portraits
» AMARILLO ISD
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As an educator, Caprock High School Associate Principal Cheri
Hess has never worked anywhere she wasn’t also a student.
“Caprock is just one of those places that once you’re here,
you don’t want to be anywhere else,” says Cheri. “I loved being a
student here and I was very involved, but I don’t think I realized
why I loved it so much until I came back as an administrator.”
Cheri isn’t the only one. Currently, Caprock has about 30
alumni on staff . The trend has carried on long enough that
some of them taught Cheri when she was in school, and some
were taught by Cheri early in her career. Not to mention, Cheri’s
parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins also went to
Caprock.
There are lots of stories like that. Liaison Offi cer Joey Lopez
has returned to serve the school he once attended. Counselor
Mary Larkan is nearing her 40th year at Caprock as an educator;
that’s in addition to her time spent there as a student. Baseball
coach Trevor Cordova graduated from Caprock. So did his dad
who played on Caprock’s baseball team with Cheri’s brother.
At Friday night football games, generations of Caprock families
fi ll the stands.
Cheri admits it’s tough to put her fi nger on just what it is
that is so captivating about Caprock. “It’s hard to pinpoint why
we feel so strongly about the environment here,” she says.
“We had such solid community support when we came here
as students. We feel like we can give back by supporting the
generations that are coming up.”
Even with all the alumni, there’s plenty of room in the
Caprock family for newcomers. “Once they’re here, they’re a
part of the culture, too,” says Cheri of teachers and staff .
On a Friday night in November, during the last home football
game of the season, Cheri had the privilege of escorting a
member of the Caprockettes on to the fi eld as senior students
were recognized at halftime. “That’s the biggest honor anyone
could give me. They know I’m going to be there for them and
love and support them like they’re my own,” says an emotional
Cheri. “That’s what families do.”
opportunity for Gabriel to transition to one of Xcel’s
college intern positions and stay with the company.
Th
e possibilities that have come from Gabriel’s PRO
Internship could potentially take him beyond college
and into his career, and all because of his own hard
work and ambition, and the foresight of a mentor
who once walked the same path. “I’ve learned I can
do a lot more than I thought I could,” says Gabriel.
“I feel better about the future because of what I’ve
already learned and experienced here.”
If I can make an impact and help someone
decide on the correct career path for
them, that’s a good deal.
—Francis Dennis, Xcel Energy
As a
Hess
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We Are Family
Thirty Caprock Grads Return to Their Roots
PRO, or Pursuing Real Opportunities,
is a collaboration of
AISD, the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation and Amarillo
College. High school seniors who choose to become PRO interns are
matched with positions in their area of interest. The remainder of their
time is spent in the PRO classroom, focusing on soft skills the 21st century
scholar needs to master: work ethic, punctuality, time management,
team work and etiquette.
Interested in grooming high school students to one
day lead your business?
Business and community leaders can mentor high school seniors through
the PRO internship program. Once your business or organization has
interviewed and selected an intern, you can expect them to work four
to six hours each week during the school year. Contact Karyn Pierce,
AISD Director of Career & Technical Education at 806-326-1305 for more
information about hosting an internship at your business.