Sponstar
The purpose of this award is to recognize the teachers/sponsors that make a difference to teens through their work with the Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS) program.
2008-2009 Winners
Juan Gonzalez – Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Art (VMT), Laredo, TX
Juan Gonzalez is one of the co-sponsors of the Teens in the Driver Seat chapter at the Treviño Magnet School in Laredo, Texas. He has also been a presenter and educational consultant since 1994. His expertise is in the use of technology in the mathematics classroom. Gonzalez is a certified T’ National instructor with Texas Instruments and has been a presenter in many cities across the country including Brownsville, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, El Paso, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Reno, Seattle, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New York, Atlanta, Miami, and Honolulu.
Gonzalez has conducted mathematics workshops in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, Chile, and Denmark. He is also a certified Advanced Open Water Scuba Diver, Certified Martial Arts Instructor (2nd Degree Black Belt – Tae Kwon Do) and Consultant for Region I ESC and Key Curriculum Press.
Gonzalez said he enjoys promoting Teens in the Driver Seat by hosting many events and interacting with the students. Events he has planned for TDS include the Vidal M. Treviño 5K Run and community outreach.
“Mr. Gonzalez has been very instrumental in guiding the students to develop monthly ideas that keep the Laredo ISD Teens in the Driver Seat (TDS) program in the public eye. He accompanied the students to the first every TDS Summit in October 2008. On the drive back from the summit to Laredo, TX he suggested the students hold a high profile event that would not only highlight the TDS message, but also bring the community together for the same cause. From that idea, the teens from Laredo ISD, who attend VMT, developed a 5K Run that was held March 1st, 2009 which had more than 500 participants.”
“Mr. Gonzalez, a dedicated runner himself, came up with the 5K Run idea to promote safe driving through a healthy lifestyle. He created the 5K route to symbolize students running into a college campus in order to live through safe driving and achieve a higher education.”
Words to describe Juan Gonzalez – dedicated, enthusiastic, responsible, organized and safe
Shana Lyles – Gatesville High School, Gatesville, TX
Shana Lyles is a 6th year teacher at Gatesville High School (GHS) in Gatesville, Texas. She teaches personal financial literacy, cultural anthropology, accounting I & II, psychology, and sociology. She is also the student council sponsor.
Lyles stays busy with her three daughters, ages 17, 15, and 9. Her husband teaches math at GHS, so working with high school students is a family affair. They enjoy staying busy with the student council members and TDS projects throughout the year and attending all sorts of GHS events.
“I can’t even express how much she deserves this. This woman is seriously incredible. She is the best multi-tasker for sure. She is always in a great mood and pushes students to do their best. She inspires many and is fun to work with. She not only is a teacher for us, but also very much like a parent. We can go to her for anything. She has made a HUGE impact on our school and on our student council class. She is always prepared and is an overall great role model.”
“She made a difference in my life by helping me get through a lot of family trouble. She is like another mother for me, so I always go to her for advice (boys, school, etc).”
Words to describe Shana Lyles – creative, supportive, helpful, caring and lively
Suzanne Reese – Creekview High School, Carrollton, TX
Suzanne Reese is in her 36th year of teaching. She has been the student council advisor and a social studies teacher at Creekview High School since it opened eleven years ago. Her bachelor’s degree is from the University of Texas and she has a master’s from UTSA. She has two children, 23-year-old Amy and 21-year-old Alex.
Reese’s students lovingly call her “Mama Reese” and she said that she loves their nickname for her. She said that she feels strongly that leadership skills and service learning need to be a part of the educational system. Reese’s students give countless hours of their time doing service-learning projects from ice cream socials at a local retirement home to helping in the Special Olympics.
For the last two years, Creekview High School has been actively involved with the Teens in the Driver Seat program. Reese said her students put 100 percent effort into spreading the word of driving safety.
“There are too many of us who have been affected by car accidents,” Reese said. “There are too many loved ones and students who have had their lives cut short needlessly. At Creekview we have made a personal commitment to do whatever we can to get the word out and to increase safe driving awareness.”
“This person isn’t just a person. This person is Mama Reese. She deserves this award because she’s the most kind-hearted and inspirational person you’ll ever meet. Anytime you have a bad day she’s always there to lift you up, even if she is feeling just as bad as you. Every kid that knows her on a personal level becomes one of her children.”
“Ms. Reese is an inspiring individual who is passionate about preventing teen deaths caused by careless driving. She has had several students die in car wrecks, so this is something true and dear to her heart. She inspires all of us to participate and constantly comes up with innovative ideas for us spread the message (such as life-sized distractions). She truly is deserving of this award.”
Words to describe Suzanne Reese – dedicated, respectful, responsible, loving and motivated
Carolyn Schlueter – Azle High School, Azle, TX
Carolyn Schlueter has taught family and consumer sciences at the high school level for ten years. She is also the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) sponsor. She said she loves teaching and working with her students.
“The greatest joy is watching them grow and realizing that I make a difference.”
Schlueter said this year’s Teens in the Driver Seat program allowed her to reach out and make a difference to many teen lives. As the mother of three boys with the youngest about to start driving, she knows the fear every parent goes through when their child starts driving. She said, “I think every parent’s fear is of their child being injured behind the wheel.”
“I feel Ms. Schlueter should receive this award because she is an amazing person with a wonderful heart. She has shown us how to communicate with each other, she is really sweet, outgoing and understands students very well. She treats us like family and any problems you might have (I mean ANY) she is there to listen and help.”
“We go to a driver’s ed class each month and teach them the risks of driving. She has helped us prepare for this, and thanks to her we have reached so many kids and made them think twice before they make their next move. Furthermore, she is trying really hard to do a mock accident.”
Words to describe Carolyn Schlueter – sweet, understanding, outgoing, trustworthy and fun
Jamin Teran – Vidal M. Treviño School of Communication and Fine Arts (VMT), Laredo, TX
Born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and raised in Laredo, Texas, Jamin Teran has always been involved in community projects and church related activities. With a bachelor’s degree in mass communications-electronic media and Spanish, Teran has been able to integrate both fields to produce a more dynamic curriculum in anything that she teaches.
Her dedication to improving the lives of her students has made her involved in several local projects which have lead her to become a board member of the Mexican National Team for Adolescents where they make teenagers aware of the dangers in today’s society and how can they reconstruct their lives.
She has been involved in Teens in the Driver Seat since last year and has been a pioneer in the district in teen safety and has been working toward integrating students from three high schools. Teran said she wants to promote Teens In the Driver Seat in other districts in Laredo and in private schools.
“Ms. Teran deserves this award because she is always pushing us to do more and to be better with the program.”
“Ms. Teran should receive it because she always helps us out in anything we need in the program.”
Words to describe Jamin Teran – genuine, motivator, friendly, sincere and nice
Susan Wiggs – Irvin High School, El Paso, TX
As the student activities manager at Irvin High School in El Paso, Texas, Susan Wiggs also serves as the student council sponsor. Irvin High School’s council implemented the TDS program in late 2005 through their Drug, Alcohol, Safety and Health Committee. She said her students are passionate about TDS and it has become a school wide part of the IHS campus.
Wiggs has been a student activities manager for seven years at IHS. Previously she taught Texas history, science, and American history at the middle school level.
“I LOVE my job as an S.A.M. at Irvin,” Wiggs said. “Who wouldn’t want to work with the best of the best?”
In her free time Wiggs volunteers for the Northeast Soccer League and the EPISD Fund Board of Directors. She is also a member of Eta Kappa – a teacher organization. She plays the cello and is the director of her church choir. She loves to watch UTEP football and basketball with her husband, Russell. They have been married for 29 years and have two sons, Dustin and Dylan.
“TDS proves that it saves lives,” Wiggs said. “It is a permanent program on our campus and in our hearts.”
“Mrs. Wiggs does everything she can for the good of her students and this program, and she goes above and beyond what any ordinary person would do. She goes out of her way from simple generosity without expecting anything back. I want her to be a Sponstar so she sees that her efforts don’t go unnoticed. I, as well as our TDS team, want her to know how much we appreciate everything she does for not only her students but our campus. The project, that without her help would not be possible, potentially helps save lives. She has great ideas and follows through with every single one. She makes them happen!”
“We had a close friend of ours pass away in a car accident from racing and driving recklessly and my sponsor was of great support and helped our TDS team to cope with the situation and grow from this. She taught us that we must push the program to prevent anything else like this from ever happening on our campus again.”
Words to describe Susan Wiggs – motivated, inspiring, hardworking and organized
Mary Willard – Channelview High School, Channelview, TX
Mary Willard began her career as a bus driver 16 years ago, and moved into the classroom as a computer lab aide three years later. After two years of doing everything teachers do on an aide’s salary she knew she needed to go back to school and get her degree. When she began working on her degree, Willard says she had two goals; first to graduate before she turned 50, and second to graduate before any of her children. She missed the first goal by three months, but did graduate one week before her youngest child.
Willard said she enjoys working with young adults and never misses an opportunity to share her life experiences.
“I believe every one of my students has the ability to attend a post secondary school, be it college or trade school,” Willard said. “And I never fail to tell them I believe in them.”
Willard said TDS is just one way she can encourage her students to make a difference. She finds it very rewarding to see the ideas come to life through her students, and the realization that they can and do make a difference in their peers’ lives.
“Mrs. Willard should receive this award because of the hard work she puts forth towards this program. She is always sparking up new ideas we can use to promote this program and puts her whole heart into it. This program has had a huge impact on my life because of her.”
“Every single time Mrs. Willard talks about the program I can see how much it means to her to change teenagers life and habits. It means so much to me too see someone can care so much about a school with thousands of students, many of whom she doesn’t even know.”
Words to describe Mary Willard – spunky, fun, willing, determined and loving