Juliana Mendez, Kayla De Leon, and Melanie Garcia earned top honors to submit to the Texas Youth Creators Awards.

Juliana Mendez – 1st Place with “Tech Sky” (color photography)
Kayla De Leon – 2nd Place with “Relaxing” (color photography)
Kayla De Leon – Honorable Mention with “Bright Future”
Melanie Garcia – 2nd Place with “Freedom” (color photography)
Melanie Garcia – 3rd Place with “Firestarter” (B&W photography)

Jimmy Carter’s staff is immensely proud of these exceptional students and their amazing artistic talents. The submission and students are guided and mentored by Ms Valle.

Ivan Silva serves as the advisor for RedGold News Student Publications, where he mentors student journalists and oversees all aspects of the publication. In addition to his work with RGN, Silva teaches Dual Enrollment courses in Speech Communication and Interpersonal Communication, helping students bridge the gap between high school and college-level academics.

He is also an adjunct instructor at South Texas College (STC), where he brings his expertise in communication studies into higher education classrooms. On campus, Silva is actively involved as the UIL Coordinator and UIL Journalism Coach, guiding students to success in academic competitions at the district, regional, and state levels.

Through his combined roles as Journalism Advisor, RGN Advisor, and educator, Silva is dedicated to fostering student voice, leadership, and excellence in communication, both in print and beyond.