Spring Branch ISD (SBISD) students are turning classroom projects into award-winning stories, earning recognition for work that informs, inspires and gives others a voice.
The latest honor came Oct. 22, when the Foundation of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced a 2026 National Student Production Award nomination for Guthrie Center alumnus Xavier Alexander. His film, “A Nobody with Two Faces,” is nominated in the Outstanding Nonfiction Short Form category. Guthrie filmmaking teacher Horacio Rodriguez is recognized as the project’s adviser.
The national nomination follows five Lone Star Student Production Awards for students at the Guthrie Center and Spring Woods High School, along with a top film festival honor for Alexander.
Together, these achievements highlight the opportunities SBISD students have to discover their talents and develop their voices through filmmaking and journalism.
Five awards honor student storytelling
Students from Spring Woods and Guthrie earned five honors in the 2026 Lone Star Student Production Awards, announced Oct. 16. The awards followed nine nominations, including four for Spring Woods and five for Guthrie.
At Spring Woods, Anaisa Ferrera earned the Editor award for “My Little Angel.” A student in Joshua Ault’s journalism class, Ferrera said the recognition held special meaning because of her family’s connection to her work.
“It made me excited and proud of my hard work,” Ferrera said. “It meant a lot because my brother says I am his favorite sister.”
Ault said he is proud of his students’ talents in journalism and their growth as storytellers who help others’ voices be heard.
Guthrie filmmaking students, taught by Rodriguez, earned four awards:
Xavier Alexander: Best Fiction Long Form for “Picture Me Better.”
Xavier Alexander: Best Nonfiction Short Form for “Everything I’m Not; Everything I Am.”
Sebastian Mendoza: Best Photography for “Cinematography Reel – Sebastian Mendoza.”
Uriel Abalo Rosas, Miguel Hernandez, Alan Hernandez and Maximus Richey: Best Public Service Announcement for “Behind the Smoke.”
For the students behind “Behind the Smoke,” the project began as a class assignment and a chance to create something together.
“Working on the PSA was a fun experience that I could share with my friends in creating this video,” Abalo Rosas said. “At first, this PSA video was meant to be a class assignment, and we never thought we were going to win an award after submitting the video.”
Giving students a voice
Through campus journalism and Guthrie’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) filmmaking program, students have different opportunities to explore a shared interest: telling stories that matter.
Journalism students learn to ask questions, listen carefully and report others’ experiences. Filmmaking students bring stories to the screen through writing, directing, cinematography, sound and editing. Both experiences challenge students to consider their audience, collaborate, meet deadlines and make thoughtful decisions about how a story is told.
Along the way, students build confidence in their own voices and learn the responsibility that comes with sharing someone else’s story.
From Guthrie to national recognition
For Alexander, that next step is already underway.
Now a film student at the University of Texas at Austin, Alexander earned Best Overall Film at the 2026 All American High School Film Festival in New York for “If I Only Had Wings,” his final Guthrie film.
The production also received nominations for Best Direction, Best Screenplay and Best Drama. His separate film, “Without Their Dreams,” earned a Best Visual Effects nomination.
The Best Overall honor included a $120,000 full-tuition scholarship award, a Blackmagic camera and $1,000 in lens rentals.
His national Student Production Award nomination for “A Nobody with Two Faces” adds another achievement to the work he began at Guthrie. National award recipients will be announced Nov. 20 at noon CST on the NATAS YouTube channel, @TheEmmys.
Preparing for what comes next
Behind each honor are hours of planning, practice, collaboration and revision, supported by teachers who help students see what is possible.
For some students, these experiences help shape a college or career path. For others, they reveal a talent, build confidence or provide a way to connect with their school community.
Whether reporting a classmate’s story, producing a public service announcement or directing a film, SBISD students are learning that their voices matter and that their work can make an impact beyond the classroom.