Pictured (from left to right): Gawain Guy, Debra Daughtry, T Nguyen, Erica Davis Rouse, Col. William Smith.
By Reesha Brown
PISD Communications
Dobie High School hosted its annual Hall of Honor induction ceremony over the weekend to recognize five individuals, including four distinguished alumni and one faculty member, on their accomplishments and for being an inspiration to students. This brings the total number of inductees to 54.
The ceremony took place in the school’s auditorium in front of their close family members, friends and former colleagues.
The honorees included beloved faculty member Barry Harris, who passed away in 2018; YouTube sensation T Nguyen of Princess ToysReview; Erica Davis Rouse, a dynamic sales leader and notable Texas A&M alum; Gawain Guy, a record-breaking track and cross country stand out; and Col. William Smith, a decorated veteran.
Special dignitaries in attendance included School Board members Marshall Kendrick, Jack Bailey, a Dobie alum; Mariselle Quijano; and Superintendent of Schools Dr. DeeAnn Powell.
The event kicked off with the Dobie color guard, followed by a performance by the school choir.
Dobie English teacher Shane Brown served as the guest emcee for the evening. He introduced each inductee before they walked across the stage to receive their commemorative plaques and take a picture with Dr. DeeAnn Powell and Dobie Principal Franklin Moses.
Col. Smith was the first inductee to be recognized, followed by Guy, Davis Rouse and Nguyen.
While each bio flawlessly captured the careers and contributions of the inductees, it was Harris’ bio, in particular, that captured the audience.
“Barry taught English during the day. Barry also taught English during night school. He also taught English in summer school. You could find him on weekends proctoring SAT and ACT exams…,” said Brown. “When he wasn’t working, he was volunteering. Plenty nights, he played a role as a member of New Hope Family Worship Center. For those of you who didn’t know Barry, you really missed out on someone. For those of us that did, it was a joy.”
Brown, who knew Harris personally, said students who graduated from Dobie returned to the campus to visit him.
“When it came to his students, there was a level of accountability that if you did not meet it…you were going to be made aware. Yet, year after year, students would return to this campus to say, ‘hi,’ to him. They would bring their kids to meet him. What does that show? Number one: the respect and admiration you have for a teacher. And number two: You’ve been teaching a long time,” he joked.
Accepting on behalf of Harris was his sister, Debra Daughtry.
(Please watch the video below to listen to each bio. Click here to read their bios.)
Rev. Emory Gadd of Sagemont Church and longtime supporter of Pasadena ISD provided his remarks for the alumni inductee class.
“I love this campus. I love this school. I love this district. And one of the things I love about it are the students who graduate from this school. I tell the teachers and the faculty members…you never know who’s sitting in your classroom. You never know what they’re going to end up being and what they’ll accomplish and what they can do. It’s just amazing,” said Gadd.
“When we originated this Hall of Honor, every year we induct students that have established themselves. By establishing themselves, they have made Dobie very, very proud of them as they’ve gone on to accomplish a lot of things,” Gadd continued.
After the induction presentation, the honorees and guests poured into the hallway to add their plaques to the Dobie Hall of Honor Wall.
“Thousands of students walk these hallways every day and ask me when they can add their plaques to the wall. You are literally an inspiration to students who walk the halls of Dobie High School,” Moses said.
During the induction ceremony, Dobie also continued its annual tradition of announcing the winners of the Dobie High School Hall of Honor Scholarship. The honorees were presented with a big check for $4,000 to go toward their first four semesters in their post-secondary education. These scholarship recipients are:
- Casey Junkin - Volleyball
- Roy Gomez - Band
- Henry Nguyen – Early College High SChool
- Thuc Vo - HOSA
- Hannah Collazos – speech and debate
As of this year, the scholarship fund has awarded a total of 27 students with over $104,000 in only five years of its existence. If you’re interested in donating, please contact Dobie High School.
Please click on the link to view the photo album from the Dobie Hall of Honor.