Cypress Creek Inducts Three Alumni into 2023 Wall of Honor ClassÂ
Three alumni were inducted into the Cypress Creek High School Wall of Honor during a recognition ceremony at the school May 15.
The Wall of Honor recognizes lifetime achievements and significant contributions made by former students dating back to the opening of Cypress Creek for the 1976-1977 school year.
A Wall of Honor committee consisting of current and former principals, counselors and Cypress Creek staff selected the following three graduates to be inducted into the 2023 class:
- Michael Acosta, class of 1993;
- Justin Allen, class of 2009; and
- Paul Sanders, class of 1984.
Jim Wells, retired Cypress Creek High School principal and chair of the Wall of Honor committee, unveils the plaques of the 2023 Wall of Honor inductees during a ceremony at the school on May 15. The three-member class included Michael Acosta, Justin Allen and Paul Sanders. Michael Acosta studied communication and architecture at the University of Houston, and began a career journey that drew continually on the two as a play-by-play announcer for high school baseball and football games in 2001.
He then joined the Houston Astros, beginning a 22-year career in which Acosta filled many roles for the organization, including account executive, public address announcer, team historian and authentication manager. Acosta served as compiler for the 2013 commemorative book, Houston Astros: Deep in the Heart, Blazing a Trail from Expansion to World Series, and authored Houston Astros’ Golden Era in 2021.
In 2019, he founded the Astros Hall of Fame and continues to serve on the hall’s advisory board.
Acosta also serves as historian/preservationist for the Houston Astrodome and as a board member of the Astrodome Conservancy. He created an artistic scale model of the Astrodome, reIMAGINEd, to highlight future possibilities for the facility to remain the “eighth wonder of the world.”
“It’s all about legacy, what you do, what you accomplish and how that affects other people. I was really humbled by this,” Acosta said. “I’m used to recognizing others. I’m not one that really likes to have the spotlight on myself. I’m there to make sure the others are taken care of, so it’s nice when someone else says, ‘You have some accolades that are worth sharing.’ It makes you feel like you’ve done something right.”
Julie Hinaman, CFISD Board of Trustees vice president, congratulates Paul Sanders after he joined Michael Acosta and Justin Allen as the most recent Cypress Creek High School Wall of Honor inductees. Justin Allen is a former standout student-athlete for the Cougars, playing football at City College of San Francisco and New Mexico State where he earned a degree in business and marketing. While injuries derailed his dreams of playing sports professionally, Allen found a new focus in helping other young athletes.
He founded ALL-EN SPORTS PERFORMANCE in 2016, working with high school, college and professional athletes through off-season training. Allen serves more than 1,000 clients throughout the year, ranging from children as young as 4 years old to business owners and grandparents. He’s also worked with 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden and five-time All-Pro NFL wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
In addition, Allen created WE ALL-EN, a non-profit that provides a positive and nurturing environment for children through sports. The organization sponsors toy drives, holiday events and sports camps.
Allen said part of his motivation during his time at Cypress Creek was seeing how the school honors its alumni and their accomplishments. One of those includes inaugural Wall of Honor inductee and former All-Pro defensive tackle and Super Bowl champion Sam Adams.
“I’m not one to show excitement too much because I know how hard I work, but I dreamed of this,” Allen said. “So, to be able to walk past that wall and be able see myself, and have others walk past and see me and be inspired the same way I was inspired is special. I’ve never met Sam Adams or know him, but it meant something to me. I wanted to be up there like Sam, so I thank him because he motivated me.”
Cypress Creek High School 2023 Wall of Honor inductees, from left, Michael Acosta, Justin Allen and Paul Sanders, visit following a brief ceremony at the school on May 15. Paul Sanders has a national and international educational career focused on opening student potential. That includes currently serving as the College Board executive director for market management in Africa, the Americas, Canada, Europe and the Middle East.
After graduating from Texas A&M University with a degree in political science, Sanders began his educational career as a middle school and high school U.S. history teacher. He then joined College Board as the educational manager for K12 Services.
He joined Rice University in 2009, serving the International Baccalaureate program’s global head of recognition. He helped open pathways to post-secondary educational opportunities for IB students.
Since 2018, Sanders has worked with College Board where he managed the inaugural launch of the India Global High Education Alliance that united more than 100 secondary and post-secondary leaders to Delhi, India. He oversaw the detailed project plan for all phases of the program by collaborating with key internal stakeholders and collaborated with internal communications teams to develop and execute comprehensive working relationships.
“I’m humbled and honored—and very surprised. I’m happy to able to come back home,” Sanders said. “I just think about the memories I have here. Playing on the tennis team, the teachers and the community and togetherness. All those things really left an impact on me here at Cypress Creek, because it is an entire family. It’s gone through many changes from when I graduated here, but it’s still family.”
Source: Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
