The Alief ISD Public Relations department won several Star Awards at the Texas School Public Relations conference, which was held in San Antonio, Texas, from February 17 to 20.
Adelina Cruz, Social Media Liasion, and Mike Alvarez, Multimedia Specialist, are affectionately known as the “PR Dynamic Duo.” They provide the department with creativity and artistry through the photos and video lens.
Cruz and Alvarez submitted six projects and won four awards in the following 15,000-40,000 student enrollment categories:
Gold - Adelina Cruz - “Choose Alief: Your Pathway to Excellence” flyer
Gold - Adelina Cruz - “Engage, Explore, Enroll: Discover Alief’s Innovative Pre-K Programs” flyer
Bronze - Adelina Cruz - Voices of Alief logo
Gold - Mike Alvarez - “Alief ISD Black History Month-Ella Jefferson” video feature story
When asked how they feel about winning their awards, Mike, who isn’t ordinarily short on words, said, “I feel honored to be able to share Ella Jefferson’s story. She’s a trailblazer in Alief, and it was a joy to share her with the world.”
Adelina echoed his sentiments: “I’m happy to have the opportunity to work with so many amazing stakeholders in and out of Alief,” she said. “Being recognized on this level is such a huge honor, especially because it’s our (Mike and Adelina) first time submitting projects as team members. I look forward to more opportunities to share our talents with the world.”
Kristyn Hunt Cathey, APR, Chief of Communications & PR, who received her own recognition at the conference during her installation as TSPRA president, beamed with pride as her team members' names were called. “One of my main goals as department lead is to encourage my team members to amplify their talents,” she said. “Knowing the hard work they put into creating stories with images makes my heart proud, and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store. They bring so much value to this team, and I’m grateful to work with them daily.”