the 100th year of something, especially their alma mater.”
Throughout its 100 years, Sunset High School built a legacy of academic excellence. Today, that tradition continues with the district’s largest selection of AP courses, innovative P-TECH and NAF academies, and graduates like the most recent valedictorian, who earned a full-ride scholarship to Dartmouth College.
Crystal Vergara, Sunset Class of 2021 was part of the first PTECH graduating class. She later returned as a Spanish teacher.“Sunset gave me my first chance at everything. Even as a student, I didn’t see myself going to college, so it gave me that first chance. Then I got my first job as a teacher here,” she said.
With a century in the books, Lee is already looking to the future.
“We do a lot of things that are great, but why stop at great when we can be exceptional. Iwant to be able to create the next generation of graduates who make the world a better place,” he said. “I see hope, and it makes me so excited. The next 100 years are going to be amazing.”
