KILLEEN, Texas — A Killeen ISD student is being honored as a hometown hero.
V'Jae Brown, a senior at Shoemaker High School, has been selected as one of only 15 students across the state of Texas to be honored with the Texas Student Hero Award.
The award, given out by the Texas State Board of Education, honors students from pre-K through high school who "do an outstanding volunteer service that benefits their fellow students, schools or their communities". One student from each of the 15 State Board of Education districts is chosen to receive the award.
Brown, who also attends KISD's Career Center, has been an active volunteer for the Killeen Youth Advisory Commission (YAC) and has worked to promote recycling and improve safety, according to the district, even organizing a recycling art contest with the Killeen City Council and YAC.
KISD said Brown was also part of a team in the seventh grade that advocated for higher-quality streetlights and sidewalks in the neighborhood around Smith Middle School. The district said Brown and his group even won first place at a Speak Up Conference in Austin.
"His dedication to sustainability and service has inspired others to make a tangible impact in his community," said CTE Program Advisor Charlotte Heinze in Brown's nomination.
In addition to his community service work, Brown was a digital audio student at the KISD Career Center, co-hosted The Scoreboard Show before KISD's varsity football games, and was a frequent collaborator to broadcasts for KISD-TV and MY 91 Radio, according to the district.
Brown will be officially honored at the Killeen ISD Board Meeting on July 25, 2023.
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