SponStar 2011-2012

2012 SponStars:

Carie Archer
Chisum High School; Paris, TX

Ms Archer has been involved with the Chisum High School Teens in the Driver Seat program for three years. She helps coordinate 10 program members, who meet weekly. Ms. Archer has assisted in at least six activities this year.

“Mrs. Archer has really helped our team get out of our comfort zone and spread the word to other teens.”

Words used to describe Ms. Archer: intelligent, integrity, compassionate, comforting and inspiring.

Janice Briones
El Dorado 9th Grade Academy; El Paso, TX

This is the second year Mrs. Briones has sponsored Teens in the Driver Seat program at El Dorado 9th Grade Academy. The team of 25 to 30 students meet every one to two weeks. She has assisted with at least six activities.

“Mrs. Briones made the largest difference by introducing the program last year in order to provide a channel for the grief our students felt regarding the loss of their friend in an auto accident. She turned a very traumatic, negative event in our lives into a learning experience that improved the lives of our students.”

“Mrs. Briones took on the role of sponsor last year. We lost one of our students in a car wreck early in early Fall of 2010. In order to prevent a similar event from happening, she started the Teens in the Driver Seat at El Dorado 9th grade. Immediately, she had close to 30 students working with her to get their message out. She made sure they all had shirts, that they all appeared as a team, and that they assisted the campus as much as possible.”

Becky Denton
Cypress Falls High School; Houston, TX

Mrs. Denton is Cypress Falls High School principal. This year she has worked with Teens in the Driver Seat to assist with a program photo-shoot and a USA Today interview. There are numerous students who participate in activities and anyone is allowed to present and implement an activity.

“Mrs. Denton is the definition of perfect! She would go out of her way to help any single individual on this earth! She has created and turned our school into one big family! She has more energy then most of us students & enough enthusiasm to pump up the whole state of Texas! Mrs. Denton isn’t just a principal in our school district, she is an inspirational role model for our community!”

Vivian Johnson
Naaman Forest High School; Garland, TX

Ms. Johnson has been a Teens in the Driver Seat program sponsor for four years. She helps 20 team members meet every other week and has assisted with 17 projects this school year.

“Her enthusiasm and dedication to the TDS mission is inspiring to me and makes a big difference in the lives of her students. I know that her work, and that of her team, is saving lives!”

“Vivian has a genuine understanding of the difference the Teens in the Driver Seat program can make in the lives of every teen that is touched. There is no way to guess how many lives have been impacted by her dedication to this program.”

“Ms. Johnson is the only counselor I have ever had that I can say cared about who I am as an individual and has helped me become a better person.”

Rhonda McGuire
Murray County High School; Chatsworth, G

Mrs. McGuire has sponsored Teens in the Driver Seat for two years. The team of about 40 SADD students meet once a month and have completed eleven activities this school year.

“Rhonda McGuire not only makes a difference in the lives of the students involved in the TDS program, she also makes a difference in the lives of the students that she teaches on a daily basis. Without having her it would be very difficult to be incorporated in some of the events that SADD hosts and participates in. She makes the students participating feel accepted and needed.”

Mrs. McGuire is described as intelligent, outgoing, helpful, trustworthy and friendly.

Dionni Olivares
C.C. Winn High School; Eagle Pass, TX

Ms. Olivares has been involved with Teens in the Driver Seat for three years. The team currently has 30 members and meets weekly. Ms. Olivares has assisted her team in over 20 projects this year.

“[Ms. Olivares] made a difference in me and our student council, because she actually cares about us and tries to get to know us.”

Ms. Olivares is described as outstanding, a great leader, simply fun, awesome and just plain amazing.

Suzanne Reese
Creekview High School, Carrollton, TX

Mrs. Reese has been sponsoring the Teens in the Driver Seat program at Creekview High School for the past five years. Her leadership class of 25 students meet every day during leadership class.

“She is so passionate about this cause and she makes us feel her spirit and become passionate about it as well.  From the first moment that she begins to talk about it you know how important it is to her.  She lights a fire within us to make us want this to be our cause as well.”

Mrs. Reese is describes as selfless, caring, young-at-heart, dedicated and sweet.

Laura Rizo
Desert View Middle School; El Paso, TX

Ms. Rizo has sponsored the Desert View Middle School Teens in the Driver Seat program for four years. The core of the Teens in the Driver Seat team is the sixteen students who are the official members of Desert View Youth Impact. However, other students, such as past members and other students, also take part in some activities. In all, there are over fifty students involved in the program in some way. The core team meets on a daily basis as part of a leadership class and completes activities on a regular basis.

“Ms. Rizo has a passion for empowering youth to spread the message amongst peers to live a drug and alcohol free life. She has tremendous energy and a terrific rapport with students as well as parents. Because she has such a great connection with students, as her students leave the middle school and move on to high school, her program has expanded to include students from at least three high schools. Ms. Rizo begins developing student leaders in middle school who carry on their message at the high school level. Her impact reaches far beyond this school.”

Susan Wiggs
Irvin High School; El Paso, TX

Mrs. Wiggs has been involved in Teens in the Driver Seat for over five years. Irvin High School currently has two students on the Teen Advisory Board, and a campus committee of five members, who meet weekly. One activity where Mrs. Wiggs was especially instrumental was the Teens in the Driver Seat Night, in which Mrs. Wiggs brought in numerous outside agencies to work with campus representatives in educating and informing community members.

“Mrs. Wiggs allowed me to feel more comfortable with sharing my own experiences and knowledge with others. Last year we had four of our students involved in a a near death accident at the end of the school year. Her compassion for the students and those effected allowed us to talk to the victims and work with them to share their amazing story. Mrs. Wiggs cares so much for her students that she inspires us to want to be better persons and safer drivers”