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Bobby Perez Returns to Visit Jefferson Mustangs
Bobby Perez, an Inspire Awards honoree went back to Jefferson High School to visit his alma mater in December 2024. He was given a tour by two dynamic seniors in the Diplomas Program. As a former football player at Jefferson, the new gym and upgraded equipment were excting to see and brought back great memories. He was even able to reconnect with a former teammate from his time at Whitter, who is now a coach at Jefferson. His next stop was speaking with juniors and seniors in the International Baccalaureate (IB )program. Perez shared the unique career pathway that brought him from City Council to general counsel at the Spurs. In the Q&A session at the end of his visit, Perez rewarded the most engaged students with a Spurs shirt!
Xavier Rodriguez Visits High School Alma Mater
Please Rise!
The Honorable U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez, a 2024 Inspire Award recipient, toured his alma mater, Burbank High School. Judge Rodriguez was given a tour of the new campus which included a visit to the college hub and band hall, two places that were significant to him as a Burbank student.
Touring the college hub reminded Rodriguez of “Project Stay” and how it helped him to apply and get accepted to 20 universities during his senior year in 1979. As a former drum major and bass clarinet player, Judge Rodriguez shared some fond memories and words of encouragement with current varsity players during their rehearsal.
The tour was complete, and Judge Rodriguez gathered with seniors from the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. He shared not only his successes and how he became a federal judge but also some of his failures and how those experiences shaped his future. After a brief Q&A session, Judge Rodriguez was off to another speaking engagement. Before departing, he stopped for a photo with Luther the Bulldog and commented that he was really glad he was able to make the visit, “it was good to be home” he said.
Thank you Judge Rodriguez for giving back to current students through the Inspire Award presentation.
Pablo Rodriguez Visits Home Campuses
From the West Side to Wallstreet!
On October 23, 2024, the SAISD Foundation hosted the 2024 Inspire Awards honoring Chase Chief Communications Officer, Pablo Rodriguez. The day before the event, Rodriguez returned to the Westside of San Antonio, where he grew up to visit his elementary, middle school, and high school campuses to engage personally with students. To inspire another generation of learners, Chase honored Rodriguez by donating 30 laptops and $5,000 worth of books to the SAISD Foundation for our schools. At De Zavala, Rodriguez and Chase volunteers joined the SAISD Foundation’s Book Buddies Bus where he read with students and handed out books for each student to take home.
Following his visit to De Zavala, Rodriguez traveled to his middle school to unveil the SAISD Foundation’s STEM Bus, the first mobile STEM classroom for students in the district. At Tafolla, Rodriguez talked with students via a Q&A session and introduced students to VR demonstrations using the robust Transfr software to explore 40+ careers in a realistic way.
Rodriguez’s final stop for the day was back at his alma mater, Lanier High School, where he met with current students to share his journey from Lanier to Texas A&M and then launched his career in communications.
Reflecting on the time spent in his childhood schools, Rodriguez stated, “We all have people and communities that have invested in us to make us who we are today. “I’m humbled to return to the San Antonio community that invested in me and gave me the path to become what I am today.” The day wouldn’t have been possible without the help of San Antonio-based, Chase employee volunteers “Together, we are creating opportunities that will empower the next generation of talented San Antonio leaders,” said Rodriguez.
Click here to see coverage at De Zavala and read the Express-News article covering Tafolla Middle School.