Cherish Center
8800 McPherson Rd. Laredo, Texas 78045
The United Independent School District Cherish Center is a renovated 21,000 square–foot facility serving special needs students from the District’s four high schools. The Center offers two specialized programs. One is designed to help our students with life after graduation through an alternative vocational/career curriculum. This includes hands–on training in the following areas:
• Business Media
• Commercial Food Service
• Hotel Hospitality
• Horticulture
• Retail Merchandising
A separate program for severely disabled students will offer them an alternative to homebound services or placement far away from home. The specialized units include:
• MLC (Motivational Learning Center)
• SLC (Structural Learning Center)
• Medical Fragile
The Center will advance the goal of the District’s Special Education Program to provide education and training to all special needs students so that they have the opportunity to live more independent, successful and fulfilling lives.
Staff
| Name | Position | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucy Gutierrez | Lead Teacher | lgutierrez@uisd.net | (956) 473-1778 |
| Blanca C. Almaraz | Teacher, Retail Merchandise | balmar47@uisd.net | (956) 473-1787 |
| Maria C. Arriaga | Teacher Aide, Retail Merchandise | marri49@uisd.net | |
| Sanjuanita M. Avalos | Teacher, Business Media | sjavalos@uisd.net | (956) 473-1779 |
| Geraldine E. Botello | Teacher, Hotel Hospitality | gbotello@uisd.net | (956) 473-1773 |
| Abraham R. De la Garza | Teacher, Horticulture | adelag14@uisd.net | (956) 473-1780 |
| Carlos Carranco | Teacher, Culinary Arts | carlos.carranco@uisd.net | (956) 473-1782 |
| Edwina Garcia | Teacher Aide, Business Media | egarc62@uisd.net | |
| Monica N. Gonzalez | Teacher, SLC | mgonza53@uisd.net | (956) 473-1784 |
| Steve Gonzales | Teacher Aide, SLC | sgonzalez4@uisd.net | |
| Cynthia Guevara | Teacher Aide, Hotel Hospitality | cguevara1@uisd.net | |
| Iris Y. Martinez | Teacher Aide, SLC | imarti30@uisd.net | |
| Jesus Diaz | Teacher, Medical Fragile | jdiaz68@uisd.net | (956) 473-1781 |
| Maria G. Salas | Teacher Aide | msalas27@uisd.net | |
| Martin Santa Cruz | Teacher Aide, Horticulture | msant18@uisd.net | |
| Diana Barrios | Office Clerk | dbarrios@uisd.net | (956) 473-1770 |
| Angie Garza, R.N. | Nurse | angelag@uisd.net | (956) 473-1775 |
| Diana Del Angel | Teacher Aide | dcdelangel@uisd.net |