LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Isaac Eguia was nominated by an anonymous colleague.

"The first time I met Mr. Eguia, he was a family and community engagement liaison for Alief ISD. I was new to the community and living with my aunt as I transitioned from Mexico," said the nominator. "I began taking ESL classes in Mr. Eguia's family center located at Best Elementary School so I could continue improving my English-speaking skills. He was such a great teacher. He showed genuine interest in making sure everyone in his center felt valued as individuals. His passion for helping our community made us feel like a real community...He gave everyone hope that regardless of the negative factors we saw and normalized every day, we were, in fact, a community of parents who loved their children. He inspired us to accept our neighbors and to advocate for our needs. Mr. Eguia created the best family events that not only engaged our families, but brought us together in a space where we could better appreciate our children's education."

Mr. Eguia can pack in his family center with parents all day long, offerring GED classes, as well as nutrition and financial literacy classes. He also offers community resources and referrals for food, clothes, financial assistance, and mental and emotional wellbeing. He connects the community to organizations, community clinics, and other centers that the families might not know they have access to.

"His time at our school was truly a change in the culture for our school and community," said the nominator. "Everyone who knows Mr. Eguia knows he always has a smile and is always willing to help. There isn't anything he can't do. He would even host fun days in the park next to the school with his own money, just to bring out families to play, eat BBQ, and most importantly, get to know each other. It was beautiful to have such a loving person in our community. He has definitely changed the lives of many students and families. The families show that they love having him on their campuses by being present, volunteering, and of course, showering him with homecooked meals."

"Mr. Eguia even helped me become a volunteer in the school. Eventually, I became an employee, and I've been employed by the district for the past five years," said the nominator. "He raised family engagment by 300% and brought the school rating for family participation from an F rating to an A rating in his first year. He also started the school's Boys Club, where he mentored 25 students and was able to raise $1500 in one day to buy nice dress clothes with a logo embroidered blazer for all of them. The students had never felt so much confidence in their new look, which they wore on field trips to visit the downtown theatre. His events definitely brought out the highest attendance."

Mr. Eguia sought a new challenge and moved on to the middle school level, where he replicated his relationship-based results. He has been exceeding his district's expectations since day one by focusing on building meaningful relationships and creating a welcoming, positive environment. 

The middle school's family presence and participation had the lowest rating for middle schools in the district, once again. Mr. Eguia brought in a breath of fresh air that reinvigorated the families at that school . He created some relationship-centered programs to help fathers strengthen their relationships with their kids. He packed out the cafeteria and had almost every family hugging each other and crying by the end. Mr. Eguia is truly dynamic and has a heart of gold. He knows exactly what each community needs by listening and assessing the families. 

Even when the pandemic hit, Mr. Eguia did not lose a step in making sure families were connected and felt valued. When the 2020-21 school year began, he immediately worked with the principal to have monthly town halls with families to keep them informed. He also created great presentations on self-care, emotional intelligence, and self-esteem. He brought in experts to host an evening with families and students, where they did restorative circles to work through some of the stresses and issues that the pandemic brought out.

Houston was hit with a severe winter storm on top of the pandemic, and many families lost homes, clothing, and jobs. Mr. Eguia quickly got to work connecting and partnering with community organizations. Together, they collaborated to provide free eviction & rental assistance workshops (which had over 100 attendees, the highest virtual attendance), connecting kids to Medicaid, and addressing the rise in family/domestic violence, all of which had many parents engaging the guest speakers and asking questions. 

Mr. Eguia understands people and communities. While doing all of these amazing things for Alief families, he was going to college and recently graduated summa cum laude, earning a bachelor's degree in social work. The district wasted no time making him their first and only family social worker. He truly applied the ethics and values of social work before he had the degree. He was meant for this, and the district would not be the same without him. Mr. Eguia is one of the most resourceful individuals, and if he doesn't have the answer, he will find one. 

Mr. Eguia was asked at the last minute to work in the summer program at the high school. This program assists and provides support to the homeless/unaacompanied populaition. Again, Mr. Eguia's personality was on display. The kids gravitated towards him, and he connected so well to them. He has even helped some of the students get involved in the community by volunteering and getting involved in community organizations. There is nothing this guy can't do.

After he leaves his job in the district, he continues to work for the Alief community as an advocate and mentor. He volunteers at food and school supply drives, and he's actively serving on committees working on a variety of social justice initiatives, such as ending youth incarceration in Black and Latino communities.

"We hope we never lose him," said the nominator. "He not only changed my life, but he continues to change the lives of every campus and community he serves with his passionate ray of positive light and ability to create magic."