Our band members delivered an outstanding performance, proudly representing our program and campus. They earned 1st Division ratings from every judge—both on stage and in sightreading.
This is an incredible achievement, and we are proud of their hard work, dedication, and musical excellence. Congratulations to our YMLA Band! 👏
Go Lions! 🦁
YMLA High School Art Students Shine at VASE
YMLA high school art students proudly competed in the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) and brought home multiple awards for their outstanding creativity and craftsmanship.
Their hard work, talent, and dedication were recognized among students across the region, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements.
Congratulations to our young artists for representing YMLA with excellence!
Discover YMLA
We invite you to learn more about the Young Men’s Leadership Academy and how we prepare young men for leadership, academic excellence, and future success. Join us for an upcoming Information Session to explore our programs, meet our team, and experience what makes YMLA unique.
Information Sessions — March 28, 2026
Session 1: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Session 2: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
✨ Bonus: Free haircuts will be available for students attending the sessions!
Whether you're a prospective student or a family member, we look forward to welcoming you and answering your questions.
YMLA’s LOTC cadets delivered an impressive performance at the SAISD LOTC Drill Team Competition on March 6, earning placements in every event and demonstrating strong discipline, teamwork, and leadership.
Competition Results
- **2nd Place — Academic Test**
- **2nd Place — In‑Ranks Knowledge Inspection**
- **2nd Place — Unarmed Drill**
- **2nd Place — Armed Drill**
Representing Cadets
- Abel Fuentes
- Jason Ogunlana
- Adam Perez
- Joshua Ybarra
- Oscar Trevino
- Adam Licea
- Noah Brown
- Christian Reid
- Lester Rowe
- TJ Ojo
- David Sotelo
These cadets represented YMLA with pride and professionalism, showing that consistent effort and preparation lead to success.
Students from the Young Men’s Leadership Academy at Phillis Wheatley delivered an outstanding performance at the MESAC Regional Meet at Alamo Heights Middle School.
Team Achievement
Number Sense Team – 1st Place
Qualified for the TMSCA State Middle School Championship and ranked Top 2 in Class 3A in the San Antonio Region.
Team Members: Jeremiah Contreras, Noah Rodriguez, Thomas Barnes, Temiloluwa Ojo
Individual Awards
Temiloluwa Ojo – 2nd Overall, History
Tommy Rodriguez – 10th Overall, Maps, Graphs & Charts
State Qualifiers
David Sotelo – Mathematics
Temiloluwa Ojo – Mathematics, Number Sense, Science
Jeremiah Contreras – Number Sense, Mathematics, Science
Noah Rodriguez – Number Sense
Thomas Barnes – Number Sense
These scholars also competed against schools in Classes 4A–6A, demonstrating exceptional academic strength.
Next Competition
State qualifiers will compete at the TMSCA State Middle School Championships on April 11, 2026, at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Special thanks to Abel Fuentes, Oscar Trevino, and Jackson Evans for their leadership and commitment.
YMLA celebrates these young men for their hard work, discipline, and academic excellence.
Reminder: Monday, March 16, 2026 is a regular school day and is serving as the makeup day for the Jan. 26 weather cancelation.
Recordatorio: el lunes, 16 de marzo de 2026 será un día escolar normal y servirá como día de recuperación por las clases canceladas el 26 de enero debido al mal tiempo.
We need your voice, YMLA Families! We are pursuing a Senate Bill 1882 partnership with Texas A&M University-San Antonio (TAMUSA) to bring new resources, specialized funding, and academic opportunities to our campus.
Why it matters: This partnership is a major step in building a stronger YMLA for our young men. Make sure to check ClassDojo to watch Mr. Brown’s video explaining exactly how this benefits our students!
How to Vote:
🗓 Deadline: Friday, March 6th @ Noon
🔗 Link: bit.ly/3MTisfk
🔑 Login: Use your child’s Student ID.
(If you have multiple children at YMLA, please use the ID of your oldest child. One response per family!)
Every vote makes YMLA stronger. Let’s do this together! 🦁💪
Questions? Call the front office: 210-354-9652
Fine Arts and Electives Night, March 4, 2026!
A special congratulations goes to Christian Reid, who earned 1st place overall in Individual Male Drill, commanded by Jason Ogunlana.
Looking Ahead
YMLA will host the SAISD Drill Competition this Friday, and our cadets are ready to showcase their skills on our home campus.
This week, our LOTC cadets have been diving into career exploration using the district’s virtual reality headsets. Through these immersive experiences, students can “step into” a variety of professions and begin imagining their futures in a hands‑on, engaging way.
We will continue these activities throughout the upcoming week. Our goal is for every cadet to have at least one turn—ideally two—with the VR headsets so they can explore multiple career paths.
In addition to the VR experience, students are completing activities that help them think more deeply about:
Careers that match their interests
Colleges, training programs, or military pathways
Salary ranges and job responsibilities
As part of their assignments, students may ask staff members about their own career journeys. These conversations help students see real‑world examples of different professions and the paths that lead to them.
We’re excited to continue supporting our cadets as they explore their future possibilities.
We are proud to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our STEM scholars in the Texas Math & Science Coaches Association (TMSCA) Qualifier Meet!
🧠 Jeremiah Contreras qualified for the State TMSCA Meet in 8th grade Science held April 11th at UTSA and placed 10th overall in Number Sense, competing against 4A–6A schools. This is an exceptional achievement against some of the strongest academic competitors in the state!
📚 Temiloluwa “TJ” Ojo earned 7th place overall in History, demonstrating impressive academic knowledge and competitive excellence.
🏫 As a school, we also qualified for Regionals at Alamo Heights on March 7th, reflecting the strength of our math and science team.
Our students were visited by Elijah Garcia of the Atlanta Falcons today! 🤩 Elijah attended Stevens HS right here in San Antonio, followed by Rice University. He is a 4 year NFL player, currently playing with the Atlanta Falcons, on the defensive line.
Elijah took time out to come and talk to our students about following their dreams, but also the hard work and dedication involved in making them a reality. The biggest takeaway? He stressed that you must be committed to following a plan of action in order to be successful in anything you do! What a great opportunity and message for our young men! Many photos were taken and autographs collected! 😎
Jason Ogunlana - 3rd place Level I Greek Derivatives and Cum Laude recognition on the Pentathlon exam
Jeremiah Contreras - 5th place Level I Latin Vocabulary and Cum Laude recognition on the Pentathlon exam
Oscar Trevino - 6th place Level I Latin Derivatives
Eli Rodriguez - 1st place Level IV Reading Comprehension Advanced Prose & Magna Cum Laude recognition on the Pentathlon exam
Kaleb McKewen - 3rd place Level IV Advanced Grammar & Magna Cum Laude recognition on the Pentathlon exam
Jordan Johnson - 4th place Level IV Latin Vocabulary and Cum Laude recognition on the pentathlon exam
Joaquin Ramirez - 6th place Level IV Mythology
Jonathan Granato - 4th place Level V Roman Life
Gloriris Moore - 4th place Level V Greek History
Samuel Rodriguez - 4th place Level V Mythology and Cum Laude recognition on the Pentathlon exam
We are so proud of everything our young men accomplished and can't wait to see what they achieve at the state convention in April! Fantastic work, gentlemen!
Congratulations are in order for all of the students listed below. They have qualified to compete at the National Academic Championships in Orlando, Florida in the Science, History, and Geography Bees!
National Qualifiers:
TJ Ojo (2X Regional Champion - Science and History)
Moses Villarreal (2X Regional Runner-Up: Science and History)
David Sotelo (Regional Bronze Medalist: History)
Jeremiah Contreras (Regional Runner-Up: Science)
Wilson Marascio (Regional Silver Medalist - Geography and Regional Bronze Medalist - History)
Grayson Brooks (Regional Bronze Medalist - Science)
Abel Fuentes (Regional Runner Up - History)
In addition, TJ Ojo, Moses Villarreal, Wilson Marascio, and Abel Fuentes have also qualified for the International Academic Championships, representing our school on a global stage! 🌎
Please join us in congratulating our students on this outstanding academic achievement!
⏰ Don’t miss out! San Antonio ISD Choice Schools are open to all students inside and outside the district. Applications for 2026-2027 are open. Apply before the deadline ➡️ https://www.saisd.net/enroll
Mark your calendars:
▪️ Feb. 16, 2026: Priority deadline to apply for lottery
▪️ March 2, 2026: Choice lottery offers announced
▪️ March 18, 2026: Deadline to accept offers
#SAISDFamilia #SAISDEnroll
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⏰ ¡No se lo pierda! Las Escuelas de Opción de San Antonio ISD están abiertas a todos los estudiantes dentro y fuera del distrito. Las inscripciones para el 2026-2027 están abiertas. Solicite antes de la fecha límite ➡️ https://www.saisd.net/enroll
Marquen sus calendarios:
▪️ ️16 de febrero de 2026: Fecha límite de prioridad para solicitar a la lotería
▪️ 2 de marzo de 2026: Se anuncian las ofertas de la lotería
▪️ 18 de marzo de 2026: Fecha límite para aceptar una oferta
Jason O. delivered a standout performance, finishing among the top five individual players.
We are proud of our student competitors and thankful to the parents for their continued support, including providing snacks, drinks, and food during the competition.
Congratulations to our chess team on a great achievement!
TJ Ojo earned an outstanding 3rd place overall in History, demonstrating deep content knowledge and strong analytical skills.
Oscar Trevino placed 7th overall in Maps, Graphs, and Charts, showcasing solid data interpretation and geographic reasoning.
We are proud of their hard work, preparation, and commitment to academic excellence. Congratulations to both students for their impressive performances!
