Alice High School seniors sign to continue studies, athletics at universities
Janessa Cardona's move to Texas A&M-Kingsville gives Alice High School another visible college path, this time into the nation's only javelina mascot program.
In Jim Wells County, Alice High School’s latest signing-day moment carried a rare distinction: Janessa Cardona is headed to Texas A&M University-Kingsville, home of the only javelina mascot in the United States. The university says the first students chose the javelina in 1925, giving Cardona’s next step a direct link to a campus tradition that has lasted for a century.
Cardona’s move adds to a pattern that has made Alice High School a steady launch point for students moving into college programs and other postgraduation roles. Ryan Salas signed a commitment letter on May 10, 2022, to play football at Texas A&M University-Kingsville after a senior season that stood out in football and basketball and also carried him to the Region IV-4A track and field meet in the high jump. Earlier that spring, Alice lineman Dylan Mendoza signed his letter of intent on April 8, 2022, to continue his football career at Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri.
Those names matter in Alice because they give younger students a path they can actually see. Salas and Mendoza showed that a strong senior year at Alice High School can turn into a college roster spot, while Cardona’s connection to Texas A&M-Kingsville shows that the next step can also take a student into a role tied to school spirit and campus identity.
Alice High School has reinforced that message with college-focused events of its own. During College Day and the College Fair, students were approached by colleges, universities, Armed Forces recruiters and others. The school has also staged an Academics and CTE Showcase, signaling that the district is pushing students toward multiple postsecondary options, not just one track.
For families, coaches and the next wave of Alice athletes and students, the payoff is visible. Each signing adds another example of what can happen after graduation when classroom work, athletic development and school support line up in the same direction. In Alice, that makes every new signee part of the community’s broader record of opportunity.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
