Spring Branch ISD Featured News

Memorial High teacher helps others after his own health scare

 

A Memorial High School teacher who beat back brain cancer, and is reaching out to help others do the same through Swim Across America, was featured on KTRK-TV 13 this week.

The ABC13 Plus story focused on Adam Schoen, a 12th-grade English teacher, and was told by reporter Charles Miller. It kicked off the week’s local coverage with a focus on several Spring Branch ISD schools. (Read full story below or see video.)

In addition to the Memorial High teacher’s positive personal account of battling cancer, ABC 13 professionals found plenty of good news to tell in Memorial and across nearby neighborhoods. In-the-news items included:

 

 

•    Meteorologist Elita Loresca on Monday visited excited young students at Wilchester Elementary School. Third- through fifth-graders learned real-word facts, like the highest and lowest temperatures ever recorded (Death Valley and Antarctica), and how today’s weather reporters use state-of-the-art, monitor-based backgrounds when broadcasting. Two young volunteers used a handheld microphone and projected backdrop to try out broadcasts. As they struggled to be synchronized amid laughter from peers, they found a new respect for the rigor involved in televised reporting.

•    Memorial High senior Conlee Dull was also scheduled to be featured by ABC 13 this week. Conlee’s family-related interest related to autism has led her to begin a jewelry business to send profits to the Easter Seals organization. She is also a volunteer at numerous camps for people with disabilities, and was a Life Skills aide for two years. Hats off to you, Conlee!

Read and view more about these stories here:
 

Meteorologist Elita Loresca at Wilchester Elementary:
https://vimeo.com/395285803 

ABC13 Plus Memorial Video and Story:
Video: https://abc13.com/5979551/

Story: Memorial HS teacher battling brain cancer swims to help others
By Charles Miller
Monday, March 2, 2020 5:55PM

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Adam Schoen is a well-known 12th grade English teacher at Memorial High School.

In 2018, Schoen was diagnosed with brain cancer and was forced to miss the entire school year.

"It was a lonely existence," said Schoen. "Being isolated at home, until my wife got home from work, was very different."

The school teacher also had to go through rehab to regain strength on the right side of his body. He couldn't sit-up following his brain surgery, and he eventually had to re-learn how to walk.

Thankfully, Schoen has recovered and has returned to teaching at Memorial High School.

"Mr. Schoen is a great person," says Daniel, one of his students. "I really appreciate him and want well-being for him."

In April, Schoen will be giving back to others who are in the situation he was in last year.

While he can't return to more high impact sports, he has taken to swimming, and he'll be participating in Swim Across America, a half mile race in Lake Houston.

He's swimming to raise money for MD Anderson Cancer Center.

You can learn more about Schoen's swim and Swim Across America at swimacrossamerica.org.

ABC13+ is a project that focuses on the hidden gems and unsung heroes from the communities you live in. Through our series, we're able to shine a positive spotlight on the amazing stories that deserve to be told.

Want to see more from the heart of your community? Check out your town's stories through our ABC13+ Facebook page.

Follow Chaz Miller on Facebook and Twitter