In Northside ISD, learning and success go far beyond test scores and accountability ratings. Northside's curriculum is based on six "Pillars of Character," developed by the Josephson Institute. The pillars are: Caring, Citizenship, Fairness, Responsibility, Respect, and Trustworthiness.
Teachers weave lessons about the pillars into classroom activities, and every year, the Northside Education Foundation selects six NISD graduates to represent each Pillar of Character. The six alumni serve as the centerpiece at the Foundation's annual fundraising gala and each must make a commitment to visit schools and speak with students.
A poster of the current year's pillars hangs in all 6,000 classrooms in Northside to remind students that everyone has the potential to be a Pillar of Character.
Pillars can be nominated by anyone in the community by completing the pillars nomination form. All nominees must be a Northside graduate. For more information, call the NISD Partnerships office at (210) 397-8599.
Pillar of Learning
Charbonneau Bailey, '09
Pillar of Trustworthiness
Dr. Scott Blattman, ’83
Pillar of Citizenship
Pete Vega, ’97
Pillar of Fairness
Mike Hodges, ’05
Pillar of Respect
W. Caleb McDaniel, Ph.D., ’97
Pillar of Responsibility
Craig Robinson, ’77
Pillar of Caring
Dr. Ronya Green, ’99
More information coming soon.
Past Pillars
| Title | Pillar of... | School | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diana Ely | Learning | Marshall High School | 2020 |
| Jasmin A. Dean | Trustworthiness | Clark High School | 2020 |
| Julia Barton Murphy | Citizenship | Clark High School | 2020 |
| John Picacio | Fairness | Holmes High School | 2020 |
| Dr. Alicia Wooten | Respect | Warren High School | 2020 |
| Dr. Erika Gonzalez | Responsibility | Health Careers High School | 2020 |
| Lorenzo Gomez, III | Caring | Health Careers High School | 2020 |
| Judge Rosie Alvarado | Citizenship | Marshall High School | 2019 |
| Mark Tezel | Trustworthiness | Marshall High School | 2019 |
| Capt. Jordan Eddington | Respect | Taft High School | 2019 |
| Daniel Flores | Fairness | Warren High School | 2019 |
| J.D. Story | Responsibility | Clark High School | 2019 |
| Imelda Lopez Sanchez | Caring | Holmes High School | 2019 |
| Cynthia J. Mendoza, Ph.D. | Trustworthiness | Holmes High School | 2018 |
| Dr. Mark Moran | Responsibility | Clark High School | 2018 |
| Cathryn Walker | Respect | Warren High School | 2018 |
| Suzanne Schorlemer Bailey | Fairness | Clark High School | 2018 |
| Anthony Beverley | Citizenship | Jay High School | 2018 |
| Monica C. Mendez, PT, DPT | Caring | Marshall High School | 2018 |
| Michelle Fiedler Mikesh | Responsibility | Taft High School | 2017 |
| Lt. Col. Colette Topfer | Trustworthiness | Taft High School | 2017 |
| Kristina Riffle Semukete | Caring | Marshall High School | 2017 |
| Michael Dominguez | Citizenship | Jay High School | 2017 |
| Frank Hakspiel | Fairness | Clark High School | 2017 |
| Mark Langford | Respect | Marshall High School | 2017 |
| Dr. Todd Gureckis | Fairness | Health Careers High School | 2016 |
| Kara Wilson | Caring | Marshall High School | 2016 |
| Dr. Simran Jeet Singh | Respect | O’Connor High School | 2016 |
| Laura Silva Nieto | Citizenship | Holmes High School | 2016 |
| James “Drake” McLean | Responsibility | Marshall High School | 2016 |
| Lori Castro | Trustworthiness | Taft High School | 2016 |
| SFC Chris Branagan | Fairness | Jay High School | 2015 |
| Dr. Jorge Alvarez | Trustworthiness | Clark High School | 2015 |
| Dr. Mandie Alice Tibball Svatek | Respect | Marshall High School | 2015 |
| Gina Jones | Responsibility | Jay High School | 2015 |
| J. Patrick Burk | Caring | Clark High School | 2015 |
| William F. Raba | Citizenship | Marshall High School | 2015 |
| Dr. Edward Carl Elder | Caring | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2014 |
| Kevin Wolff | Citizenship | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2014 |
| Dr. Meredith Rockeymoore Brooks | Responsibility | Health Careers High School | 2014 |
| Aaron Barker | Fairness | John Marshall High School | 2014 |
| James “Rad” Weaver | Respect | Jay and Clark High Schools | 2014 |
| Laura Elvia Hernández | Trustworthiness | John Jay High School | 2014 |
| Trey Martinez Fischer | Citizenship | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2013 |
| Keyhla Calderon | Respect | John Jay High School | 2013 |
| Dr. Mike Flores | Responsibility | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2013 |
| Coach Danny Padron | Fairness | John Jay High School | 2013 |
| Dr. Melissa Blough | Trustworthiness | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2013 |
| Scott Kafora | Caring | Marshall High School | 2013 |
| Uma Pemmaraju | Responsibility | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2012 |
| Wade Cleary | Trustworthiness | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2012 |
| Eric G. Burns | Caring | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2012 |
| Monica Velasquez McIlwain | Respect | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2012 |
| Giancarlo “John” Ortega | Fairness | William H. Taft High School | 2012 |
| Dr. Martha Pritchett Mims | Citizenship | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2012 |
| Charles E. Cantu | Responsibility | John Marshall High School | 2011 |
| William Hurd | Trustworthiness | John Marshall High School | 2011 |
| Woodrow Halstead III | Caring | John Marshall High School | 2011 |
| Paul Barton | Citizenship | Health Careers High School | 2011 |
| David Henderson | Fairness | William H. Taft High School | 2011 |
| Celina and Marina Suarez | Respect | John Marshall High School | 2011 |
| Heidi Bush | Respect | Mackey School | 2010 |
| Linda Goldfarb | Responsibility | John Jay High School | 2010 |
| Marcedes M. Fuller | Caring | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2010 |
| Darold Williamson | Trustworthiness | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2010 |
| Captain Janae C. Florance | Fairness | John Jay High School | 2010 |
| Diana Cruz-Zapata | Citizenship | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2010 |
| Dr. Laurie Richardson | Caring | John Marshall High School | 2009 |
| Lt. Col. Scott Thomas | Citizenship | John Jay High School | 2009 |
| Crystal Brown-Tatum | Fairness | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2009 |
| Col. Lisa C. Firmin | Respect | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2009 |
| Dr. Kristin Held | Responsibility | John Marshall High School | 2009 |
| Chuck Cureau | Trustworthiness | John Marshall High School | 2009 |
| Dr. Fred Bryant | Respect | John Marshall High School | 2008 |
| Maj. Steven Gventer | Trustworthiness | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2008 |
| Charles "Chuck" Booker | Caring | John Jay High School | 2008 |
| Dr. Geoffrey Orsak | Citizenship | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2008 |
| Donna Eckert-Fields | Fairness | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2008 |
| Tony Pelletier | Responsibility | John Jay High School | 2008 |
| Dr. Gurpaul Singh | Respect | John Marshall High School | 2007 |
| John Igo | Fairness | Locke Hill* | 2007 |
| Andy Ramirez | Caring | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2007 |
| Dr. Douglas Meffert | Responsibility | John Marshall High School | 2007 |
| Dr. Lisa Meffert | Responsibility | John Marshall High School | 2007 |
| Brig. Gen. Michael Wilson | Trustworthiness | John Jay High School | 2007 |
| Greg Meffert | Responsibility | John Marshall High School | 2007 |
| Katy George | Sandra Day O'Connor High School | 2007 | |
| Sarah Meffert Becher | Responsibility | John Marshall High School | 2007 |
| Col. (Ret) Jeff Meffert, M.D. | Responsibility | John Marshall High School | 2007 |
| Patrick Cornelius | Trustworthiness | John Marshall High School | 2006 |
| Michelle Ybarra | Responsibility | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2006 |
| Haroon Monis | Citizenship | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2006 |
| Col. Renita Foster Menyhert | Respect | John Jay High School | 2006 |
| Karen Grace | Fairness | William H. Taft High School | 2006 |
| Cliff Dugosh | Caring | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2006 |
| Kathy Bosse Gore | Citizenship | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2005 |
| Will Telford | Trustworthiness | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2005 |
| Dr. Scott R. Harper | Responsibility | John Marshall High School | 2005 |
| Dr. Shannon P. Marquez | Caring | John Jay High School | 2005 |
| Oscar Alvarado | Fairness | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2005 |
| Rev. Betty Meadows | Respect | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2005 |
| Robert Reyes | Caring | William H. Taft High School | 2004 |
| Eldridge Burns Jr. | Responsibility | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2004 |
| Jeffrey Hoberman | Respect | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2004 |
| Tamry Haby Johnson | Citizenship | John Marshall High School | 2004 |
| Phillip C. McKee III | Fairness | Health Careers High School | 2004 |
| John Bordano | Trustworthiness | John Marshall High School | 2004 |
| Cris Bera | William H. Taft High School | 2003 | |
| Rita Crockett | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2003 | |
| David Fisher | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2003 | |
| Elaine Mendoza-Gay | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2003 | |
| Tyrone Powers | John Jay High School | 2003 | |
| Tamara Serwer | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2003 | |
| Dr. Sara L. Gill | John Jay High School | 2002 | |
| Rodolfo Gonzales | William H. Taft High School | 2002 | |
| Priest Holmes | John Marshall High School | 2002 | |
| Dean H. Krueger | John Marshall High School | 2002 | |
| Mason Reddix | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2002 | |
| Dr. Maya Rockeymoore | John Jay High School | 2002 | |
| Susan Evers | John Marshall High School | 2001 | |
| Blake Warren Woolsey | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2001 | |
| Xavier Benavides | William H. Taft High School | 2001 | |
| Jay Fielden | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2001 | |
| Garrett K. Peel | Health Careers High School | 2001 | |
| Michael K. Hatchett | John Jay High School | 2001 | |
| Glenn E. Gill | John Marshall High School | 2000 | |
| Col. Catherine Bacon | John Jay High School | 2000 | |
| Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil | John Jay High School | 2000 | |
| Evan Young | Thomas C. Clark High School | 2000 | |
| Lili Kristan | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2000 | |
| Scott Kercheville, MD | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 2000 | |
| Wallace B. Jefferson | John Jay High School | 1999 | |
| Todd White | John Marshall High School | 1999 | |
| John Cornyn | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 1999 | |
| Jennifer Guitierrez-Utberg | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 1999 | |
| Harriet Marmon Helmle | John Marshall High School | 1999 | |
| Tom Yantis | Oliver Wendell Holmes High School | 1999 |
