Judge Sallie Gonzalez joins in on the Adopt-A-Senior campaign

Updated: June 4, 2020

Cameron County Judge Sallie Gonzalez poses in her courtroom alongside seniors she “adopted” from La Feria and Santa Rosa high schools. The seniors are, from left, Daniel Garza and Samantha Perez of La Feria High, and Cassandra Bernal and Cameron Cuevas of Santa Rosa High. Photo courtesy of Judge Sallie Gonzalez’s Facebook page

By BILLY WATSON
LFN

LA FERIA – Local communities continue to give love to graduating high school seniors.

Cameron County Justice of the Peace Sallie Gonzalez “adopted” 14 seniors from four different high schools as part of the ongoing Adopt-A-Senior campaign. Five of them went to Harlingen High, five from Harlingen South, two from La Feria and two from Santa Rosa.

La Feria seniors Daniel Garza and Samantha Perez, along with Santa Rosa valedictorian Cameron Cuevas and salutatorian Cassandra Bernal were among the adopted seniors.

Judge Gonzalez said she saw someone on Facebook who had adopted a senior, and decided to do the same because she has always been involved with the community and the local school districts.

“My staff and I, we actually kind of threw it (the idea) around, and I said, ‘You know what? I’ve been blessed. We’ve been blessed. None of us has gotten the virus, and let’s adopt some kids,”’ Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez sent out a message to the school districts requesting recommendations on who to adopt.

“It was an honor,” Gonzalez said. “These (students) are our future. They’re our future legislators, they’re our future doctors, or our future at whole. I have no children, so I love adopting kids that are interested in fulfilling something good in life, and that’s what makes me so happy.”

Gonzalez has been a judge in the area for the past 28 years and during that time she said she has been able to work closely with many children, and was honored to give some of them a little bit of advice.

“I always tell them, ‘Don’t let go of your dreams and reach for the stars.”’

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