Written by Diane Gomez, Regional Coordinator with the Office of Family and Community Engagement
I was once in the shoes of a DPS student. Daily, I interacted with adults that cared about my future and my life, both personal and academic. I had so many teachers, coaches, and paraprofessionals who wanted me to succeed in school and pursue my dreams. So I did, from ECE at Westwood Elementary to high school at West High School, I challenged and pushed myself to accomplish my goals. 
In 2005, I joined Team DPS as a paraprofessional at Barnum Elementary. After a short time away, I decided to return back to DPS in 2011. I am now a Regional Coordinator with Family and Community Engagement, and I am placed at West Career Academy. Each day that I interact with students I strive to make them feel valued, respected and supported. The best part of my day is getting a chance to see students that are happy to be at school. My best teachers made school fun, but also taught me what I needed to learn. When students are happy to be at school — that is my reward.
Our students deserve the best! I know that I can play an even bigger part of their success by supporting I Give for Team DPS, the DPS’ employee giving campaign. I love that I can give back to the community that gave so much to me. The DPS Foundation makes it easy to contribute, especially with the monthly payroll deduction option. I’ve been a part of the campaign for three years, and I encourage all of Team DPS to join me. It doesn’t have to be an unreasonable amount. Giving what you can, will go a long way.
I’ve seen the impact of the DPS Foundation firsthand. At West Career Academy, a staff member applied for the A to Z Fund grant to start up a student-run coffee shop. The students put their blood, sweat and tears in to build it from the ground up with the help of this grant. This is the second year the Dub Café is at West Career Academy, and it is providing students with an opportunity to have on-the-job experience and skills. This is just a small example of how donations to the DPS Foundation are used. Giving to the campaign is a way that we can all contribute to equity for the more than 90,000 students in DPS!
There is still time to join Diane and hundreds of other educators who support I Give for Team DPS. Find out how you can donate today. It will make a difference.