Each year, as part of Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s Dream Maker Award celebration, we at Key Ideas are invited to do something we deeply value: tell a story that matters.
The Dream Maker Award honors an individual who has impacted the university, its students, and the broader San Antonio community. And it’s not just a night of recognition — it’s an evening that fuels opportunity. All proceeds from the event go directly toward scholarships for students at Texas A&M–San Antonio.
In 2024, we had the honor of telling Alyssa Valdez’s story, filled with heartbreak, resilience, and triumph.
A Life Changed in an Instant
Alyssa had just finished middle school and was gearing up for her freshman year in high school — she was a competitive cheerleader, full of energy and ambition. Her life revolved around tumbling routines, team practices, and dreams of cheering under Friday night lights.
Then, one summer day, everything changed.
On a trip to Houston with her cousins, a routine pit stop turned tragic. Just minutes after leaving the gas station, their car was T-boned on the passenger side — exactly where Alyssa was lying in the back seat, resting her head. She was 14 years old.
The accident left her with a spinal cord injury. Doctors told her family she would never walk again — that she’d never move anything below her neck. The news was devastating, especially for someone whose life had always been defined by movement.
Mourning and Rebuilding
The first year was the hardest. Alyssa describes it as a time of mourning — not just for the physical abilities she lost, but for the person she used to be. She had to relearn everything: how to brush her teeth, how to write, how to transfer into her wheelchair, how to live.
But she also discovered something deeper: the grit to start over.
Her competitive spirit — the one that drove her in cheerleading — became her engine in physical therapy. Day after day, she pushed herself. Progress came slowly, but it came. And with every hard-earned win, she rebuilt her confidence and sense of purpose.
A Second Act in Education
A few years later, Alyssa made the decision to go to college — and initially, it wasn’t easy. Her first attempt at Texas A&M–San Antonio didn’t go as planned, and she had to take a break. But during that time away, she found the clarity that she wanted this — not just for herself, but for the students she hoped to one day teach.
When she returned to A&M–San Antonio in 2020, she did it with a new sense of focus. She asked for help. She got involved. She joined student organizations like the Transfer Student Mentor Program, VESSO, and the National Honor Society of Student Leadership. She even co-founded a new group called Jags Teach — a student organization built to support aspiring educators — and eventually served as its president.
The girl who once thought she couldn’t be a teacher because of her disability was now helping others believe they could, too.
First-Year Teacher, Full-Hearted Impact
Today, Alyssa is a first-grade teacher at Sinclair Elementary. And for the first time, she has a class of her very own. She calls them her “little ducklings,” and they’ve already learned what we all have — that Ms. Valdez’s wheelchair isn’t a limitation. It’s a symbol of strength, and they’re proud to help her roll through the halls, to learn from her, and to be loved by her.
Her students don’t just see her. They get her. They know what she’s overcome — and without knowing it, they’re learning about perseverance, compassion, and the kind of leadership that can’t be taught in a textbook.
At Key Ideas, we specialize in mission-driven storytelling. But more than that — we believe in it.
This video isn’t just another project. It is an opportunity to share our belief in the power of education, community, and perseverance. Alyssa’s story reminds us what’s possible when support, determination, and purpose align.
We’re proud to support Texas A&M University-San Antonio and the Dream Maker Award. And we’re honored to help tell stories like Alyssa’s — stories that don’t just inspire but truly make a difference.
