Rick Alamillo Teaches Boerne ISD Students How to Be Champions for Life

Rick Alamillo is a coach at Boerne Champion High School in more ways than just in athletics. He teaches students across the spectrum of the campus how to be champions for life. In addition to his on-campus activities as teacher and coach, Mr. Alamillo seeks out employers to provide jobs for his students and schedules time to visit them on the job, mentor them and help them experience a successful transition into the workforce.

Combining his teaching assignment positions as special education transition coordinator, VAC (vocational) coordinator and assistant basketball/track coach, he has made a huge impact on Boerne Champion High. To help students from various areas of the campus support each other, he started a program called Boerne Buddies. Boerne Buddies pairs a student athlete with a special needs student. The students eat lunch and attend activities together, learning to appreciate each other's strengths. He has found that this helps mainstream students accept and respect the special needs students and builds self esteem for all the students involved. The program is so successful that this year there are 90 "Buddy" applications for 22 special needs students.

Overall, Mr. Alamillo says he wants students realize how important it is to find ways to help other people. This is a trait that they will take into their adult lives and make a difference for others.