Author: Molly Schrader

When she arrived in the U.S. during her junior year of high school from Monterrey, Mexico, Avril L. had no idea she would one day secure a full ride to Tufts University through the QuestBridge program. Now, a 2024 graduate of W.H. Adamson High School, she’s preparing to major in cognitive and brain science, and double major in either film or music, embarking on a journey she once thought impossible. Avril describes her transition to high school as challenging and she remembers having difficulty making friends and understanding her teachers during class.  “I was pretty anxious the whole time,” she…

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Campbell C., futura estudiante de la Universidad de Texas en Austin, es una estrella de la natación de Woodrow Wilson High School cuyo objetivo es formar parte del equipo estadounidense en los Juegos Olímpicos del verano. “Ser estudiante en Woodrow me ha dado grandes oportunidades tanto en la piscina como fuera”, dijo. “Me ha dado una experiencia de natación que comprende diversión y estar con buenas personas, en lugar de ser pura presión todo el tiempo”. Campbell empezó a nadar cuando tenía ocho años. Hasta ahora, su vida se ha medido en distancia nadada, millas recorridas de camino a práctica…

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Future UT Longhorn, Campbell C. is a Woodrow Wilson High School swimming legend, and now her sights are set on representing Team USA in a Summer Olympics. “Being a Woodrow student has given me immense opportunities both in the pool and outside the pool,” she said. “It’s given me a space in swimming that is all about fun and getting to be with great people, rather than it just being pressure all the time.” Campbell’s journey began when she was eight years old. Until now, her life is measured in laps swam, miles driven to practices, and hours spent in…

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Cuando era niña, Gay H., cuya familia viene del pueblo karen de Asia, a menudo se encontraba con la necesidad de explicar a fondo su identidad cultural. En un mundo que alguna vez la hizo sentirse alejada de su etnia, Gay reflexiona sobre su camino al autodescubrimiento en honor al Mes de la Herencia Asiático-Americana y de las Islas del Pacífico. ”Para mí, este mes significa reconocer la herencia asiática, y también las tradiciones, porque hay muchas culturas únicas y grupos étnicos pequeños en Asia. Soy afortunada de tener una vida en Estados Unidos, pero también de ser karen”. Gay…

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Spelled K-A-R-E-N, pronounced Kah·Ren, and not to be confused with Korean, Gay H. found herself explaining her cultural identity as a Karen person at length while growing up. In a world that once made her feel disconnected from her ethnicity, Gay reflects on her journey of self-discovery in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. “To me, AAPI month means recognizing Asian heritage, and also traditions, because there are so many unique cultures and small ethnic groups in Asia. I’m lucky to live this life in America, but also to be Karen.” Born and raised in Dallas, both of…

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En el corazón del sureste de Dallas, una joya única conocida como School for the Talented & Gifted in Pleasant Grove (STAG) ofrece nuevas oportunidades a sus estudiantes. La escuela, establecida en 2018 con tres grados, era una iglesia que fue renovada y que hoy está transformando el panorama educativo. Antes de STAG, las familias que buscaban programas Montessori o magnet debían salir de su vecindario. Ahora en su sexto año de existencia, la escuela incluye dos grados más, lo que la destaca como la única escuela de lenguaje dual magnet de cuarto a octavo grado en Texas. Para el…

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Standing in the heart of southeast Dallas, a unique gem known as School for the Talented & Gifted in Pleasant Grove offers expanding opportunities to its students. Established in 2018 with three grade levels, the A-rated school began as a renovated church and is rapidly transforming the educational landscape. Before STAG, students seeking a Montessori or magnet school would have to travel outside their neighborhood.  Now in its sixth year, it includes two additional grade levels, setting itself apart as the only fourth through eighth grade magnet dual-language campus in Texas.  For Reymundo Cervantes-Guajardo, the current principal and a 2023…

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Cuando sea grande, Christian P. quiere ser cirujano y salvar vidas. “Me encanta ayudar a los demás. Me siento como un héroe”, dijo. Con su uniforme azul de enfermería, el estudiante de quinto grado de Buckner Terrace Montessori asistió al primer Día de Exploración Médica de la escuela. “Hoy aprendí que a veces la música puede ayudar a las personas en terapia”, dijo Christian. El Día de Exploración Médica fue idea de Natasha McLaurin, consejera en Buckner Terrace, quien quería dar a los niños la oportunidad de aprender sobre carreras en STEM, sobre todo porque los estudiantes suelen decirle que…

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When he grows up, Chrisitian P. wants to be a surgeon and save lives. “I love helping people. It just feels like I’m a hero,” he said. Dressed in blue scrubs, the fifth-grader at Bucker Terrace Montessori attended the school’s first Medical Explorers Day. “Today, I learned that sometimes music can help people in therapy,” Christian said. Medical Explorers Day was the brainchild of Natasha McLaurin, a counselor at Bucker Terrace, who wanted to give young kids the opportunity to explore careers in STEM, especially since students often tell her they want to become a doctor, nurse, or EMT. “Being…

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Amidst the challenges and joys of parenthood, Dallas ISD recently hosted a districtwide event to welcome and bring together student-parents to learn, and support one another. Organized by the Student Engagement and Support department, the Secure Start Celebration allowed students to meet face-to-face and connect over their shared experiences. Guests also played games, enjoyed a special meal catered by Skyline High School, and took home a variety of prizes like gift cards, baby wipes, diapers, and a few big-ticket items such as a stroller, car seat, and a crib.  Chef Jason Blackwell at Skyline says every meal was prepared with…

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