Now in its 13th year, the SAISD Foundation is excited to announce the 2024 honorees for its annual Inspire Awards on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. The evening will begin with an outdoor reception at 5:30 p.m., during which students will welcome guests and showcase their learning through activities that involve STEM and arts programming supported by the SAISD Foundation and will feature the newly launched SAISD Foundation STEM Bus. The reception will be followed by the dinner and awards ceremony at 7 p.m.
This year’s honorees include four distinguished San Antonio ISD alumni who have contributed significantly to the school district:
• Dr. Ellen Riojas Clark (Edison High School)
• Bobby Perez (Jefferson High School)
• Pablo Rodriguez (Lanier High School)
• The Honorable Xavier Rodriguez (Burbank High School)
Ellen Riojas Clark has lived her entire life in San Antonio – “Yo soy de San Antonio.” She attended Woodrow Wilson Elementary, Whittier Junior High, and graduated from Edison High School. She began her postsecondary journey at San Antonio College and went on to pursue a degree in education from Trinity University. Upon graduating from Trinity, she immediately started her master’s program in bilingual education at UTSA and obtained her Ph.D. from The University of Texas. Over her 42-year tenure at the UTSA, she mentored countless students, colleagues, and faculty. UTSA honored her by establishing the Ellen Riojas Clark, Ph.D. Endowed Chair, the first chair in the United States in Bicultural-Bilingual Studies named for a Latina scholar.
Bobby Perez graduated from Jefferson High School and obtained a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s University School of Law. He joined Spurs Sports & Entertainment in 2013 as its senior vice president general counsel and in October 2021 he was appointed chief legal officer and general counsel. Before joining the Spurs organization, he was a shareholder at Shelton & Valadez P.C. served as a Bexar County Assistant Criminal District Attorney and was an elected official on the San Antonio City Council. He currently serves on the Executive Board for the Greater San Antonio Chamber and on the Valero Alamo Bowl Board.
Pablo Rodriguez serves as Chief Communications Officer for the Consumer & Community Banking (CCB) division of JPMorgan Chase. He joined JPMorgan Chase in 2018 from PayPal, where he served as Senior Director of Global Consumer Initiatives. Pablo began his career with H-E-B, where he served as a media spokesperson and member of the leadership team that managed communications and philanthropic programming. Upon graduation from Lanier High School, he attended Texas A&M University at College Station, where he earned a bachelor’s in communications.
Judge Xavier Rodriguez is a former Texas Supreme Court Justice and proudly sits on the bench as a United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas. Judge Rodriguez received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s degree from the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs, a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Texas Law School, and a Master of Laws in Judicial Studies from Duke University, Bolch Judicial Institute. Prior to assuming the bench, he was a partner in the international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski (now known as Norton Rose Fulbright). He served in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps and has served on the board of directors of several charitable organizations across Texas.
“The Inspire Awards is a powerful annual event that celebrates the enduring legacies our San Antonio ISD graduates have woven into the fabric of our communities. These remarkable individuals show us what’s possible, igniting a spark in our students to reach for their own dreams and create their own path forward,” Judy Geelhoed, SAISD Foundation Executive Director.
Inspire Awards table sponsorships and individual tickets are now available online.
A 501(c)(3) public charity with a vision that all students and teachers in San Antonio ISD thrive. Committed to expanding student experiences and increasing postsecondary success, annually, the SAISD Foundation invests approximately $3 million in SAISD students, teachers, and programs. Donations garnered from businesses, philanthropy and individuals allow the organization to respond to critical challenges facing students and add value to in-school and out-of-school programming beyond what state public funding can provide to ensure the approximately 44,000 students in San Antonio ISD have a robust, 21st-century education. For more information, visit www.saisdfoundation.com.
