Latest news with #VandegriftHighSchool
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Vandegrift student recognized by the governor for her volunteer work
The Brief Vandegrift High School junior recognized by Governor Greg Abbott for volunteer work Shreya Poladia turned her passion for art into an opportunity to help support people with special needs LEANDER, Texas - A Leander ISD student is being recognized by Governor Greg Abbott for her many years of volunteer work. The backstory Vandegrift High School junior Shreya Poladia decided to turn her passion for art into an opportunity to raise funds that will support people with special needs. "Each painting takes around two to three hours. So, I make around 80 to 90 paintings for each art show," says Poladia. The Poladia siblings share a special bond through art. While many siblings tend to have a bickering type of relationship, the Poladia's enjoy painting together. At a young age, Shreya knew she wanted to make a difference and make a social impact. She started an art for a cause non-profit called Shreya's Atelier Art for a Cause where she raises funds to donate back to organizations that support people with special needs "My brother has down syndrome and autism. He's had this since he was like a little kid," says Poladia. "It's inspired by my brother, Raj. I started it back in 2020 because he was having some medical issues along with the pandemic. He was struggling with that a little bit. And as a way to help deal with the stress, I started painting and doing art," says Poladia. Shreya hosts art shows in the spring inviting people to buy her artwork. In the past year she was able to raise over $5,000 towards the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas. "I think it opened a dialog more for like there's like a lot of ignorance about disability and so I think it really helped people understand what Down Syndrome is or what is Autism. And I think she tried her best way to talk to people about it," says Deepali Poladia, Shreya's mother. For Shreya, autism awareness isn't just something she focuses on for one month. It's year round. "The fight for autism goes far beyond legislation. It calls for social acceptance, compassion, and proactive responsibility in removing variables to create spaces where people feel safe and comfortable to talk, in general," says Poladia. Her work hasn't gone unnoticed. Shreya was recognized as a recipient of the 41st Annual Governor's Volunteer Awards. The awards celebrate the service and dedication of exceptional individuals, groups and organizations that have significantly impacted Texas communities through volunteering over the past year. "I'm really happy and I'm really proud of myself for getting the award. And I'd love to continue raising awareness for people with disabilities," says Poladia. What you can do To learn more about Shreya's non-profit you can click here. The Source Information from interview with Shreya Poladia.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vandegrift High School students stage walkout after Leander ISD budget cuts eliminate IB program
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A group of students walked out of Vandegrift High School on Thursday morning holding signs that read things like, 'empower students, empower the future,' and 'our education is our future, not a budget line,' while chanting messages they want school district leaders to hear. Earlier this month, Leander Independent School District Superintendent Bruce Gearing announced budget cuts equating to nearly $17 million as the district faces a higher-than-approved deficit in its budget this school year. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Facing deficit, Leander ISD announces teacher cuts The cuts included eliminating the district's use of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. Students at Vandegrift held the walkout to express their frustration with the decision to end the program, saying Leander ISD is prioritizing buying property and building new schools over investing in the students already within the district, and that the district did not speak with anyone who's part of the program before making the decision. Voters in May of 2023 passed an almost $763 million bond package aimed at upgrades to campus security measures, renovations to school facilities and technology improvements. KXAN has reached out to Leander ISD to ask for a response to Thursday morning's walkout at Vandegrift. We will update this story if we receive a response. Gearing said in an early-February press release the reason for the cuts boiled down to a lack of increased school funding from the state since 2019, despite rising operational costs and high inflation rates. The state also cut Leander ISD's funding for instructional material, limiting resources for textbooks and classroom materials, per the release. The change led the district to use a 'reduced growth' enrollment projection, leading to less revenue than anticipated and a reduction in staffing positions, according to the district. Gearing said in the release that leaders 'solicited feedback for insight and ideas to reduce expenditures and increase revenue,' during meetings with district and campus leadership teams. You can read more about the budget cuts in KXAN's previous coverage. Many of the students who participated in the walkout were sophomores who were set to begin the IB program next school year. They said around 100 students — including those from other programs, like football, robotics and theatre — participated in the demonstration to show support. The students said the argument the district provided for deciding to cut IB was that Advanced Placement, or AP, classes offer the same opportunities, but students disagree. 'IB allows us to truly push past what we already know and think not only on a local scale but a global level,' sophomore Sasha told KXAN Thursday morning. IB is a prestigious, internationally recognized program. Leander ISD's website said that students in both IB and AP classes are exposed to college-level curriculum and may earn college credits through the classes. However, the programs differ. 'The IB DP and AP are different in that IB is a whole-curricular program that encompasses six different subject areas as well as a theory of knowledge course, an extended essay, and a creativity, activity, service component. AP is course-specific, each course is independent of any other AP course offered, and AP courses are offered at all LISD high schools,' the LISD website states. Vandegrift and Leander High School were the only high schools in the district to offer the IB programs. Sophomore Kevin told KXAN he transferred from Cedar Park High School to be part of the program, leaving behind peers he's come to know over the last 10 years of his education. He said the program is 'awesome' and it's beneficial not only for the students involved in it, but also the whole school as well as the district, because it improves overall education and boosts enrollment rates. 'When it was removed, I couldn't believe it, I was in shock. We created a group chat to fight for what was right,' Kevin said. 'It is unfair that they can decide in a split second that they can remove what we've worked so hard to fight for.' Serena, a sophomore who moved to Texas from Canada last year, said she's been planning to participate in IB for six years now. She said she aspires to be a genetic engineer, and the program would have helped her get ahead before getting to college, now she's rethinking her plans. 'We got five days to redo our four-year plans, which was upsetting because we've been planning for so long,' Serena said. 'The day the message came out, I was furious,' Sasha told KXAN. 'I didn't understand why, there was no compromise.' Students plan to attend the board meeting Thursday evening and are posting on social media about the program. The message Sasha wants Leander ISD leaders to hear: 'Believe that we are enough and that we deserve the opportunities we get. Removing programs, specifically IB, isn't removing just money, it's removing students' opportunities.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Desert Island Dish with Jeremiah Macias
As part of our running feature about favorite meals from folks who work in the Austin restaurant industry, we recently caught up with Jeremiah Macias, the bar manager and beverage director of the Texas Saké Company on St. Elmo. Background: Macias was born in El Paso but has lived in Austin for most of his life, graduating from Vandegrift High School. He started work in the food industry as a food runner at a movie theater. Dig in: Texas Saké not only serves saké, a rice-based alcoholic beverage, it brews it as well. One of their specialties is a nigori ginjo, "an aromatic concoction of honeydew and coconut, with a soft mango finish," per the brewery. You can also grab food from Texas Sushiko at Texas Saké. You're marooned on a desert island. If you could have one dish, what would it be? JM:"I'd do the Sushiko spam roll. Being a Hawaiian delicacy, it immediately comes to mind for island food. You're taking a can of spam and elevating it with spices and making it into a sushi roll." What about dessert? JM: "I tend not to go for sweets too much. But I recently tried the matcha tres leches at Tare. Coming from my Hispanic roots and putting that flair with the matcha, it was just super tasty and great." What are you having to drink on your desert island? JM:"I would definitely bring a lychee mai tai, with a saké flavor to it. It's got a creaminess to it. I use fresh lychees and lychee juice, with our unfiltered sake we brew in-house. It definitely has that island vibe."
