When Chloee A. arrived in Dallas midway through middle school, she didn’t know a single classmate.  She had just lost her father, moved away from the city she’d always known, and was entering a new school system during the height of the pandemic.  But in each unfamiliar hallway, she carried the same perseverance that defined her years at James Madison High School. “I can adapt to anything,” she said. “If you throw me in the sea, I’ll figure out how to float.” Her story began in Houston, where much of her childhood was spent helping at home as her father…

At Downtown Montessori at Ida B. Wells Academy, students take the lead; choosing their work, supporting one another, and learning by doing every day “It’s a really great school,” said Grayson H. “You learn a lot, and it’s fun teaching the younger students.” Grayson came to Ida B. Wells when she was in pre-K3. Now a third grader, she plans to stay. “I love this school. It’s a great community,” she said.  The first Montessori school in downtown Dallas, Ida B. Wells welcomes students from pre-K3 to seventh grade. The campus plans to expand, and will open to eighth graders…

Deputy Chief Juan Cedillo grew up watching shows like “Cops,” knowing from a young age he wanted to be a first responder. A graduate of W.H. Adamson High School, Cedillo often found himself drawn to the campus officers who patrolled the hallways. “Officer Sam Mara was with Dallas ISD police for about 40 years before he passed away,” Cedillo said. “He was my greatest mentor.” Inspired by those early connections, Cedillo joined the Dallas ISD Police Department after graduating from the police academy, aiming to pay it forward. “Some of my former students when I was assigned to go back…