Our post-day wrap-up:

LSA 49 Fuels the Future with  Education & Workforce Development Day – From Now to Next

Fueling the Future

With Whataburger Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits and Iced Coffees in hand, the bell rang to start LSA49’s Education and Workforce Development Class Day with local civic engagement leader and facilitator, Robert Salcido. Robert led participants in a privilege walk exercise and discussion designed to help individuals visualize how societal structures and identities can create advantages or disadvantages for different individuals. 

Laying the Foundation

Afterwards, the class headed to Girls Inc. for a discussion with local leaders Dr. Shari Albright (President, Charles Butt Foundation), Christina Martinez (SAISD Board President), and Lea Rosenauer (President & CEO of Girls Inc.) to explore the current state of education in San Antonio (the now), including the existing factors and challenges (like cost, housing, transportation, food security, and teacher and school leader recruitment and retention) that impact San Antonio students, and actionable ways the business and civic community can support the development of these students and future leaders (the next).

Barriers to Breakthroughs

The Garcia family welcomed class 49 into their 78201 home, where the Garcias raised their eight children and still live today. LSA49 class member and seventh child, Liberty Swift (Spurs Sports & Entertainment), shared her family’s lived education and workforce experiences.

Building Tomorrow’s Leaders

To highlight the future impact of today’s educational investments, the class went on to CAST Tech for activities and the opportunity to hear directly from educators Deborah Ramirez (Magnet Coordinator, Thomas Edison Health Professions and First Responder Academy) and Jeanne Russell (Executive Director, CAST Schools) and current students and recent graduates from CAST Tech and Edison High School’s Health Professions and First Responder Academy about college-preparedness, vocational training, and workforce readiness. This session explored gaps between student expectations and workforce realities while sharing how community members can get directly involved to support our future leaders. Next, students and class volunteers competed in a friendly game of local education trivia, hosted by KIPP educator Eddie Rodriguez, spotlighting the real issues facing our secondary education students in San Antonio. Finally, CAST Tech students shared their pathway projects with the class, giving insight into what inspires our San Antonio high school students as they think of their own “now to next.”

Access & Attraction – Post-Secondary Education & San Antonio

If you build it, will they come? That’s the plan at UTSA’s recently built, soon-to-be College of AI, Cyber Security & Computing – the beautiful and innovative San Pedro 1 campus. Here, class members assembled 350 Food Kits for the Roadrunner Pantry and Whataburger Resource Room and explored how artificial intelligence is changing teaching, research, and our local industries through a panel discussion moderated by Mario Vela, Assistant Vice-Provost for Career-Engaged Learning and Executive Director of the University Career Center at UTSA, with local professors Dr. Claudia Arcolin (UTSA), Dr. Henry Griffith (SAC), and Dr. Heena Rathore (Texas State), and UTSA Chief Technology Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer, Nassos Galiopoulos. 

Afterwards, UTSA President Dr. Taylor Eighmy welcomed LSA 49 with remarks on the now and next of UTSA’s strategic planning and development before introducing a live AI demonstration from current graduate students of their ongoing work to improve San Antonio.  

Before departing, attendees enjoyed a lively “fireside” chat on the current and future state of post-secondary education in a rapidly changing political climate with Palo Alto College President, Dr. Robert Garza, and Trinity University President, Dr. Vanessa Beasley. This dynamic conversation zeroed in on the importance of education, generationally, and in our own journeys, the city’s ability to attract and retain talent, serving and supporting the larger San Antonio community, and improving access to public and private post-secondary institutions for different student populations. 

Classroom to Career – Fostering a Dynamic Workforce 

LSA 49 was met at SAWS with a demonstration from San Antonio Water System’s (SAWS) world champion women competition teams – the Fire Hydrant Hysteria Team: Summer Felan, Mary Valdez (Gino Valdez, Jr., Coach); and the Pipe Tapping Team: Joslyn Martinez, Cathryn Carey, Rose Castillo (Yolanda Garcia, Coach). These best-in-class teams of local skilled workers compete with water operators across North America as they work against the clock to repair hydrants and broken pipes. 

Next, local and leading industry experts Michael Ramsey, Executive Director of Workforce Development at the City of San Antonio, Daniel Norris, Vice President of Talent Development at HOLT CAT, and Daniel Geddes, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Frost Bank and Chair of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Education and Workforce Development Council, joined LSA49 to discuss how we transition from the classroom to the workforce in San Antonio.  The panel highlighted the workforce’s role as an extension of education, the continuing impact of educational challenges on workforce success, and how San Antonio is working to improve and strengthen the pipeline from classroom to career.  

Before the last bell rang, class members were divided into teams to compete in a hands-on building activity.  Each team was given different packets – some had the full building kit, some had missing directions, some had missing pieces, and some had extra pieces – and everyone was expected to create the same final product, a wooden dinosaur.  As class members discussed their difficulties (or ease) in completing the task, the class reflected on the privileges we began our day with and how those same advantages can give us a different “building kit” as we enter the workforce.  

The class ended the day with a fiesta (VIVA!) at the Koehler Pavilion, serenaded by the Palo Alto Mariachis, served excellent sips and snacks from the Jason Dady Group, and snapped photo booth pics while enjoying the DJ selections with SA Party Rental. 

The Education and Workforce Development team from LSA49 is proud to provide the PAC Mariachis with a scholarship of $1,000.

What’s Next?

Complex challenges require critical thinking, and the best solutions can stem from the toughest questions:

• How can we help level the playing field for students in our community? 
• How can businesses, nonprofits, and policymakers play a role in shaping our schools? 
• How can we move from challenges to actionable solutions that improve student and workforce experiences? 

Together (now) through advocacy, opportunity (mentorship, internship), and volunteerism, we can harness the collective power of our community to shape what comes next.

Special Thanks to our generous participants and sponsors: 

Robert Salcido

Shari Albright

Christina Martinez

Lea Rosenauer

Girls Inc.

The Garcia Family

Deborah Ramirez and students from Edison High School

Jeanne Russell and students from CAST Tech

Andrew Flores, CAST Tech Senior in the Cybersecurity Pathway

Carina Vlaun, CAST Tech Alumna and St. Mary’s University student

Dr. Claudia Arcolin (UTSA)

Dr. Henry Griffith (San Antonio College)

Dr. Heena Rathore (Texas State)

Mr. Nassos Galiopoulous (UTSA Chief Technology Officer, Deputy Chief Information Officer)

Dr. Paul Rad, UTSA

President, Dr. Taylor Eighmy, and the University of Texas at San Antonio

Dr. Robert Garza, Palo Alto College, and Alamo Colleges

Dr. Vanessa Beasley and Trinity University

San Antonio Water System and its Women’s Fire Hydrant Hysteria Team and Pipe-Tapping Team

Dan Geddes and Frost Bank

Dan Norris and HOLT CAT

Michael Ramsey and the City of San Antonio

Jason Dady

La Frite

Twang

Frost Bank

Whataburger

Palo Alto College Mariachis

SA Party Rental 

Servpro Alamo Ranch

Computer Solutions

Spurs Sports & Entertainment

Methodist Hospital Metropolitan

Presidio Concrete

Rico’s 

Stallion Signs & Signs of San Antonio