Vanguard 2022

Board of Trustees & Administration

What is Vanguard

Dobie High School

Lewis Career and Technical High School

Pasadena High School

Pasadena Memorial High School

Sam Rayburn High School

South Houston High School

PASADENA ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Marshall Kendrick

President

PASADENA ISD ADMINISTRATION

Pasadena ISD would like to congratulate our Vanguard Community Service award recipients for giving back to so many communities in a variety of ways and through a number of causes.

Our Vanguards champion a cause and work to make a difference for those in need. We want to applaud the efforts of our students for uplifting their communities through acts of service.

Generations of Pasadena ISD students have participated in a tradition of service within Pasadena ISD and this year’s class of Vanguard recipients is no exception.

All Vanguards (representing each high school) have contributed collectively more than 9,000 hours of their time to worthy causes. Whether they aided the homeless, tutored kids in after school programs, volunteered with faith-based organizations or sprang to action after Hurricane Harvey – they made a difference in our community.

On behalf of our Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees, district administration and campus leaders, we want to thank you for your service and for being a shining example for other students to follow. You are a vanguard of community service.

Sincerely,

Superintendent of Pasadena Independent School District

ELOY CAVAZOS

Always eager to lend a helping hand to support his community, Eloy volunteered with the Texas Children’s Hospital Toy Drive to collect 400+ toys for underserved children in Houston. Although he ended up getting injured while moving toys one day, he still feels it was worth it to see the smiles on the children’s faces who couldn’t be at home for Christmas.

Eloy plans to attend San Jacinto College and then transfer to the University of Houston to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

CASSANDRA GARCIA

It is Cassandra’s dream to obtain her doctorate, but that hasn’t stopped her from already impacting lives now through her volunteer work.

While volunteering at Acadian Ambulance, Cassandra was called to action when a paramedic asked for her help with a patient in cardiac arrest. Cassandra performed CPR while helping the paramedic get the patient on to the ambulance and then to the ER doctor. That was her first time ever performing CPR.

Cassandra plans to enter the medical field to pursue a career in pediatric cardiology.

LILLY NGUYEN

It brings Lilly joy knowing that her volunteer work has strongly benefited her community.

For the past four years, she has helped at the Houston Chevron Marathon, where she has been able to branch out and meet many volunteers with the same determination as her. She has also had the opportunity to volunteer at the Houston Food Bank during Thanksgiving by packing food boxes for the underserved in Houston.

Lilly plans to attend the University of Houston to pursue a career in oncology.

DAKAREY RAMSAY

Dakarey loves to lend a hand to anyone in need. He has been a consistent volunteer for the McDonald’s Texas Invitational Basketball Tournament over the years.

As a volunteer, he was in charge of ensuring the Invitational ran smoothly, in addition to supervising younger students throughout the event. Although the work was hard, he persevered and was extremely helpful to his coaches.

This fall, Dakarey will be attending San Jacinto College and plans to receive a technical degree in IT or cybersecurity.

ERIC TRAN

Eric Tran strives to make a difference in the lives of others.

Since the summer of 2021, Eric has volunteered at Parker Williams Public Library where he sorts and curates the reading content for visitors.

Eric also had the opportunity to help organize local blood drives for his community. As much as he loved all his duties, his favorite part was reading to children at the library and connecting with the younger generation.

This fall, Eric will be attending San Jacinto College and plans to receive a technical degree in IT or cybersecurity.

“I VOLUNTEER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.” ~ ERIC

BRENDA GATICA

For Brenda, volunteering means more to her than community service hours. Instead, she believes it’s all about putting out how you want to be received by your community.

Last summer, Brenda dedicated her time to helping at NASA for their Explorer Program where she was responsible for facilitating museum tours, assisting with classroom activities, tackling problem-solving circumstances and maintaining a smile on the kids’ faces. She had the opportunity to be a mentor for younger students and teach them the ways of proper teamwork and communication.

Brenda will be attending the nursing program at San Jacinto College to earn a Bachelor’s in Nursing (BSN). Then, ultimately, she plans to fulfill her dreams of becoming a midwife.

“VOLUNTEERING IS MORE THAN GETTING HOURS, IT’S ABOUT PUTTING OUT HOW YOU WANT TO BE RECEIVED BY YOUR COMMUNITY” ~ BRENDA

ISAIAS GONZALEZ

Isaias takes every opportunity to give back not only to help others but to also learn new skills that may help him in the future. With a range of volunteer experience in media at Grace Church and at the Texas Invitational, Isaias has been able to display his creativity, passion and work ethic through film. During the Texas Invitational earlier this year, Isaias and his media team were in charge of handling the tournament’s livestream, camera direction and interviews with the athletes. He credits his team’s great communication for a successful show. He plans to attend college this fall and major in computer science.

“VOLUNTEERING ALLOWS YOU TO LEARN NEW SKILLS WHILE HELPING OTHERS.” ~ ISAIAS

ANGIE MONTEMAYOR SAUCEDO

Angie is always ready to lend a helping hand for her community. While volunteering for multiple food drives, she was in charge of sorting canned foods and ensuring that those in need were receiving top-quality items. Throughout her experience, she was able to connect with other like-minded students who all had a passion for giving back.

Angie plans to attend San Jacinto College this fall and study either child development or nursing.

KADENCE MEDINA

Kadence loves to serve individuals in need. She recalled a life-changing experience in which her passion for service and agility were put to the test.

While volunteering at Acadian Ambulance, she had to spring into action as a 20-year-old male was rushed in after entering cardiac arrest. The paramedic instructed her to immediately begin administering CPR. Kadence was terrified but had no time to doubt herself. With the help of the doctors and nurses, they were able to get a return of pulse.

Kadence is grateful to have been a part of this life-saving experience and is happy to know the patient is now fine and living his best life.

Kadence plans to enter the medical field by attending paramedic school and will follow the steps necessary to become a flight paramedic.

“I LOVE TO BE OF SERVICE TO THOSE IN NEED .” ~ KADENCE

ERIBERTO PEREZ

Eriberto has spent years making a difference in his community.

He dedicated years to providing assistance at the Houston Food Bank where he helped sort canned goods and pack items for the underprivileged in the Houston area. Eriberto, along with many others, helped to ensure that the food was distributed with the utmost safety and care.

He feels humbled to be able to see the difference he made in his community.

Eriberto is planning to attend college this fall to pursue a career in computer science or computer engineering.

“I VOLUNTEERED TO HELP, LEARN AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.” ~ ERIBERTO

DEVANY BALBUENA

Devany’s passion for volunteering began when she volunteered at a personal law injury office, helping families receive access to legal services at low costs. Outside of school, Devany would volunteer at Kivato Education Center, a program that offers tutoring services for disadvantaged communities. As a volunteer at the Education Center, she assisted with website design and formatting. Devany volunteers because she wants to do her part to help minimize the disparities between affluent and low-income families. Being part of the Education Center has granted her the privilege to contribute to the education of students like her. After graduation, Devany is interested in majoring in mechanical engineering. After engineering school, she plans to pursue a law degree in hopes of becoming an attorney.

“IT IS MY PASSION TO BE ABLE TO DECREASE DISPARITIES THROUGH VOLUNTEERING. ” ~ DEVANY

BEATRIZ EMILY CASTANEDA

Beatriz is proud to be able to volunteer and give back to the Hispanic community.

Her most memorable volunteer opportunity was being able to organize a donation drive for Honduras after a Hurricane devastated the area. This endeavor was especially meaningful to Beatriz since both of her parents were born in Honduras. Over time, several local businesses allowed Beatriz to host donation drives where she gathered items before sorting and shipping them to Honduras. Seeing the smiling faces of the individuals receiving the donations made all the hard work worth it; and, as a bonus, Beatriz was able to work alongside several classmates.

Beatriz also sewed covers for oxygen masks for kids at Texas Children’s Hospital and assisted in the National Honor Society’s Oktoberfest event.

She plans to attend the University of Mary Hardin Baylor and pursue a career in nursing.

DIANA DIAZ

Diana’s volunteer journey began during an event at Queens Intermediate where she helped students prepare for their solo and ensemble showcases. During the event, Diana noticed a student struggling to learn how to read music. She took the initiative to teach the student using the color-coding method. This minor change helped the student excel and even receive a medal for their solo performance.

Assisting other individuals taught her the value of giving back. It also helped her realize that there is no uniform way to learn.

This experience, along with her passion for music, has inspired her to pursue a music education degree from Texas State University in hopes of one day becoming a music teacher.

“I VOLUNTEER BECAUSE I GET TO PAY IT FORWARD TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE POSITIVELY INFLUENCED MY LIFE.” ~ DIANA

VANESSA GARCIA PEREZ

Volunteering has been a rewarding experience for Vanessa. It has allowed her to gain many memories, make new friends and meet other great volunteers.

Some of these volunteer efforts have included assisting with a donation drive for a country devastated by a natural disaster, helping intermediate school coaches with practice and providing assistance during several citywide community events. One of her favorite volunteer efforts was Pasadena’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. Being able to see the community come together to enjoy the Christmas festivities made her experience truly memorable. Cleaning up after events is always special as Vanessa enjoys returning a space back to its natural state, free of trash and clean.

Volunteering has allowed Vanessa to expand many of her skills by contributing on team projects as well as getting to know the environment a bit better through the recognition of public issues.

She plans to attend the University of HoustonDowntown to major in biology so she can one day become a physician assistant.

LESLIE RODRIGUEZ

Leslie volunteers for the Continuing Catholic Education office of her church where she assists with taking attendance and filing documents. This experience has been doubly beneficial as Leslie has had the opportunity to make new friends while also having the ability to give back and help others.

Leslie recognizes that ever since she started volunteering, she has grown as an individual. She not only feels that volunteering steered her toward the right path, but it also helped her gain the confidence to believe in herself. She said that although it may take her some time to reach her goals, as long as she continues to put in the work and push herself, she can do it.

Leslie plans to attend the University of Houston-Clear Lake and obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting.

“I VOLUNTEER AT MY CHURCH BECAUSE I LIKE TO GIVE BACK AND HELP OTHERS.” ~ LESLIE

SARAH JONES

Sarah’s passion for rescuing and helping abused animals inspired her to volunteer with Mission for Paws. She’s been involved with the organization for the past four years, assisting with animal rescues, animal socialization, animal maintenance, the care and treatment of rescued animals, along with pet adoptions. From sanitizing the cat condos daily to replacing the blankets, bedding, food and water, Sarah helps to create a welcoming environment for all their furry friends.

One of her favorite experiences, she recalled, was bottle feeding two-day-old kittens who were very dependent on their caregivers to survive. During pet adoption days, Sarah enjoyed decorating the pet cages, talking to potential adoptive families and helping them find the right fur baby for their home.

Some of her other volunteer experiences included assisting with painting the PMHS tennis building, along with lending a helping hand during a food drive.

Sarah plans to attend the University of Houston-Clear Lake and major in mathematics.

CINTHEA MARTINEZ

Cinthea wanted to go beyond obtaining just a few volunteer hours; she wanted to aim for the 300+ hours required to receive the prestigious Vanguard Community Service award.

Her most memorable experience volunteering was with the Pasadena Animal Shelter where she was able to foster a litter of kittens that stayed with her for six months before going home to their forever family.

In addition, Cinthea has volunteered with Bridge Over Troubled Waters, an organization that offers mental, emotional and physical support, in addition to intervention services for individuals affected by domestic and sexual violence. She also donates food to New Dawn Animal Rescue.

Cinthea plans to attend Stephen F. Austin State University to major in cinematography.

“I VOLUNTEER TO HELP THOSE IN NEED.” ~ CINTHEA

ANAHI RODRIGUEZ

Anahi volunteers to make a positive impact in the lives of others and to strengthen her growing community. She has participated in various volunteer projects for CrowdSource Rescue, the City of Pasadena, Sarah’s House and the Salvation Army.

Each week, Anahi delivered groceries to families in Pasadena, La Porte, Baytown and Houston as a volunteer with CrowdSource Rescue. The organization works in conjunction with the Houston Food Bank to help fight food insecurity in the community.

During the Christmas season, Anahi assisted the Salvation Army with gathering and assembling Christmas gifts to distribute to children and elderly residents. She loved seeing the smiles on the faces of the individuals she delivered groceries to. After the devastating winter storm that impacted millions of Texans last year, she gathered a small group of local volunteers to deliver hot meals, water and banana bread muffins and managed to feed an entire apartment complex of elderly residents in one day.

Anahi reflected on her volunteer experiences over the years and said, “Volunteering for the community for the past three years has been such a fulfilling experience for me, especially knowing that I made an impact in so many people’s lives.”

Anahi plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)and wants to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

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ANGEL BERLANGA

Angel enjoys volunteering because he loves giving back to his community as seeing the smiles on people’s faces brings him joy.

His most memorable experiences have been volunteering at Shriners Hospital and the Special Olympics where he participated in food distribution, sign-up and the awards ceremony. During the Christmas break, Angel spent time at Shriners Hospital donating toys, spending time with children and writing greeting cards.

After graduation, Angel plans to attend San Jacinto College and join the National Guard to continue his love of helping others.

“I LOVE SEEING THE SMILES ON THE FACES OF THE PEOPLE I HAVE HELPED.” ~ ANGEL

ANGEL GALAN GARCIA

Angel volunteers because he loves giving back to his community.

His most memorable experiences have included volunteering at the Shriners Hospital and the Special Olympics where he participated in food distribution, sign-up and the award ceremony.

During the Christmas break, Angel spent time at Shriners Hospital donating toys, spending time with children and writing greeting cards.

After graduation, Angel plans to attend San Jacinto College and join the National Guard to continue his love of helping others.

DEV MAISURIA

Dev has participated in various volunteer opportunities as a leader of multiple civic organizations at his school.

Some of the most notable volunteer experienes have included HOSA blood drives, 5K runs, the National Honor Society and the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar.

As a Junior Staffer at the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Seminar, Dev received first-hand experience organizing lectures, contributing to staff meetings and serving as support to future students.

Dev says the best part about volunteering is knowing the impact one person can make on an entire community.

Like many future college students, Dev is narrowing down his focus. His top choices for a major are biomedical engineering and dentistry.

“THE REASON WHY I VOLUNTEER IS BECAUSE I ENJOY HELPING OTHER PEOPLE.” ~ DEV

GALILEA RODRIGUEZ

Galilea has a passion for serving others.

She enjoys promoting positive change in her community and she does so through several volunteer projects including the Hugh O’Brien Leadership Seminar, the San Juan Diego Church, the Youth Advocacy Committee and more.

Her passion for helping fuels her future career endeavors. After graduation, Galilea plans to become a physician. After achieving success in the medical field, she hopes to return to her community to open her own clinical office to support low-income families.

“I HAVE AN ENORMOUS PASSION TO SERVE OTHERS AND CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE...” ~ GALILEA

EMILY TORRES

Emily enjoys creating positive change through community service.

During the Christmas season of her sophomore year, Emily volunteered at a toy drive for burn victims and underprivileged children at the Shriners Hospital in Galveston, Texas.

In addition to giving back, she is also a proud supporter of the San Jacinto Fun Run, along with Veterans Day performances at various schools, and serves as a member of JROTC.

Emily plans to attend the University of Houston after graduation where she will study Biomedical Science to become a veterinarian.

MARYELLA DIAZ

Maryella’s passion for helping others started when she visited the Space Center as a young girl. Years later, she decided to return to the Space Center to tutor and mentor young children. One of her favorite memories while volunteering at the Space Center was meeting retired NASA engineer, Lucy Kranz. During that time, she helped organize camps and learn about America’s history in space. She adds that apart from sharing stories, Kranz taught the group the value of hard work.

She continued serving others at Uniting Children Across Nations. She says the program allowed her to meet and share stories with people from diverse backgrounds.

After graduation, Maryella plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin to earn a degree in political science and become an attorney.

STEFANY PEREZ MACIAS

Stefany knows that every little bit counts when it comes to volunteering in the community, which is why she sets aside time to make a difference one project at a time.

One of her most memorable volunteer experiences happened at her local church. During the Christmas holiday, she assisted with distributing toys, school supplies and hygiene products to kids who had been affected by war, poverty or a natural disaster. It brought her joy knowing she was helping someone in need.

Stefany plans to attend the University of Houston and major in biology.

“I KNOW THAT EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING THE COMMUNITY.” ~ STEFANY

ARIEL RODRIGUEZ

Ariel understands that helping her community benefits everyone. When she’s not at school, Ariel enjoys being an advocate for literacy and helping children. She has spent countless hours at the library shelving and organizing books and assisting in children’s programs.

After graduating from South Houston High School, Aerial plans to attend San Jacinto College for a year and then transfer to the University of Texas at San Antonio to major in biology.

GIOVANNI SANTILLAN

Giovanni enjoys seeing younger children succeed.

Throughout high school, he has served the students of Red Bluff Elementary by volunteering at mother-son dances. The after school program also allowed him to tutor young students in English and math. On Friday’s, the students enjoy a free day where they play games with volunteers and earn prizes.

After graduation, Giovanni plans to attend Houston Baptist University to pursue a degree in chemical engineering.

UYEN PHAM

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

The famous quote is suitable for South Houston senior Uyen Pham who understands the power of kindness. While volunteering at the Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church, she identified with a young girl who was struggling to learn a new language. The student’s struggle reminded Uyen about her own journey to learn English after moving to America in middle school. With the help of Uyen’s community, she is now able to speak fluently and excel in school.

Uyen used this experience to help another young student improve her Vietnamese skills and now she too is making friends and learning a new language.

After graduation, Uyen plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a degree in biology.

“I FIND MYSELF ONLY IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS.” ~ UYEN

PASADENA ISD

THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS!

“If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it—then I can achieve it.” - Muhammad Ali