The 5th Annual Dorm Room Giveaway was a huge success thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, donors, and dedicated volunteers. This year, 139 SAISD graduates received college essentials to help them make a confident start in their next chapter.

The event was powered by a team of 41 volunteers, including members of our postsecondary team, community and corporate partners, and Foundation staff—all working together to welcome students and families and help them make selections of essential dorm items like bedding, towels and laundry detergent.

A special thank you to our presenting sponsors, Whataburger and Amazon. We’re also deeply grateful to Compudopt, which provided 80 refurbished laptops to SAISD graduates this year. Additional thanks to Brooks Gives Back for supporting all of our recent Highlands grads who attended the event and to Goodwill San Antonio and RBFCU for their contributions. A heartfelt thank you to the 50+ donors and Amazon wishlist shoppers who generously stepped up with personalized support.

One of the students we served, Zebediah Gonzales, a proud Highlands High School alumnus, is preparing to attend Oklahoma State University this fall, a big jump after he finished his education in SAISD. With his sister by his side, he was able to collect items to help him get started at OSU on the right foot. He shared, “Thank you. I just appreciate everything because without y'all, this wouldn't be possible." He mentioned that picking up these essentials at the event allowed him to put more money toward his tuition. He also shared that losing both of his parents made going to college seem out of reach for him. 

Now that he's collecting items for his Oklahoma State University dorm, “it feels more real.“

Cassandra Hernandez is headed to UTSA after graduating from YWLA this spring. When asked about how the dorm room supplies will help her get settled in, she shared, “It will definitely help me and my parents financially…” She plans to study actuarial science as a Roadrunner and we could not be more excited for her. She continued, “I'd like to say thank you. It's very beneficial to students out there who aren't able to afford items like this.”

Thanks to our community, students like Zebediah and Cassandra are heading to college with more than just towels, bedding, and laundry supplies—they’re carrying a little less worry and a lot more confidence.

Amazon provided a variety of essentials, including much-needed laundry pods and a tote to take them home for every future college student. We are very grateful for our new partnership and the Amazon volunteers who supported with event setup and helped throughout the night.

View more photos from the event by clicking here.

Getting our students college-ready starts early! This summer, the SAISD Foundation supported SAISD high school students with gap funding to attend summer enrichment programs on college campuses. With funding from The Greehey Family Foundation, we have increased the number of SAISD students we are supporting to attend the one-week National Hispanic Institute (NHI) Great Debate at Our Lady of the Lake University. We have also finalized an MOU with UTSA for students in UTSA PREP (University of Texas at San Antonio Pre-Freshman Engineering Program) and widened our reach for that program as well. By covering tuition costs above the initial deposits, we are removing financial barriers and ensuring that talented students can access these life-changing experiences. 

The NHI Great Debate is renowned for its focus on leadership development, cultural awareness, and civic engagement. Rising high school sophomores engage in rigorous debate competitions, sharpen their analytical skills, and learn to articulate their ideas confidently. The program also fosters teamwork, networking, and a deeper understanding of community responsibility, empowering students to envision themselves as future leaders and changemakers.

The UTSA PREP program is nationally recognized for preparing middle and high school students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through a rigorous curriculum that includes advanced mathematics, engineering principles, computer science, and problem-solving activities, students gain a strong academic foundation and develop critical thinking skills essential for future success.

Students who participate in these programs start to create a college-going identity and often emerge better prepared for high school and college coursework. These investments in our students not only open doors to personal growth and academic enrichment but also strengthen our community by nurturing informed, confident leaders for our future workforce.

From the moment a LEGO robot sparked her curiosity at a San Antonio ISD demo, Luz Moreno-Martinez’s future began to take shape. Today, she leads staffing and capability efforts at Frito-Lay’s Rosenberg plant — but her path to leadership began much earlier, with support from the SAISD Foundation, from robotics to college tours.

Growing up in San Antonio ISD and attending Arnold Elementary, Whittier Middle School, and Travis Early College High School, Luz’s spark for STEM ignited early. She launched her school’s first-ever robotics team, secured district recognition, and even traveled to Nationals — all with the help of a few dedicated teachers and crucial Foundation grants. “Their answer was never ‘maybe,’” she says. “It was always, ‘How else can we help you?’”

That same support helped her explore colleges across the country, attend engineering camps, one of our sponsored out-of-state college tours, and eventually earn a full scholarship to Texas A&M College Station. As a first-generation college student, Luz navigated the unknown with resilience.

Now a leader at PepsiCo, Luz recruits, mentors, and returns to classrooms to inspire the next generation. Her story is proof of what happens when early opportunity meets unwavering support — and it’s just one of thousands made possible by SAISD Foundation donors.

Want to see how a single grant turned into a full-circle journey of leadership, mentorship, and impact? Read more by clicking here.

This is our third year kicking off our SAISD College Alumni Ambassador program. These Ambassadors help create a sense of community for incoming SAISD college freshmen by connecting with them on campus, planning meetups, and being a friendly face as they start their college journey. The program began at the University of Texas, Texas State University, the University of the Incarnate Word, and St. Mary’s University. Last year, we expanded to UTSA. We have exciting news to share - for the first time this fall, we are launching the Ambassador program at Texas A&M, San Antonio. TAMUSA is one of the top five universities where students from SAISD high schools enroll. 

At TAMUSA, the incoming student body will have two student alumni leaders, Jose Rodriguez and Daphne Reyes.

Daphne graduated from Brackenridge and is currently in her second year at TAMUSA, where she is majoring in biology. Daphne shared, “I’m interested in being an SAISD College Alumni Ambassador because as a first-generation Latina college student, I understand the challenges and doubts that can come with navigating higher education. I want to share my experiences and support students from similar backgrounds by helping them see that college is not only possible but worth it. Representing my community and giving back to the district that shaped me is deeply important to me.”

Jose, a graduate from Lanier, is in his third year at TAMUSA, majoring in business management. Jose is currently participating in the Texas Leadership Scholars, a state-wide leadership program aimed at guiding Texas high school graduates to develop their leadership skills and continue their education at a Texas university. His goal as an Ambassador at TAMUSA is to have an impact on students that are wanting to learn and grow. 

Jose and Daphne are excited to meet incoming Jaguars on campus who graduated from our SAISD high schools at their first engagement event, the university's annual Jaguar March. Any incoming freshman attending UTSA, UIW, UT, St. Mary’s, or TAMUSA can express interest in joining their campus College Alumni Ambassador by completing our interest form found here. 

The Edison High School, SAISD Varsity Mariachis de Oro, recently welcomed attendees from across the nation to the Council for the Advancement of Mathematics Teachers (CAMT) conference here in San Antonio. Retired SAISD Math specialist and CAMT Program Chair Mark Bell greeted the 3,700 teachers in attendance. The SAISD Foundation was honored to step in to fill the gap and cover the registration fees for 91 SAISD educators from across the district to take advantage of this powerful summer math training here in San Antonio.

Director of Secondary Instruction, Samantha Calvert, shared, "Being able to send this many teachers to CAMT this year has been such a boost to our mathematics program! Seeing teachers’ excitement and energy in between sessions has given me so much hope for the future mathematicians we are growing in our classrooms. Our teachers don’t often get access to national-quality PD and the space to network with teachers from all over the state and country, and so being able to give them this opportunity has me on the edge of my seat for what great things are in store for our students this year!"

In addition to participants, the district was represented well with several talented conference presenters, including Samantha Calvert (SAISD), Megan Stevens (YWLA), Takiesha Martinez (Woodlawn Academy), Veronica Ortiz (Brackenridge High School), and Sharon Franco (SAISD). 

This summer was filled with professional development opportunities as teachers plan for the 2025-26 school year. In mid-June, 22 SAISD educators participated in a moving two-day session led by educators from the Dallas Holocaust & Human Rights Museum. This training was designed specifically for 6th-grade educators as a tie to TEKS social studies topics like genocide. This training was also part of a broader SAISD Foundation & SAISD initiative designing grade-level expeditions to enhance learning. 

The 6th-grade field trip opportunity is in partnership with the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio and is launching this school year. 

The training focused on equipping teachers with tools to foster Upstander behavior in students, responsibly teach about the Holocaust, and dispel harmful myths. Thanks to the generosity of SAISD Foundation donor Rene Plessner, the training was free and educators received a stipend in appreciation for their time and commitment during summer break.

Gerardo Lagunes, a teacher at Hawthorne Academy, shared his insights during the training, “We are getting a lot of resources about the Holocaust. The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum is helping us see how we can translate the information to my students, and that is really helpful so they can see parallels between what is happening today in the news. I am also getting historical context that I can pass on to my students so they can be informed citizens.”

You are invited to help create a special welcome for our new SAISD teachers by volunteering at the SAISD Foundation’s 4th Annual New Teacher Shopping Day. On this day, incoming teachers are invited to shop for much-needed supplies to kick off the school year. As a volunteer, you will help new SAISD teachers navigate the shopping experience, pick out supplies, and feel confident and supported as they prepare their classrooms for the year ahead.

New Teacher Shopping Day will take place on Friday, August 1, 2025, at four locations: Learning Zone, Lakeshore, Target at Crossroads, and H-E-B at McCreeles. 

Volunteering is a meaningful way to welcome educators as they join this important field. We encourage you to sign up for a two-hour shift between 10:30 a.m. -5:30 p.m. at one of our store locations by clicking here or the button below.

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