The Socorro Independent School District honored its top educational partners who were All In to support schools and help students succeed during the 2025 SISD Partners in Education Recognition event.
Fifteen Partners in Education were recognized during the annual luncheon on April 25 at the Student Activities Complex (SAC) II. The top two awards were presented to Michael Guerrero from Lowe’s Home Improvement, who was named Business Partner of the Year, and Aurora Gutierrez-Guerrero from Horizon Heights Elementary School, who received the School Partnership of the Year award.
During the event, SISD Interim Superintendent James Vasquez thanked the partners for their support and emphasized their critical role in helping the district provide amazing opportunities to students in all SISD schools.
“All of it is because we have people like you, who have always and will continue to support us,” Vasquez said. “We couldn’t be the incredible district we are without you. Thank you so much for being the best Partners in Education a district could ask for.”
SISD proudly collaborates with more than 200 businesses, nonprofits, agencies, and organizations through its Partners in Education Program.
Gutierrez-Guerrero, the parent and family engagement and military liaison at Horizon Heights Elementary School, was recognized with the School Partnership of the Year award for establishing a meaningful collaboration with community partners that has greatly benefited both students and the entire school community.
Gutierrez-Guerrero said communication was essential to creating beneficial community partnerships.
“First and foremost would be communication,” Gutierrez-Guerrero said. “There’s a lot of businesses that are out there (that) would like to connect with the campus or the campus would like to connect with the business, and I feel that communication is just the key that opens up that door to connect that bridge.”
Lowes, winner of the Business Partner of the Year award, made a generous donation of gardening materials to Vista Del Sol Environmental Science Academy, which provided students with the opportunity to connect planting vegetables with science and math. This opportunity also helped them develop a deep sense of responsibility and stewardship for the environment.
"It's about helping the students,” said Michael Guerrero, Lowes’ outside lawn and garden supervisor. “Like I said before, getting that creative space and getting hands on. And the only way to do that is to have the actual product, like the seeds and the soil, learning what soil to use—just having them grow not only the plants but the students and their mindset and their educational ways. It means everything to me and to Lowes.”
2025 Team SISD Honor Roll winners
Assistance League Of El Paso – Operation School Bell
Theta Delta Lambda Chapter Of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
America’s Best Karate
Chick-Fil-A
Texas Kids Dental
The El Paso Elks Lodge #187
Peter Piper Pizza
Smoothie King
West Texas Driving Academy
Fort Bliss Division Sustainment Troops Battalion
Education Empowerment Award winners
Grand Canyon University
Aloha Foods Llc
Five Below