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.

Marina Alcantar, Mission Early College High School, El Paso, Texas

Ms. Alcantar has been the teacher/sponsor for the TDS program at Mission Early College High School since 2008. The TDS program is school wide, and the TDS team meets once a month. She has helped her students with 5 TDS activities this year. Five words to describe Ms. Alcantar are dedicated, clever, caring, hard-working and inspiring.

“Ms. Alcantar should receive this award because she is a dedicated leader of the TDS program at Mission and gladly informs and educates us as well as actively participates in driver safety with us.”

“Without Ms. Alcantar Mission Early College High School would be bland. The personality she commits to our campus is truly unmatchable and she is well deserving of this prestigious award.”

Lisa Gibbs, Bronte High School, Bronte, Texas

Mrs. Gibbs has been the teacher/sponsor for Bronte High School’s TDS program for three years. There are 20 students on the TDS team at BHS, and they meet at least once a month. Mrs. Gibbs has been a part of approximately 10 TDS activities this year. Five words to describe Mrs. Gibbs are hard-working, dependable, awesome, a good leader and organized.

“Mrs. Gibbs deserves this award because she works hard with us organizing events for TDS and she really cares about the kids. She always reminds us not to text and drive. She always makes the projects fun and exciting so all of us want to be a part of the TDS program. She takes her own time out of school (like on weekends) to help film videos for TDS contests or whatever else is needed.”

“I am nominating Mrs. Gibbs on behalf of all the TDS/Student Council organization. This is a way our TDS team can thank Mrs. Gibbs for all the hard work she has done. She is awesome and we appreciate all of her support.”

Kimberly Hazelton, Bristol Eastern High School, Bristol, Connecticut

Ms. Hazelton has been a TDS sponsor for Bristol Eastern High School since September 2008. There are about 16 students on the TDS team, and the team meets every week. The Bristol Eastern High School team is very unique in the fact that it meets once a month with its rival, Bristol Central High School. Part of this is due to the fact that Ms. Hazelton has been so supportive to both schools. Five words to describe Ms. Hazelton are motivated, generous, considerate, accepting and zany.

“From the beginning Ms. Hazelton has been there for whatever our group needs. Whether it is lunch after a press conference or a house to go to when we need to plan an event. She has devoted so much of her time to the success of this group because she understands the importance of the cause we’re all fighting for. Not only has she lent us her house, but she is always there to lend an ear. She is always open to new ideas the group comes up with and she herself comes up with some great ideas of events for us to possibly do. Her constant encouragement has helped us bond and grow as a group. With her arm-twisting abilities she has been able to make our programs really successful and she has gotten our principals to go along with some crazy ideas and we are so grateful. Ms. Hazelton loves this group. It shows completely whenever any of its members walk into her room. She has given so much to us and it seems just that she get something back.”

“Ms. Hazelton has impacted all of our lives with her dedication and her generosity. She has kept us all dedicated as well and she makes us enjoy being a part of this group. She has been the mother of all of us for the past 2 years and we can’t thank her enough.”

Nicole Jowers, Sweeny High School, Sweeny, Texas

Ms. Jowers has been involved in Sweeny High School’s TDS program for three years. They have 15-20 students on the team and they have three to four events a year. Five words to describe Ms. Jowers are loving, caring, compassionate, firm and helpful.

“Nicole’s determination and love for students truly make a difference in our school. She gives outstanding support to all students. Her ability to communicate on all levels is also an asset.”

“Ms. Jowers has devoted herself to the children of this school. She has dedicated many hours to the well-being and advancement to children that have needed assistance in medical, social, and financial assistance. No one else in this area has taken the initiative and spent the time needed to help with the special needs required for these teens. I have witnessed several students that have completely turned around from struggling grades or personal issues that Ms. Jowers intervention corrected. She continues to be very devoted.”

Deborah Marsh, La Vernia High School, La Vernia, Texas

Mrs. Marsh has been assisting with La Vernia High School’s TDS program for two years. The TDS team has about 20 students who are involved on a regular basis, but the whole school participates when they have “dress up days” during their TDS week. The TDS team at La Vernia meets several times before their actual campaigning begins. Five words to describe Mrs. Marsh are nice, smart, caring, trustworthy and responsible.

“We’ve lost three teens in the past couple years due to car wrecks. After these wrecks, we started doing TDS awareness week. Mrs. Marsh wants every student to be knowledgeable about the distractions while driving and how easy it is to not pay attention for second and then lose your life. She makes a difference because she’s saving lives. She’s trying to stop more accidents from happening. She’s letting the whole community know how much of a big deal this is.”

“Mrs. Marsh is so much more than a teacher, always going beyond what is asked of her. She is so busy with all of her GT/ AP/ newspaper/classroom/TDS, but she is always there for me. Mrs. Marsh was my teacher 3 years ago, but I still go to her when I need something. She even acts as a counselor – advising on college and helping with resumes. Even when I haven’t gone to her for anything, she will randomly come find me and check up on me and what I’ve been doing. The relationship she built with me 3 years ago still stands firm, and she is focused on making sure I have all my college recommendation letters and deadlines in order. Her goal is to prepare all of us for life, and she makes me feel like I am one of the most important people she has ever met.”

Diana Nuñez, City of El Paso, El Paso, Texas

Ms. Nuñez has been a strong supporter of the Teens in the Driver Seat program for the past 3 years. Diana has worked closely with Mayor John Cook to establish the TDS program as a mandatory project for the “Mayor’s 100 Teens.”  She has met with regional representatives several times this past year to give advice and guidance for the recent TDS summit held in El Paso. Diana serves as the mayor’s executive assistant and his endorsement of the program would not have been possible had it not been of her initial support of TDS. Five words to describe Diana are reliable, dependable, motivated, inspired and a role-model.

“Diana was instrumental in assisting with the summit – not only with the facility reservation, but also in acquiring all the extra services and equipment (e.g. audio/visual aid, janitorial services, security, etc.) free of charge. Diana continually encourages the teens to be more involved in the TDS program, making it a mandatory part of the Mayor’s 100 Teens program.”

“Diana has always been a big help with our TDS program. She has an extremely busy schedule as the Mayor’s executive assistant – all while getting her MBA. Not only was she a student while working full-time, but she was in the accelerated MBA program, where classes are only 6 weeks long. This type of dedication and tenacity is what makes Diana stand out as a role model.”

Estela Quintanilla, Laredo ISD, Laredo, Texas

Mrs. Quintanilla has been assisting and leading the Teens in the Driver Seat program at Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts since 2007. Eleven students from four different Laredo Independent School District (LISD) schools are part of the TDS team, and they meet once a month. Five words to describe Mrs. Quintanilla are knowledgeable, determined, dedicated, caring and enthusiastic.

“Mrs. Quintanilla has made a difference in our TDS team’s life by spearheading and implementing the TDS program at our school district and school. She is always here for us when we need her no matter how early or late it may be. She has shown to be dedicated and committed to this program 100%. A time that made us realize how dedicated she was to our program was the time she stayed up all night (from 10 pm to 7 am) at our Peter Pipers Lock In. She was monitoring the students in any way possible and as always, ensuring that the event would be a success. There is never an obstacle for Mrs. Quintanilla to promote safety and work for the betterment of the students.”

“Mrs. Quintanilla is a hard-working individual who deserves to be recognized each and every time. Because of her leadership, we have become the successful and award-winning program we are now.”

Suzanne Reese, Creekview High School, Carrollton, Texas

Mrs. Reese has been involved with the TDS program at Creekview High School for three years. There are 31 students on the TDS team, and the students are divided into five teams – one for each of the major crash dangers for teens. Each team is responsible for preparing large boards, handouts, PSAs, and parking lot campaigns. Five words to describe Mrs. Reese are dedicated, loving, creative, understanding and selfless.

“Ms. Reese is obviously passionate about this cause or it would not be one of the main focuses of our Leadership Class. She has told us often that she has personally lost way too many students over her twenty-nine years of teaching to driving accidents. She tells us that if we save one life then we have made a difference in our world and our program has been a success. We gave her an engraved picture frame for her birthday that read, “Your enthusiasm and commitment is an example to us all.” That pretty much sums it up. She encourages us to constantly give back to our community through service. She is probably the most dedicated teacher in this school.”

“Everyone loves ‘Mama Reese’. She IS Creekview High School. She is the Student Council Sponsor, the Varsity Cheer Coach, the Leadership teacher, and she helps with Senior Class. We don’t know how she does everything she does…but she always has a smile on her face when she does it!”

Brad Schaffrick, Bristol Eastern High School, Bristol, Connecticut

Officer Schaffrick has been assisting with Bristol Eastern High School’s TDS program for two years. There are about 16 students on the TDS team, and the team meets every week. The Bristol Eastern High School team is very unique in the fact that it meets once a month with its rival, Bristol Central High School. Part of this is due to the fact that Officer Schaffrick has been so involved with both schools. Five words to describe Officer Schaffrick are dedicated, hard-working, motivated, connected and helpful.

“As a police officer in TDS, Officer Schaffrick has the most influence on the group. He reminds us of the risks of getting caught driving after curfew, on our cell phones, or with people in our cars. He is also a constant reminder that the risks of driving a real, and that the 6,000 people who die each year isn’t just a number. They’re real people. Officer Schaffrick has shown us pictures of crashes and told us stories of crashes he investigated, that remind us how important it is to spread the word and influence people to drive safely.”

“Officer Schaffrick should receive this award because he helps our group with anything we need and motivates us to get things done.”

Dorothy White, City of Garland/Garland Youth Council, Garland, Texas

Ms. White has been involved with the Garland area Teens in the Driver Seat program for four years. The Garland Youth Council has 20 members who are involved in TDS, and there are also additional students who are part of the Garland Independent School District (GISD) campus TDS teams. All seven Garland area high schools are involved in Teens in the Driver Seat, due mostly to the fact that Dorothy has such a passion for the teens and the program. Five words to describe Dorothy are dedicated, compassionate, diligent, courteous and self-motivated.

“As a nervous high school student, I attended my first Garland Youth Council meeting, unsure of what to expect. I had read the agenda beforehand, and recognized that TDS was a topic to be discussed. I was somewhat aware of the TDS program in advance, as I had seen signs at school, but I was awfully oblivious to the personal and life-changing message of the organization. Ms. Dorothy ensured that during my first meeting, I did not feel excluded from the rest of the group: her constant initiatives to include me in the discussion made me feel at home with the Garland Youth Council and connected to the TDS message. To this day, Ms. Dorothy makes it a point to remind all the members of the Garland Youth Council, through text messages, emails, or verbal announcements at meetings, to drive safely and avoid the factors of unsafe driving. Hearing it from a person that commands respect and has earned my admiration like Ms. Dorothy has truly encourages me to amend my own unsafe driving habits and assist those in my community.”

“Ms. Dorothy spent hours and hours planning every aspect of this year’s TDS Expo at Firewheel Town Center. She meticulously analyzed all aspects that needed to be taken into consideration for the event to be a success and took time out of her own busy schedule to ensure that every feature of the event was perfected. Her diligence on this project, which has been held three times annually now, has a tendency to encourage those around her into striving for their best as well.”