On September 5, 2025, Baskin Elementary proudly hosted the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the SAISD Foundation’s Voyager STEM Bus. The event was well attended by investors, partners, SAISD Foundation board members, SAISD District 4 Trustee Art Valdez, School Board President Alicia Sebastian, and leadership from St. Mary’s University. SAISD students, educators and guests were all eager to celebrate this new chapter in STEM education.

SAISD Assistant Superintendent Colleen Bohrmann, Ph.D., emphasized how engaging lessons open the world of possibilities for our students. St. Mary’s University Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jason Pierce, Ph.D., shared the importance of experiential learning, while St. Mary’s University engineering alumni Gianluca Prozio and Patrick Canez reflected on their journey of creating and building the STEM Bus as their senior design project. They expressed their commitment to give back by inspiring the next generation in STEM pathways.

Following the speakers, student ambassadors and Baskin principal Yvonne Martinez led guests aboard the bus. The students were mesmerized by the flight simulator, used 3D pens to write their names and design colorful shapes and experimented with the robotic arm, discovering how it can assist with real-world tasks. Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) program students from Travis Early College High School are currently training to develop and lead the student activities, along with pre- and post-visit lessons, as they work toward their own careers in teaching. 

Join the journey! We’re looking for volunteers to help bring STEM education to life on Voyager. From guiding students through activities to helping with station setup, there’s a role for everyone!

Interested? Have an hour to give during the school day? Sign up here to volunteer with the Voyager STEM Bus. Together, we can spark curiosity and inspire future innovators. Partnerships and sponsoring stations on the bus are also still available. Click to learn more and connect.

It is exciting when our newsletter inspires people to take action. Last month, we shared information about our computer giveaway for students headed to college. Although we were excited about the 150 computers that had already been awarded through our partnership with Compudopt, we also knew that there were more students with unmet needs.

Students first connect with the Foundation through their postsecondary navigator to see if they can borrow a laptop from their college, at campuses where loan programs exist. If they are not able to borrow a laptop from their college, the SAISD Foundation steps in to fill the gap.

When our advisory council member, Chris Quinn, reached out to us, we were excited for the call. Quinn jumped in to help, offering a matching gift up to $5,000 if we could get 10 of our board members to donate $500 each. With an investment of $500 per computer, we knew we could make it happen. We are honored to say that our board stepped up! Carlos Maestas, board chair, eagerly joined the challenge and emailed the full board, urging them to do the same. Within 10 minutes of the email request being sent, the challenge had been met. Thanks to our board and advisory council, 20 more students will be served.

On Wednesday, October 29, the SAISD Foundation will host the 14th Annual Inspire Awards—a signature evening celebrating the powerful legacy of San Antonio ISD alumni. The event will feature an outdoor reception with a student stage and student-led activities like the Voyager STEM Bus, followed by the dinner and awards ceremony honoring four distinguished SAISD alumni who have risen to the top of their fields and made a lasting impact in our San Antonio community.

Seeing the 100+ SAISD alumni return to honor their legacies, connect with each other, and show current students what is possible with a strong foundation in SAISD adds value to the night. The extended community of nearly 600 gathers to celebrate, honor and invest in the power and possibility of public education.

Meet This Year’s Honorees

Baltazar “Walter” Serna — Edison High School

A proud downtown kid, Baltazar attended Travis ES, Hawthorne, and Edison, where his passion for journalism and photography took root. After earning a law degree, he co-founded Serna & Serna, Attorneys at Law, representing clients ranging from the Spurs to VIA Metropolitan Transit, and consistently championed education as the foundation of opportunity. His career reflects the mentorship, community, and SAISD pride that shaped him.

Richard Acosta — Brackenridge High School

The youngest of eight, Richard found discipline on the Irving and Brackenridge football fields before diving into academics, earning degrees in accounting and economics. With his wife and now extended family, he built a McDonald’s franchise business of nearly 60 restaurants, creating jobs, scholarships, and mentorship opportunities for his employees. His success underscores the power of persistence, community, and education to transform lives.

Janie Martinez Gonzalez — Burbank High School

Janie founded Webhead from her Southside home, growing it into a nationally recognized tech firm serving federal and commercial clients. As the first Latina to serve on the CPS Energy Board and later its Chairwoman, she led transformative modernization efforts. Rooted in her Burbank pride, Janie champions STEM education and entrepreneurship in her community. From launching a startup in her neighborhood to guiding billion-dollar utility strategies and pioneering next-generation technologies, Janie carries Burbank with her. 

Walter M. Embrey, Jr. — Jefferson High School

A Jefferson High School alumnus, Walter M. Embrey, Jr., is the Founder & Chairman of Embrey Partners, a nationally recognized real estate investment, development, construction, and property management firm that has built over 50 million square feet of multifamily and commercial space across 11 states. He is also a generous education supporter—his $1 million gift to then UTSA established the Embrey Real Estate Finance and Development Program—and has been honored by the San Antonio Business Hall of Fame for his leadership.

Sponsorships and tickets for the 14th Annual Awards are still available, but are filling up fast. Click here to join us. 

Thank you to all of those who joined us for a beautiful evening in the center of our city at Legacy Park. The event celebrated the legacy of Mariachi and Ballet Folklórico education, which began right here in San Antonio ISD, through the visionary Belle Ortiz.

Students showcased their talents to families and the San Antonio community in celebration of Diez y Seis and the launch of Hispanic Heritage Month. We hope this is the first of many opportunities to experience the passion and talents of our students in the urban core as we work toward a vision for San Antonio and SAISD as the epicenter of Mariachi education in Texas and the nation.

Additionally, this event launched our 2025 Big Give campaign, which garnered 153 donors and, with a match donation secured $46,135 to support instruments, costumes, and performance opportunities for SAISD students. As a community, we are ensuring our students take the stage with confidence.

Thank you to KENS 5 for their event coverage and to the SA Report for their feature story. Read the full story here. Thank you, Weston Urban and Legacy Park, for hosting A Night of Music. A Legacy of Culture. Thank you to Rhodes, Harris, Lanier, Burbank and Brackenridge for your awesome performances.

Thank you, Jefferson alumnus, Rey Feo LXXVI Fabian Castillo Sr., for judging our grito contest! Be on the lookout for our next event on November 18, 2025. You can support our cultural arts programs by visiting the Belle Ortiz Legacy page.

Three years ago, the San Antonio Area Retired Teachers Association (SAARTA) partnered with the SAISD Foundation to store books for their Book Project Committee at our Book Buddies warehouse. Among those who helped form the partnership was SAARTA Immediate Past President Shirley Melenyzer-Schertz, who also volunteered on the Book Buddies Bus to carry out SAARTA’s mission to “put books into the hands of children.”

This summer, we sadly lost Shirley. But her impact continues through a legacy gift. By naming the SAISD Foundation as a beneficiary of a retirement account since her passing, $10,000 has been donated to the Foundation for Book Buddies. Her gift ensures more SAISD students take books home. We are honored by her generosity and eager to share how simple it can be to create a lasting legacy for children as Shirley has done.

Executive Director Judy Geelhoed shared, "I don’t often write from my personal experience in our newsletter, but planned giving is personal. I want to share that once you decide to give in that way, it takes just a few minutes in your investment portal or a quick connection with your financial advisor to make that happen. Whether that is as a partial beneficiary with a set percentage, a full beneficiary, or a contingent beneficiary, meaning if the first person you name is no longer living at the time the gift is processed, and students in SAISD are your backup."

Current employees like Aurora Carreon have named the SAISD Foundation as a partial beneficiary as well. She states, “As a proud alumna of SAISD, I want to express how much it means to me to contribute to the traditions and passions that have shaped my life. Being a social worker and a folklórico dancer is not just my profession; it is a deep-seated passion fueled by a love for my heritage.

I believe it's vital to share this passion with our children and ensure that our cultural traditions are passed on. That is why I’m excited to share that I am naming the SASD Foundation as a beneficiary of my 403B to support these enriching experiences in our schools.”

In addition to investment or retirement accounts, as a public charity, there may be tax savings for you as well by donating a portion of your required minimum distribution (RMD) of your IRA after 72 ½ years of age to the Foundation as a public charity.

We welcome the opportunity to engage in a conversation. We have been honored by the alumni and former educators who have allowed us to be a part of their legacy planning. In Shirley’s case, she did not share her decision to leave a legacy for our students - her students - but given her love for kids in SAISD and books, we were not surprised. Learn more by clicking here. 

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