The stars were shining brightly inside the Northbrook High School auditorium on a very rainy evening recently. The annual Character Without Question award winners—one from each of the 42 schools in Spring Branch ISD (SBISD)—were recognized at the beginning of the February Board of Trustees meeting.

This award is the highest and most prestigious recognition a student can receive in SBISD. Students at each school who exhibit outstanding character traits aligned with the SBISD Core Characteristics of a T-2-4 Graduate are nominated by teachers, administrators, and even peers for the Character Without Question award.

Standouts Among Their Peers

To achieve the Character Without Question award, the nominees met with a panel of judges at their schools for an interview, and a school winner was selected from this group. It wasn’t always the most outgoing and gregarious students who were chosen to represent their schools. Nomination comments from some of the winners included:

• “He is a quiet leader who is highly respected by his peers because of his pleasant, friendly, and hard-working attitude.”
• “Her level of selflessness stands out. All of her decisions and goals are aligned with helping others.”
• “Every second of every day offers her the opportunity to choose happiness.”
• “He is always committed to doing the right thing, even when it’s not easy. This makes him a role model for everyone around him.”
• “She has a resilient attitude and remains calm and focused even during setbacks. She inspires others to persevere, too.”

School winners were invited to attend the Character Without Question recognition ceremony at the Board of Trustees meeting. Most had family, principals, counselors, and teachers who attended the meeting to support their bright star.

Meet a Few of the Shining Stars

Fifth grader Carrington Charles is the Character Without Question winner at Bunker Hill Elementary. “It’s nice to know you are a good person, but it is really nice that other people recognize it,” she said at the pre-ceremony reception in the NHS cafeteria. “Who wants to be a bad person? You want to have a smiley face!”

Lily Fernandez, a seventh grader from Westchester Academy, attended the awards ceremony. She noted that her strong character helped her transition from elementary to middle school and to continue being kind, “just to a lot more people!”

“I was very honored to be presented with this award because it shows how I am making a difference,” she said. “My grandparents taught me how to treat people with respect and do what I need to do at school.”

Dominique Quellar, a 12th grader at NHS, said, “I am really proud to have gotten this award. I worked really hard to help my community and other students.” She is a member of the school’s National Honor Society and enjoys helping other students with their schoolwork. She credits her middle school teachers for helping her become more independent and self-sufficient in order to succeed. She plans to attend the University of Houston next year to major in accounting.

“I was surprised because I didn’t think I could win something so meaningful like this,” Brigitte Ayala said of her Northbrook Middle School Character Without Question award. “I am most proud that I always try to be respectful and responsible for everything, and keep my best behavior around everyone.”

She also said she would advise younger students to be themselves and know that bad choices can affect their futures. Making good choices is the best path forward!

A prekindergarten student from Bear Boulevard School for Early Learning, Vanessa Landin, holding two bouquets of flowers and wearing a sparkling dress, said it feels “good and kind” to win the Character Without Question award.

“She basically won because she is super helpful in the classroom,” said school director Claudia Salcedo. “She welcomes everyone in the classroom and makes them feel included.”

Recognition of Greatness

During the Character Without Question recognition ceremony, student names, grades, and schools were announced by Associate Superintendent for Communications and Community Engagement Linda Buchman as the students crossed the colorfully decorated stage to receive congratulations from school board trustees and Superintendent Jennifer Blaine.

Each student received a framed plaque to commemorate this outstanding recognition. They will also receive a Character Without Question poster featuring their photo, which was included in the stage decorations at the ceremony in the NHS auditorium.

Buchman also thanked the Spring Branch Education Foundation for its financial support of the evening’s festivities and awards.

At the conclusion of the event, the full group of 2025 Character Without Question winners assembled on the stage for a photo that included the school board trustees and superintendent. A myriad of supporters from the audience also gathered in front of the stage to take photos with pride, appreciating the tremendous honor the students had earned.

The big smiles on stage, and among the large group of photographers and well-wishers, added to the celebratory observance of excellent character in SBISD. Despite the downpours outside, it was a bright and memorable evening for each Character Without Question awardee—role models we can all be proud of. #SBISDProud

2025 Character Without Question Awardees

Schools for Early Learning
Bear Boulevard: Vanessa Landin
Lion Lane: Catalina Ramirez
Tiger Trail: Isabella Salgado
Wildcat Way: Camila Eagle

Elementary Schools
Buffalo Creek: Luis Valencia
Bunker Hill: Carrington Charles
Cedar Brook: Jai'Ceon Nunez
Edgewood: Esmeralda Cortez
Frostwood: Wade Purgason
Hollibrook: Melanie Ruiz
Housman: Mathias Valero
Hunters Creek: Elyse Lam
Meadow Wood: Charles Galimore
Memorial Drive: Drew Hays
Nottingham: Owen Avants
Pine Shadows: Hayden Marie Johnson
Ridgecrest: Sonia Aguilar-Michimani
Rummel Creek: Rhys Davis
Shadow Oaks: Thiago Villafana
Sherwood: Emerson Haskett
Spring Branch: Kimberly Villalobos
S.B. Academic Institute: Luke Wolfe
Terrace: Waylon Moser
Thornwood: Ella Presa
Valley Oaks: Penelope Lavoie
Westwood: Samuel Hernandez Rincon
Wilchester: Sarah Sims
Woodview: Lixsi Valle Rivera

Middle Schools
Cornerstone Academy: Claire Whalen
Landrum: Juliette Figueroa
Memorial: Alexandra Lee Garner
Northbrook: Brigitte Ayala
S.B. Academic Institute: Sara Roy
Spring Branch: Elise Erdin
Spring Forest: Lynette Zelaya
Spring Oaks: Eric Astorga
Spring Woods: Evangelym Mata Tovar
Westchester Academy: Lily Fernandez

High Schools
Guthrie Center: Claire Bernadac
Memorial: Paige Lindsay
Northbrook: Dominique Quellar
S.B. Academic Institute: Brooke McAfee
Spring Woods: Chelsea Sam
Stratford: Hana Riley
Westchester Academy: Flor Gasca Silva

View event photos here.