Mission, Texas- It was a night to remember for many of the performers associated with the Veterans Memorial High School (VMHS) football game on November 8. The Patriots Stars had their annual Junior High Showcase that evening. During this showcase event, the Stars are joined by the R. Cantu Jr. High School (RCJH) Starlettes and the Mission Jr. High School (MJH) Starlettes. This gives the junior high school dance teams an opportunity to know what it is like to participate in activities during high school games and to perform on the field should they become VMHS Patriot Stars in the future.
This year, the Patriot Stars also wanted to promote inclusion as a part of their activities and were joined by students served through special education services. They were named honorary Patriot Stars for the event.
“The Stars loved working with these students and had been looking forward to this performance for quite some time,” said Yajaira Ortiz, Patriot Stars director. “Everyone worked extremely hard and were very excited to be on the field in uniform. Seeing them enjoy their time in the stands and on the field has been one of my favorite moments as an educator.”
Patriot Star officers, Karina Pena (major), Darlynn Barrera (co-captain), Alexa Gonzalez (first lieutenant), and Alyssa Cantu (second lieutenant) agreed. “Getting to see their beautiful smiles was such a wonderful feeling. We can’t begin to express how wholesome that moment felt.”
The Patriot Stars hope to have more opportunities like this in the future. They also thank the Special Education teachers and parents at VMHS for their support in the effort.
The Patriot Stars are under the direction of Yajaira Ortiz. The MJH Starlettes are under the direction of Aissa Mirelez. The RCJH Starlettes are under the direction of Analisa Mercado.
# # #