GISD students ranging in age from 8 to 18 told their stories about how education is enriching their lives at this year’s State of the District.

Click here to see all the photos from the event on the GISD Facebook page.

The GISD spirit started at the door as the attendees were greeted by the Flaming Flashes and a cello performance by Suzuki Strings student Mari Wilcock and instructor Dr. Tsun-yuet Emmanuel Kwok.

The program kicked off with a welcome to the crowd from GHS senior Jenna Wade, who celebrated the fact that Superintendent Sharon Boothe is not only an outstanding educator, but that she is also the very first woman in GISD history to lead the organization.

Click here to watch the entire State of the District on GEUS YouTube Channel. 

From there, the history-making stories continued:

• Cosmetology students Johana Estrada and Jazmyn Wilson announced the grand opening of the Lair Salon, which will be open to the public starting Nov. 2. The students are not only learning cosmetology skills in their classes; they are also learning how to run a business.

• Future electrical engineer Anika Escobar described her journey as a young woman navigating a traditionally male field. Anika is a certified welder, solar car team member and accomplished engineer, “and I’m not even five feet tall!” she added, to the audience’s delight.

• Early College High School seniors Miranda Hines and Tray Soto are celebrating the program’s first graduating class this May! They will graduate with an associate’s degree in engineering two weeks before they receive their high school diploma.

• Dual Language third-graders Grayson Miller and Marbella Herrera chatted with the audience in both English and Spanish, demonstrating their bilingual skills.

• Carver Elementary fourth-grader Addy Williams was introduced to the audience by her bus driver Ryan Cariveau. You may remember the TikTok video of Ryan helping Addy, who is visually impaired, navigate the school bus steps and walkway on a rainy day. Addy brought the audience to their feet with her performance of “Fight Song.”

In addition to hearing students share their stories, guests enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast prepared by Chef Lucas Kiowski and the GHS Culinary Arts students, who were up far before the sunrise making crepes, fruit, yogurt, eggs, potatoes and sausage. The crowd was treated to a three-song choral performance by the GHS Encore Choir under the direction of Scott Surface. The GHS Floral Design class created gorgeous centerpieces for each to table.