Students at Thomas Jefferson High School are coming together to celebrate their rich and diverse heritage. “We have many different countries represented at this school besides Honduras and Mexico,” said Jesus R., a senior. “We have countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Argentina. We want them to feel included.” This inspired Jesus, along with a group of his peers, to plan the school’s inaugural Hispanic Heritage Fair. Complete with traditional food, art, music, and dancing, the fair will be a celebration of each other’s cultures and highlight their similarities. There will also be a live muralist and…

At Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts, students of all expertise are coming together for the first performance of the new school year. “It’s definitely a process, getting all these different conservatoires together,” said Thomas C. “You have all these different ideas, and then it comes together and it’s like, ‘we have a show.’ There’s a lot of first-time things being done, and it’s just seeing it all executed. It’s very cool.” The senior is in the music conservatory at Booker T. He is also one of the dozens of students who signed up for…

At Sunset High School, community liaison Erika Bonilla is making homecoming dreams come true by offering free dresses through the school’s clothing closet, Bison Care.  Last year, Bonilla gave away prom dresses, ensuring students don’t miss out on special moments because of financial constraints, and this homecoming season, she’s able to continue Bison Care through generous community donations. This year’s dresses came from bridal shops, families donating quinceañera gowns, and the Dallas Public Library. From over 300 dresses, a full range of styles and sizes are available to students for the taking. “I didn’t go to my homecoming because there…

Maria Rodriguez, the first Hispanic female sergeant in the Dallas ISD Police Department, has achieved a significant milestone in her community.  Born and raised in Dallas, she attended various Dallas ISD legacy schools, including Maple Lawn Elementary School and Thomas Jefferson High School, where she was active in extracurricular activities such as the Liberty Belles and martial arts. In 2010, she joined Dallas ISD as a teacher assistant at Skyline High School. There, she met officer Alan Miles, who encouraged her to apply to the Dallas ISD police. Promoted to sergeant in December 2023, Rodriguez shared her pride in being…