Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas — Alberto Ramirez, a teacher at Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Southwest Early College High School, has received a $2,000 grant from Voya Financial’s 2026 Unsung Heroes awards program for an innovative project that will give students hands-on experience in engineering, construction and project management.
Ramirez is the only educator in Texas selected as a 2026 Unsung Heroes recipient and one of only 50 winners nationwide, Voya Financial said. The recipients were chosen from hundreds of applications submitted by educators across the United States.
His project, “Bridge Over Jevelina Pond,” calls for students to design and construct a donut-shaped pond in the center of the school courtyard, with a pedestrian footbridge crossing its full width.
Students will participate in the project from planning through construction. They will conduct a site analysis, calculate water volume and filtration requirements, select materials, and develop construction plans for both the pond and bridge.
Teams will also create scaled models, technical drawings, and budgets before construction begins, providing practical experience in civil engineering, structural design, sustainability, and project management.
The pond is planned to be hand-dug, engineered, and lined to safely hold approximately two feet of water. Plans call for two longer sides measuring about 35 feet and rounded ends approximately 15 feet across. We expect to introduce fish and ducks after the project is complete.
The Voya grant will help purchase essential materials, including a heavy-duty pond liner, underlayment fabric, drainage materials, reinforced edging, concrete forms, and lumber for the bridge framing.
“Great educators don’t just teach; they create opportunities, unlock confidence, and help students see possibilities they may not have imagined for themselves,” said Jon Reilly, senior vice president of Retail Wealth Management & Advisory Solutions at Voya Financial.
Ramirez now advances in the national competition for one of three additional awards. Voya will award an additional $5,000 for third place, $10,000 for second place, and $25,000 for first place.
The Voya Unsung Heroes program has supported innovative K-12 educators for 30 years. Since its creation in 1996, the program has awarded more than $6.66 million to 2,710 educators nationwide.
Unsung Heroes is part of Voya Foundation’s Voya Teacher Voices initiative, which supports educators through recognition, training opportunities, and financial assistance.
For Ramirez’s students in Pharr, the grant will help turn classroom concepts into a real-world project, allowing them to apply engineering and construction principles while creating a lasting addition to their school campus.
