Civic Engagement – Page 41 – Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics

Congressmen Kevin Brady’s Walker County Goodbye

Morgan Robertson

Despite the dreary weather, The Republican Party of Walker County , led by Chair Linda Mckenzie, went above and beyond to throw a special retirement reception for U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady.

Community members, City and County leaders and, LEAP Ambassadors braved the rain to witness a sentimental afternoon full of reminiscing on the accomplishments of Congressman Brady. The Walker County Storm Shelter was set up beautifully with refreshments catered by Farmhouse Cafe, and festive centerpieces made by party member, Alice Ellisor.

In the typical Walker County Republican Party fashion, Ms. McKenzie recognized all of the elected officials including those taking office in January.

Mayor Brauninger was first to speak on behalf of the City of Huntsville, accompanied by City Councilman Jon Strong. Mayor Brauninger commented on Congressman Brady’s years of dedication and service to the 8th US district, and presented him with a Proclamation.

County Judge Danny Pierce then presented a proclamation on behalf of Walker County. Judge Pierce thanked Congressman Brady for making his job easier and being great to work with.

Congressmen Brady has spent the last two decades serving his district and there is no better proof of that than his dedication to the H.E.A.R.T.S Veterans Museum. Executive Director, Tara Burnett and two board members thanked Congressman Brady for allowing Huntsville to be home to this one-of-a-kind Museum.

Yvette spoke on behalf of current and past LEAP Ambassadors who have all been immensely impacted by Congressman Brady. Various LEAP Ambassadors, including Ademide Adedokun, Justin Veillon, Brandon Reese, Christine Reese, Ariel Leaf, Christina Perez, and Brian Aldaco, have worked for Congressman Brady during his long career, and we (and they!) are grateful for the opportunities he provided. Moreover, Congressman Brady invited LEAP Ambassadors to the US Capitol and his Ways and Means Committee Room, where he unveiled a statue of Sam Houston (that was on loan from the SHMM).

(Editor’s Note: the LEAP Center is non-partisan, although it does work with officials of both parties to provide internships and other opportunities. LEAP Ambassadors include Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.)

(Pictures by Linda Mckenzie)

After many heartfelt thank you’s, Congressman Brady shared with the crowd some of his favorite memories while serving. He recalled that as long as he can remember, parades have always had a special place in his heart, which was further amplified when he took office. Over the next few minutes, Congressman Brady reminisced with the crowd about his favorite parades, the embarrassing, funny, and lessons-learned.

On behalf of the LEAP Ambassadors, thank you to the Walker County Republican Party for hosting an amazing event, and to Congressman Kevin Brady for supporting the LEAP center and serving our district well.

SHMM Art Exhibition

November 10, 2022

One of the highlights of the fall season is the Sam Houston Memorial Museum’s Annual Photo Contest. After seeing the quality of last year’s photos, we opted against entering any photos this year… But we were excited to see the photos, be back at our favorite museum, and otherwise appreciate the talent on display.

And so it was we ventured into the Walker Education Center to explore, meet old friends, and see who took away awards!

There were four categories: animals, people, architecture, and floral. Hundreds of photos were submitted by Huntsville’s local citizens, then judged by three photographic experts: Kaylin Booker, Paul Olle, and Derrick Birdsall–the latter is also the Museum’s Director.

The animal category is always popular, perhaps because everyone thinks their pet is photogenic, beautiful, and wonderful. Some, as it turns out, are at the very least, more photogenic than others. The winners were…

Animal Category:
1st Place – C. Buzzini
2nd Place – S. White
3rd Place – D. LeNorman

This year’s floral category also included some animals, in as much as animals–much like humans–are drawn to the beauty of nature’s creations and were included in some of the submitted photos in this section.

Floral Category:
1st Place – V. Lorine
2nd Place – E. Day
3rd Place – D. LeNorman

There was, of course, a people category as well.

People Category:
1st Place – D. Lee
2nd Place – C. Buzzini
3rd Place – E. Day

Finally, the architectural category was, in our opinion, the strongest.

Architecture Category:
1st Place – M. Litzmann
2nd Place Tie – S. White & V. Lorine

The judges also picked a best a “Reserve Champion” (A MacLaughlin) and a “Best in Show” (S. Adams).

There were various honorable mentions and curator’s choices that were also worthy.

In addition to all the photographs, we also enjoyed the chance to see old friends, and we want to congratulate them–and the winners–on another successful community photograph contest!

Making A Smile Happen: (MAS*H)

Kiara Williams and Ashlyn Parker

This past week the LEAP Ambassadors were happy to help–and recruit more help–KSAM radio with their annual “Make A Smile Happen” holiday gift drive for the community.

This drive encourages the local community to provide food items, pet supplies, cash, or toys, and these, in turn, go to one of six non-profit agencies: Santa’s Helpers, Huntsville Independent School District, Good Shepherd Mission, SAAFE House, YMCA, and the Rita B. Huff Adoption Center. It is timed, of course, with the holidays, in the hopes of being able to provide gifts, food, pet food, or other necessities to those in need, and LEAP was happy to help.

Although the tasks associated with assisting are not difficult, they are time-consuming. The drive spans two days: 6 am-6 pm on Wed, Nov. 30th; and 6 am-3 pm, Thu, Dec. 1, and we try to have four volunteers on hand at any given time. Some of the mornings were cold…

…and we were trying to recruit volunteers during finals, but given the importance of this cause, we were able to find sufficient volunteers and have fun helping others.

Our tasks were manifold:

(1) hold signs marketing the event to the high-traffic area on 11th street;

(2) help donors load and unload donated items from their vehicles;

(3) organize and count the items;

…and (4) come up with creative marketing tools.

And, of course, other duties as assigned.

We were better at some tasks than others.

Along the way, the students had the wonderful opportunity to meet and learn from new people: Tim Johnson, the station’s General Manager;

…radio personalities such as Bryan Reader, Glenn Edwards, and Carlos Zimmerman; and several sponsors and other volunteers.

In all, KSAM did a great job getting the word out, and we were happy to help. Our final count is 429 toys, 1,517 cans of food, $6,979.84, and 865 pounds of pet food.

It was a fun and productive two days, and we would like to thank all the volunteers who came out to help and the sponsors who assisted with overhead. And, of course, major thanks to KSAM who orchestrates this event every year!

24th Annual Jesse H Jones Luncheon

Jessica Cuevas

On October 20^th the World Affairs Council (WAC) of Greater Houston held its 24^th annual Jesse H Jones Luncheon where the Council recognizes several individuals as being global leaders of influence, educators of the year, and one individual is recognized as the international citizen of the year at the Post Oak Hotel.

The Sam Houston High School JROTC program presented the flags, while a local youth choir sang our national anthem.

A global leader of influence is recognized by the WAC as an individual who has helped the City of Houston to increase its status as an international city. This year eighteen business leaders were recognized and awarded:

Brenda Boral (Boral Agency), Lisa Darling (Awty International School), Francisco Gonzalez (Lopez Dorada Foods), Alicia Heiskell (GPS International), Linda Lorelle (Lorelle Media), Arthur Lyons (Indust Labs Inc.), Eduardo Marquez (Sidley Austin LLP), Dr. Marie Moreno (Newcomer Success), Grace Olivares (Univision), Kris Pitta (Prudent Resources), Muhammad Saeed Sheikh (Community Organizer), Fernando Signorini (Dow Chemicals), Hilde Janne Skorpen (Consul General of Norway), Val Thompson (International Focus Magazine), Uwem Ukpong (Amazon Web Services), Caroline Verot Moore (Fifth Third Bank), Patty Williams-Downs (OneGoal), and Vanessa Wyche (Johnson Space Center).

. . . that’s seven more than were recognized in 2021!

Over the summer, the ambassadors nominated Professor Yawn for Educator of the Year and we were extremely pleased (but not at all surprised) to find out that he was selected!

Professor Yawn graciously accepted the award as the “International Professor of the Year.”

This was, in fact, the first-ever awarding of this recognition, and WAC Program Director, Ronan O’Malley, noted that “The council is truly fortunate to have Dr. Yawn so earnestly involved with the council; and we are delighted to have his bright and poised LEAP students take part in our events.”

Professor Yawn has taken students to more than 100 of the WAC events, ranging from tours of the Holocaust Museum, meeting Condi Rice, hearing from author David Brooks, learning from General Stanley McChrystal, to meeting heads of state.

Ms. Lori Lambropoulos, the principal of Energy Institute High School, was selected as K-12 Educator of the Year.

Lastly, Greg Hill, President and Chief Operating Officer of Hess Corporation, was awarded the 2022 International Citizen of the Year for helping Houston become the energy capital of the world.

It wouldn’t be a World Affairs Council event without one of their remarkable speaker sessions, so after Mr. Hill received his award and while we ate the delicious meals we were treated to a dialogue between Mr. Hill and current House Minority Leader U.S. Representative Kevin McCarthy. Among other topics, they discussed our country on the international stage and how they each came to be where they are now.

Before we could finish our desserts (delicious mini cheesecakes with glazed berries on top) we found ourselves being ushered upstairs with the other students for something even more special: a small-group Q&A with Representative McCarthy and Mr. Hill. We all posed for a group photo before settling into our seats. The room was filled with students who had several questions for both speakers. Alas, time did not permit all questions to be asked. However, I thought that one of the best questions was what would be next on the agenda if Republicans took back the house and Rep. McCarthy was selected as Speaker of the House. His response: focus on our economy (property tax and inflation), a parent’s bill of rights, and much more.

Both Rep. McCarthy and Mr. Hill left us with some advice regarding our actions as aspiring leaders. The message from both men was to never give up—if we get knocked down eight times then we should get back up nine times. With the midterm elections right around the corner, they closed by impressing upon us the importance of young people like us getting out and voting.

As a nice extra, we also had a chance to meet Congressman Brady again. He was honored for his 20 years in Congress.

A big thank you and congratulations to the World Affairs Council staff for yet another successful Jesse H. Jones Luncheon! We look forward to attending many more of the Council’s events in the future. Lastly, thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Oyolu who sponsored our table, and to all other sponsors of student tables for allowing us the opportunity to attend this event! Finally, many congratulations to Professor Yawn for being the International Professor of the Year!

Christmas Fair, on the Square!

Morgan Robertson

As the season changes (although the weather may not) there is no better way of celebrating the Christmas spirit than with Main Street’s annual Christmas fair! Main Street Director, and former President of the LEAP Ambassadors, Annel Guadalupe organized the great event and brought Christmas cheer to the community, with the help of the current President of the LEAP Ambassadors and Main Street Intern, Jessica Cuevas.

In the typical Main Street fashion, the Fair decorated University Avenue and Rather Park with hoilday cheer. The City of Huntsville’s Parks Department did a wonderful job of creating a winter wonderland of Rather Park, and Main Street brought great music to the middle of downtown, courtesy of the Sleigh Riders.

Perhaps the best attraction of the day was the beautifully decorated photo-op with Santa! At the Courthouse Gazebo, community members posed with the Christmas icon and whispered items from their Christmas lists.

In addition to family fun, the Christmas fair is a great opportunity to get all your holiday shopping done! Vendors displayed handmade jewelry, expertly carved cutting boards, toys for the littles, and much more.

LEAP Ambassadors, Yvette Mendoza, Ingrid Cuero, and I enjoyed volunteering with Santa and capturing some great photos in the process. We were even fortunate enough to get our own photo with Santa!

The first Saturday in December was truly one to remember. A day full of smiling faces, happy shoppers, and amazing Huntsville spirit!

On behalf of the Ambassadors, thank you to Annel, Jessica, and the City of Huntsville for making this great event possible. Merry Christmas!

Around Town with KSAM

Once a semester, KSAM’s Larry Crippen hosts the LEAP Center for a discussion that airs on “Around Town.” The program focuses on one person or organization, but since LEAP is an engagement organization, the program inevitably covers many aspects of the University and the community.

This semester, for example, we have worked with the Huntsville Police Department, the Walker County Courthouse, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Boys and Girls Club, Main Street Huntsville, the World Affairs Council, the Freshman Leadership Program, Texas Tech University, the City of Huntsville and we’ve attended events hosted by Student Activities, the Alumni Association, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, the Art Department, the Texas Tribune Festival, and the Popular Culture Association.

And so it was the LEAP Ambassadors, along with their advisor Mike Yawn, met with Crippen in the Holcombe Room for a short discussion of the fall semester and even looking ahead to the spring.

We were able to discuss our first-ever “Beyond Bars” program, our trip to Austin for the Texas Tribune Festival, our trip to New Orleans for a conference, and our normal volunteer work.

It was one of several collaborations with the media this year–undertaken by us and our advisor. And while we may never get accustomed to speaking into a microphone or camera, it was an enjoyable event, in part because we also work with KSAM every fall on their Make A Smile Happen gift drive.

Although the semester isn’t over–we have finals and papers!!!–it’s nice to look back on a semester where we able to accomplish quite a bit!

Tree of Lights 101–Years, that is

For the past 101 years, SHSU has presented an annual tree-lighting ceremony, and for the last 15 or so, the LEAP Ambassadors have been involved.

And for the last five or so, the Pre-Law Society has also been involved. And this year we had delegates from both organizations, including: Amari Gallien, Jacelin Daniel, Yajaira Gutierrez, Emeralda Espinal, and Michelle Cardenas.

It’s one event where many administrators, staff, faculty, students, and organizations come together for a celebration and appreciation. This year’s event was spearheaded by Evie Covarrubias, with help from the entire Student Activities Department.

Organizations sign in around 5pm, and the program officially kicks off at 6pm. And it literally “kicks off,” because following introductions by the SHSU Homecoming King and Queen–Braden Wright and Uri-El Jackson…

the Orange Pride dancers were one of the first acts in the program.

The SHSU Chorale also performed, with their outfits reflecting the unseasonably warm temperature of the evening.

The Student Activities staff did a great job of handing out candles and other illuminating devices, making for an immensely attractive lighting ceremony.

Following the hanging of ornaments–including both the LEAP Ambassadors and the Pre-Law Society–Provost Stephenson did a lively countdown for the tree of lights.

Owing to a brief technical malfunction, the University had the opportunity to experience the countdown excitement twice before seeing the lighting.

The wait was worth it! Following the lighting, the always-gracious Charlie Vienne spoke, announcing the Alumni Association’s awarding of numerous scholarships…

…alumnus David Smith, Director of Good Shepherd Mission, discussed partnerships between the University and community…

…and the crowd was again entertained additional by the Orange Pride dancers.

All of us–the LEAP Ambassadors–are now juniors, and we’ve had an opportunity to get involved with the University traditions. This is one of the best, and we look forward to the year ahead (after, of course, wrapping up finals), and participating in more of SHSU’s traditions, and maybe starting a few of our own!

SHAIPing up for Austin

After months of applying, interviewing, and apartment-hunting, the Austin Internship Program is getting real for nine SHSU students. These nine students, Jessica Cuevas, Morgan Robertson, Yvette Mendoza, Ingrid Cuero, Ashlyn Parker, Jayelynn Bordeaux, Morgan Dawson, Amor Sheffield, and Breanna Demyers, will be beginning their Austin internships one month from today.

To prepare, they received an orientation from two top-notch employees of SHSU: Ms. Julie Schwab and Dean Shani Robinson. With moderation by Intern Director Mike Yawn, Robinson and Schwab discussed tips for navigating office politics, dressing for success, defusing conflict, and making a first impression.

In the latter case, Dean Robinson noted that people’s first impressions are often made in seven seconds, while also complimenting the students on their first impression–students stood up, walked forward, extended their hands, introduced themselves, and welcomed the presenters.

Ms. Schwab brought some swag, including padfolios to help the students on their road to professionalism and a Brene Brown book (“Imperfect”). Professor Yawn also provided students with business cards, a book (“How Important People Act,” by Ambassador Chase Untermeyer), and a business card holder.

With finals still before the students, the meeting was kept short, but the participants lingered as new advice was thought of and new questions were asked. Robinson and Schwab were generously supportive of the students, and despite the short length of the meeting, there was some bonding involved–leaving the students with some additional supporters and a larger professional network.

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