07/20/2025
HONORING AREA STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
By Pete Vasquez
[email protected]
On Saturday, July 19, the SB Mosser Masonic Lodge #912, A.F. & A.M., gathered in Alice to present scholarships and teacher honorariums recognizing outstanding scholastic and civic achievement.
The event included a celebratory luncheon for recipients and their families, complete with cake, coffee, and refreshments.
The Student Scholarship Recipients
each received a $500 scholarship to support their future studies:
Avery Calvez – Agua Dulce
Brooklyn Bowdoin – Alice
Natalie Garcia – Alice
Gabriella Gonzalez – Alice
Jakub Barrera – Ben Bolt
Celeste Arizpe – Ben Bolt
Zachary Starns – Orange Grove
Angelica Muniz – Premont
Joey Barrera – San Diego High School
Maya Porter – San Diego High School
Teacher Honorarium Recipients
Leslie Ledesma – Ben Bolt
Alicia Guerra – San Diego
Lodge members praised both students and teachers for their dedication to scholastic success and meaningful community involvement.
The SB Mosser Lodge's Charlie Ragland was happy to once more deliver to those who earned it. "This is our fifth year we do this. We have a selection criterion that we go through where we look at not only their academic standards but also their community involvement and look where they're going to college."
According to Ragland that's the background information that they use to make their selection. He admits that it's a tough choice year after year because there's a lot of applicants that go through that.
"What a lot of people don't realize, know, understand or haven't learned in our Texas history, the foundation for the public-school systems started during the republic of Texas days," he said. "And it has been carried forward in our teachings when they had them in lodges, churches homes and what not. It was also the foundation for the two land-grant universities in the state, the A&M and the Texas systems. That always brought about it and put into place back in the republic of Texas days. So, our history with public education, teaching and fostering young students has been going on for many, many years."
The lodge has a long-standing commitment to promoting education and civic responsibility. In previous years, they've awarded scholarships to students and to teachers, acknowledging academic excellence and public service.
* Photos submitted by Lisa Salazar Garcia
