VON ORMY, Texas – As the school year comes to a close, students from Southwest Legacy High School are gearing up for the BexarFest awards ceremony, which is set for April 2.
This program highlights the collaboration between local high school media teams and area nonprofits, allowing students to gain real-world experience while supporting their communities.
Adda Almazan, a 10th grader and team captain of the audio-visual team, shared her experience working on the project.
“I worked with the cameras. I worked the sound. I also did the editing here on the computer. And I also do coloring and working with audio,” she said.
Almazan’s team partnered with the Dellview Music Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to making music accessible to everyone.
“We wanted to highlight what they do, like the programs that they have,” Almazan said. “So we went to them, teaching fifth graders at elementaries.” She added, “Like all the clips that we have here, we wanted to show how they teach the classes, how they interact with other people.”
Joe Vega, the audio-visual teacher at Southwest Legacy, expressed his enthusiasm for the program.
“It’s been fun. The kids have, we’ve all just kind of jumped in, dived in head first, and got to work with our nonprofit. They’re really great people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ruby Benavides is leading the animation team, which has partnered with the nonprofit Rooted, a parent-led group that promotes traditional public schools.
When asked about her experience, Benavides said, “It was very nice because I myself have gone throughout Southwest ISD from elementary to high school.”
Benavides took on the role of final editor for her team’s project. “I was mainly doing the final cut, bringing everything together. So putting the animation on, putting the interviews together,” she explained.
David Chavarria, the animation teacher, noted the growth he has seen in his students.
“Most of them are very quiet and very shy, but they can draw immaculately and animate their characters,” he said. “This project allowed for them to kind of step out of that comfort zone.”
The materials created by both teams will benefit their respective nonprofits for years to come. With all projects submitted, the excitement builds as the BexarFest awards night approaches on April 2.
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