Ivan Herrera-Oliva

UHS CTE May Student of the Month

Senior

Academy of Engineering

         Taking engineering classes at University High School has been one of the best decisions that I have made. Engineering has taught me how to identify a problem and then find a solution to solve it.  For example, in my senior Project Lead the Way course, I used Autodesk Inventor to design a prototype for a solution to my problem, which was reducing the amount of debris that can get into an above ground swimming pool.  After using CAD to design the solution, my team then printed a prototype of a hub and brackets using a 3D printer to test it.  Additionally, taking rocketry in the engineering pathway has taught me to design and construct rockets that can either travel to an altitude of a mile or break the sound barrier.  Overall, I have learned a lot of lifelong skills that I will use in the future and the academy has helped create memories that will last a lifetime. 

Lorena Carrillo 

UHS CTE April Student of the Month

Senior

Academy of Culinary Arts

      Culinary arts is the art of preparing and cooking foods. Culinary artists are responsible for skilfully preparing meals that are as pleasing to the palate as to the eye of the customer. At school the culinary arts academy  helped me to improve my skills as a cook and also it helps me to be more mature.
     To begin, culinary helped me to improve my cooking skills in many ways. For example, how to do the appropriate knife cuts for ingredients like onions, carriots, celery, and garlic. On the other hand, I have learned how to cook safely, prevent cross contamination, maintain food away from the danger zone, and that the food needs to look good to the eye of the customer. This also includes skills about cooking traditional recipes and learning more about the different cultures in the world. A background in culture and various foodways is a good skill in culinary arts because it opens many doors if you know about food that is consumed in other places, and more people would be interested in you and the food you cook.
    Also the culinary academy has made me more mature in the way we have to be aware what is going on around us and taste what we need to taste. Not many people like to eat everything, but when we have to do it we need to be mature and do it no matter if you like it or not. When you get into a culinary academy you have to be prepared physically and mentally to do what your boss ask you to do in the right way without any argument, and that is something that I learned from chef Osborne.
    To conclude, culinary is not just about the cooking,  it’s also about gaining skills in food preparation, tasting, food science, culinary math, and includes some creativity.  I have been learning a lot from the past two years with this program. To be a good cook you have to maintain an open mind about what would be the best for the customer and provide a good service. Also you have to be aware about how you prepare the food, and that way is going to be safely.

Ariel Alonso

UHS CTE March Student of the Month

Senior

GWAMA

I made the decision to take CTE classes because they would offer hands on learning and would give me a head start in the career I want to pursue.  These classes prepare me for college and teach me how to be a productive employee, with lifelong learning.  Here at GWAMA, there are days where we are in class learning, but majority of the time we are out in the shop or lab, working and learning, and that’s why I chose to be a part.  Everyone here enjoys what they do from welding, robotics and construction, we also learn how to work with different people and how to work together.  Taking these classes taught me so much about the working industry and how to succeed.

Ximena Reynoso

UHS CTE/JROTC February Student of the Month

Senior

JROTC

Find a Way

JROTC: A destination for students of all backgrounds. An unlikely home away from home that encourages one to embrace challenges and utilize them as a source of strength. In my four years as a part of this leadership program, it has become clear to me what JROTC truly is and what the program stands for.

As a freshman, I was timid and afraid of expressing myself and my ideas to others. Though my grades were high, I needed to be a part of something more; a part of something in which I could positively impact others. Perhaps it was “A Warrior's Heart” by Eric Greitens, a novel I read the summer after my eighth grade year, written to encourage young people to positively impact the world that motivated me to join JROTC. Perhaps it was the slogan “Step Up to the Challenge” that caught my eye in the JROTC hallway. It may have been the hyper, yet comfortable demeanor of the students in the classroom, or perhaps a combination of all of the above, but JROTC felt like a place I could see myself in for the next four years.

Once 1SG Montelongo welcomed me and explained the essence of JROTC, I knew I was where I was supposed to be. The hashtags #MAD and #CTW, which stand for “Make a Difference” and “Change the World,” made me realize that there was much more to JROTC than simply push-ups and a pair of intimidating instructors. “Find a Way” was their motto for everything and I learned there was no excuse to not fulfil a commitment. I found that the manner in which JROTC cadets positively impacted the community was through volunteer service. These service events ranged from spending our Thanksgiving serving dinner at Salvation Army, to hosting our annual service learning project, the Trojan Tykes Boot Camp. “To motivate young people to be better citizens,” this JROTC mission statement has been carried out over the span of seventeen years through hundreds of former cadets. I believe many of my peers and I are fulfilling the mission statement and will continue to do so after graduation.

The instructors I originally feared came to be my personal mentors. I learned from 1SG Montelongo and SFC Haner that growing thick skin was essential when facing personal challenges. Apart from our in-class leadership curriculum, I had the opportunity to experience leadership firsthand by holding the position of the S-3 Operations Officer my second year in the program. I tracked the involvement of cadets and learned the behind-the-scenes workings of JROTC as the S-3. By this time I had overcome my timidness and learned to speak up. This position also allowed me to learn how to properly manage my time and stay organized.

Although JROTC helped me grow into a leader, I decided to take on a part-time job in order to help with costs at home the second semester of my junior year. However, balancing my academics, work, and personal life became increasingly more difficult and my mother and I decided I should focus on school and preparing myself for college. By the end of my junior year I decided to take on the senior cadet position of Battalion Commander in JROTC. I attended the leadership camp JCLC this past summer, which helped shape me into an effective leader. Although I had doubt I would lead our battalion well, my instructors had faith in me and I grew confidence.

A semester later, I can proudly say that my staff and I work diligently to serve our battalion. Thanks to the structure JROTC has given me, my grades have improved and I have even advanced in multiple scholarships. For example, I won a Hispanic Heritage Foundation Youth Award in community service and I am also a Dell Scholar Semifinalist. Had I never joined JROTC, I don’t think I would be as college ready or oriented. I can proudly say that I will be attending Texas A & M to major in International Studies almost completely debt-free. My goal is to attend law school and become an immigration attorney in order to be a voice for those who are often marginalized and quieted. I hope to continue growing as a person and leader post high school. I am grateful for the growth, the skills, the lessons, and the memories JROTC has given me.

Tye Burks

UHS CTE February Student of the Month

Senior

Academy of Education and Training

My name is Tye Burks and I’m a senior at University High School.  My parents have always been very hands on when it comes to my education.  They enrolled me at Rapoport Charter School when I started PreK. Around my freshman year at Rapoport I asked my mom if I could look at some other opportunities for sports and academics.  After touring a few schools, I made my choice. University High School was the perfect fit for me. I would be able to play basketball and enroll in the Academy of Education and Training where I could work towards my dream of becoming a teacher.

I started my sophomore year at University High were I was apart of the Academy of Education. This is the year I met Mrs. Baier the teacher who really made the classes fun and interesting. Mrs. Baier allowed me to sit in on the advanced classes I would take my junior year so I could see what was to come. My junior year I was blessed enough to get Mrs. Baier as my Instructional Practices’ teacher. This class was more hands on and I actually got to put myself in a teacher position. I was able to really see if this was what I wanted to do, and I didn’t take much time for me to realize that teaching is definitely what I want to do. Not only did junior year give me opportunities to help in the classrooms but it also gave me the opportunity to speak out about what the academy had to offer. I was picked to be the Junior Ambassador for the Academy of Education, and this meant that I got to go out and brag about all the good things about our academy. Becoming an ambassador was the highlight of my junior year and I’m happy that I’m now the senior ambassador for the academy. I find it very exciting to stand in front of middle schoolers and speak about the academy that I love.

I was very fortunate to come to University and participate in an academy that has so much to offer. I’ve never been in so many classes where its hands-on and you’re constantly taking your ideas and implementing them. The academy of education has helped and prepared me for the plans I have in the future. Thank you.  

Juan Cruz

UHS CTE January Student of the Month

Senior

Academy of Law and Criminal Justice

Growing up I have always had one goal and that is to make my mother proud. My mother comes from a small town in Mexico. When she was young she came to the United States without any financial or family support. Her goal at the time was to create a better life for herself and to provide a safe place to raise her children.  She set out to become the best version of herself. Today, she is currently working at Providence Hospital where she was recently promoted to Patient Care Tech. The steps she took to better herself have helped me in a way I never imagined.  She is the reason that I push myself every day to become the best version of myself.  However, I have found it difficult sometimes due to my anxiety. At times I have struggled at school with worrying about tests and my grades because I would feel as if I was not good enough or I did not think I would make it in my future career of law enforcement.  Thanks to my teachers in the Academy of Law and Criminal Justice at UHS, they were able to provide me with the necessary tools to help me overcome my anxiety while moving me forward and setting me up for a brighter future. In addition, the Academy of Law and Criminal Justice at UHS has helped me with realizing another goal of mine which is to work for the F.B.I.  I would have never discovered this if it were not for all of the classes in my Academy where I learned and received my education in criminal justice -- from law enforcement, to corrections, to courts and to forensic science.  If it was not for the Academy of Law and Criminal Justice I would not have gained the necessary confidence or experience to carry with me in my next journey in life.  I hope that one day I will be a role model or a representation of what it means to follow your dreams despite your circumstances.  The Academy of Law and Criminal Justice has provided me with opportunities to explore my future career and it has set my future in place.  Based on my four years of receiving education at UHS in law enforcement, courts, corrections, and forensic science, I firmly believe that the Academy of Law and Criminal Justice is the number one Academy at UHS.

Paula Ortiz

UHS CTE December Student of the Month

Senior

Ron E. Smith Academy of Business and Finance

            The Ron E. Smith Academy of Business and Finance has been an amazing experience to be a part of. I have been part of the Business Academy since my freshman year. It became intriguing once I found out about its offers such as the income tax program and the credit union bank. It is rare to find out about a high school program that offer incredible opportunities. Luckily, I have been involved in the Income Tax Program and its club FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America).

            Upon entering the business academy, I learned about the factors that make up a business. The factors can range to how money is used to the decisions that a company can make. It is quite surreal to find out how the smallest thing can make such a great difference. As each year progressed, we began to focus on specific factors of a business such as financial and managerial accounting. The learning process of the business academy allows students to have a background understanding of how a company operates. With this background information, students can use it for their own business. Besides the different classes, the business academy offers an Income Tax Program and the FBLA club.

            During my freshman year, I finished the Income Tax program with more than one hundred hours. It was difficult to adjust, but with continuous practice it became easier. Although the program challenged me in multiple ways, I learned valuable lessons. For example, I now understand the concept of income taxes and how to file them properly. My interpersonal skills such as communication have improved. As an interviewer, I had to make sure there was effective communication between each client. Organization became very important because it contributed to a smooth process. The Income Tax program allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and accept any challenge that comes my way. Besides the Income Tax program, I have also been involved in the FBLA club. This year I was elected as the president of the club. FBLA is a program that helps prepare students for different careers through competition and community service. As president I am in charge of the meetings, ensuring  the committees (fundraising, competition, and community service) are running smoothly, and representing the club in any networking events. Having a leadership position has its difficulties, but the outcome is rewarding. It is rewarding to observe students coming together to work on expanding and improving the academy as a whole. In the past few months, I have learned the importance of leadership, responsibility, and organization. These skills will continue to assist me through college and my career.

            Before entering high school, I would have never considered majoring in business. Throughout the past four years, I have realized that I want do something in the business field. Besides business, I also have a passion in health science; therefore I either want to major in healthcare administration, or major in nursing then go into the business field.

            For the past four years, I have attained skills and experiences that have shaped me into the person I am. With the guidance of incredible teachers, the Income Tax program, and FBLA my experience in the Business Academy has been memorable. 

David Mason                      

UHS CTE November Student of the Month

Senior

Academy of Arts, AV and Communication

My name is David Mason. I am currently going to University High School as a junior. I’ve been nominated by Mr. Thomas to be the Arts, A/V Technology and Communications student of the month for November.

I am a student in Animation I and Mr. Thomas is my teacher. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Mr. Thomas for showing faith, belief and trust in me; allowing me to express my passion for art and helping me make my thoughts come to life. Taking animation as a class helps me try new things that I’ve never thought of trying before. I appreciate that Mr. Thomas requires deadlines in his class. I believe deadlines can prepare me for my future career because professional artists and designers have deadlines and need to get their work completed on a certain schedule.

My passion for art and animation started about 9-10 years ago. I began creating small books by stapling many sheets of paper together. I would draw pictures in on each of the pages in my book. I only used stick-figures when I began. Somewhere down the road, I felt that I needed to improve my process. I began to design characters and develop plots for my stories. I would write the stories on the computer and use a software product that my dad purchased to animate the characters.

I found so much inspiration from animated movies and videos that I watched on the internet. In my Animation class, I have begun to study different techniques of animation and art to help me create my stories. I hope that my stories can inspire others that are interested in learning animation in the future.

Nikolas Childress                       

UHS CTE October Student of the Month

Senior

Academy of Health Science (GWAHCA)

I have always wanted to be in the medical field. I have been a GWAHCA student for two years now and I am very grateful that Waco ISD started this program. This program is phenomenal and straight forward.

 GWAHCA has given me the ability to be a part of the medical field at a young age. When I first started I was kind of skeptical on what I wanted to do. When we started the CNA, I fell in love. When we started going to clinicals was the part I loved the most. I am a hands on learner so when we got on the floor at the nursing homes I really learned a lot. We were very proactive and used our critical thinking skills, which helped me learn how to be a caring professional.

 The teachers at GWAHCA are always there to help students achieve more and become better students everyday. The teachers know their students. They know how every single one of their students learn, interact, and communicate with people. They also know how to break their students out of their comfort zones in a good way, making their students feel important and ensure they have a voice.

 During the summer Waco ISD did offer an  internship program, which I was accepted to participate in. When I started going to the nursing home I felt like I was a part of something. I applied the skills I learned my first year at GWAHCA.This opportunity allowed me to take a step in to my future and in order to get a feel of the work field. I learned to work more efficiently as a team member and the confidence to work independently.

 Now as a second year student at GWAHCA. I am a certified nurse's assistant. We now go to the hospitals (Hillcrest/Providence), and get to experience the role of a CNA at the hospital level. This role  is very different from the nursing home level. Going to the hospitals has given my classmates a portal to securing a job at the hospital. The nurses have said that at the end of the year, they choose students that they think are best to work in the hospital setting,and they offer jobs and this is a very big opportunity because it's very hard to get a job as a CNA in a hospital because we're mostly needed at nursing homes.Getting this opportunity is a great advance in our healthcare careers. This experience is helping us start our future in the medical field towards any pathway we choose to go. Having jobs straight out of high school will help us provide for ourselves and prepare us for adulthood.

 This program is awesome and I am proud of how it has shaped me and my classmates to further in our medical careers.

UHS CTE September Student of the Month 

Uriel Mendoza

Senior

Academy of Automotive Technology

My name is Uriel Mendoza, I’m a Senior at University High and I have been chosen to be the Academy of Automotive Technology student of the month. This is a distinct honor to be chosen by my Automotive Teacher, Mr. Engelbrecht. I would like to take a brief moment to thank him for considering me for this award.

Mr. Engelbrecht teaches advanced automotive technology. His class, Automotive II: Automotive Service is in the Automotive Academy. I believe that Mr. Engelbrecht should be the one receiving an award. His knowledge combined with his experience in this program is like no other. This is a hands-on academy; we work on cars not out of textbooks or computers. In this class we get to work on own cars as well as teachers, administrator and staff cars. This allows us to experience real world automotive issues not just constant oil changes.

I became interested in the automotive program because I love cars and I wanted to know more about them. When I first entered the program the only thing I knew about a car was that it had wheels and a gas tank. I also knew that it went fast when you put the pedal to the metal. After moving through the program I realized that it’s no secret that paying to maintain your vehicle can get very costly—knowing how to do it yourself is very beneficial to your wallet and who wouldn’t mind a little extra cash floating around.

You may think it’s odd that I don’t really care about attending prom or partying till the sun comes up. I see those things as a barrier to my success and my future. My ultimate goal is to be a successful entrepreneur and I believe the plans for my business should come first. I am planning to graduate early from UHS. I will be finished by December.

I guarantee you “ten out of ten scientists will agree” that we aren’t getting younger. In all honesty later in life it won’t even matter who you took to the prom, or what parties you went too but you’ll remember the teacher that encouraged you and challenged you to be better. In conclusion, I would like to thank Mr. Engelbrecht for this honor as I will represent our academy with pride. Thank you.