Veterans Memorial High School students turned a senior classroom project into an opportunity to help local families. A total of 17 students from Robotics and Business Professionals of America received their industry-based certification from the Internal Revenue Service last year to start the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that helped many local families with their 2022 income tax return.
This incredible VMHS team has been sought out by other Texas school districts to help with training as they too have planned to open their VITA program in their respective schools. The VMHS VITA project managers, Jazmine Lozano and Ian Hinojosa, had a virtual training for Klein Oak High School, Klein Cain High School, C.E. King High School, Harmony ISD, and Galena Park ISD. They were able to share how they started the VMHS VITA program and were able to provide them the procedures and protocols.
“I’m super excited that we have the opportunity to mentor four different districts from the Houston area, because we want to see this program continue to expand,” states Jazmine Lozano, VMHS student/ VITA general manager. “It is a program where students are helping students, as well as students helping the community.”
This group serviced a total of 70 families last year and helped them get over 156,000 in refund dollars. This year they will be expanding their services from two times a week to three times a week including Saturdays from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. This service is for families that make $60,000 of household income or less.
According to Veronica Burgoa, VMHS teacher and VITA site coordinator, a total of 17 students participated in the VITA program last year and this year she is hoping to grow the program by 100 students. They are National Honor Society students that have been invited to join the program as part of a class project. She states that VITA is an industry-based certification and once earned can help students be better prepared in this field. It also opens employment doors for them since they can seek a job at the local, state, or national level.
“I hope to earn all three certifications this year which will not only help me now but also in the future,” states Ian Hinojosa, VMHS student/VITA general manager. “I could get a job straight out of high school that will help pay tuition while I’m in college. It means a lot to me to be part of VITA.”
The VITA program kicks-off the first week of February and this free service will be available to families that have a household income of $60,000 or less annually. Please email [email protected] or call (956) 323-3203 to schedule your appointment.