On April 21st and April 23rd, the Jack E. Singley Academy took part in the Shattered Dreams "Every 15 Minutes" campaign program. Shattered Dreams is an educational program that spans the nation in order to educate students, parents, and the community about the serious issue of underage drinking and driving, by providing a realistic experience and encouraging them to make positive choices. We took part and decided to hold this program before our prom on April 25th to increase the awareness over and avoid commonplace destructive decisions.
Starting at 8 A.M on April 21st the program called out, over intercom announcement, the fictional death of a Senior student every fifteen minutes. The student was then removed from the room as an officer read their eulogy to the class. At this time the students change into all black outfits and are not permitted to communicate with anyone for any reason other than a teacher for educational purposes.
On the morning of April 23rd a full accident was simulated with the help of student participants, faculty, and the Irving police and fire department. Thanks to the dedication of these people a full accident was enacted to demonstrate the situation that occurs from decisions such as drinking and driving.
The loss of a loved ones life is tragic and is estimated driving while intoxicated creates new tragedy every fifteen minutes. In 2002, 3,827 teen drivers were killed as a result of these destructive decisions. Shattered Dreams aims to increase the awareness of how these decisions can impact the lives of you, your friends, family, and community. Rebuild 2015 finds this program incredibly important as prom approaches and the pressure to make destructive decisions such as drinking and driving and drug use increases. We encourage students attending prom to look at this program to understand the results that could occur, and that do occur every 15 minutes, from these decisions.
We understand that for many, these scenarios present sensitive topics and memories that some may wish to speak about. We definitely encourage this, and if you want to speak about Shattered Dreams or how it has affected you please visit the counselors during school. During the course of the program we saw a myriad of emotions take place within the student body here at the Academy and even outside our school walls; Many of them incredibly genuinely.
We appreciate the counselors and other administration that helped coordinate everything and extend that appreciation to the Seniors that participated in the simulations in order to make an impact. Thank you to the student body as well. We hope this has created a more realistic view to the tragic results of such destructive decisions.
If you want more information about the program please visit every15minutes.com
Here are the names of those seniors that took part in the every 15 minutes campaign on April 21st along with their eulogies of their simulated death:
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Barbara Rangel
Time: 12:00 PM Period: 7th
Room: OFFICE Teacher: VILLAREAL
Story:
Barbara Rangel was on her way home from prom. While she was texting her friends she drifted into another lane. When she noticed she tried to correct her car and ended up over correcting. Her car did a 180 degree turn and spun into oncoming traffic. Barbara later died from her injuries while in the hospital.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Bri Cowley
Time: 2:00 PM Period: 8th
Room: 265 Teacher: McCALIP
Story:
Bri was riding home from theatre rehearsal with a close friend. Another driver was not paying attention, went the wrong way on the road, and hit their car head-on. Bri was dead at scene killed on impact.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Chidmma Okwara
Time: 9:30AM Period: PACE
Room: 222 Teacher: H. Bradley
Story:
Chidimma Okwara was driving to her internship when she was hit head on by someone who was texting and driving. The driver drifted into opposing traffic going 75 in a 30 and Chidimma was unable to get out of the way before she was hit. Chidimma was pronounced dead on arrival.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Christina Guel
Time: 1:15 PM Period: 7th
Room: Teacher: SALAMANCA
Story:
On her way to prom Cristina Guel and her friends decided to have a couple of beers which later turned into drinking liquor. After prom Cristina and her friends went to a party where they consumed a lot of alcohol in a very short amount of time. Not being able to tell right from wrong Cristina continued to drink. Cristina was not feeling well, so she drove herself home. At the first stop light, Cristina started to feel very sick and passed out. She was unconscious by the time the emergency team arrived to assist her. Cristina died of alcohol poisoning before being able to get to the hospital.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: DeAndre Betters
Time: 10:15 AM Period: 6th
Room: 249 Teacher: FULMER
Story:
17-year-old North Texas high school senior, DeAndre Betters, was killed when his friend crashed the car while texting. The accident happened at about 3 p.m. on West Exchange Parkway near Trinidad Lane in Allen. DeAndre Betters died when the car veered off the road, hit the curb and then struck a rock wall. No other cars were involved in the crash.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Eli Lucero
Time: 9:40AM Period: PACE
Room: 222 Teacher: H. Bradley
Story:
After a late night at school working on club projects, Eli Lucero asked Ruth Monjaras to pick him up to take him home. Upon entering the car Eli was made aware that Ruth was severely intoxicated and he became hesitant about entering the passenger seat. While driving, Ruth failed to notice a red light and got hit midway through the intersection of Northgate and MacArthur by a moving truck. The crash was fatal to Eli and Ruth as they were both unable to be revived at the hospital. He was pronounced dead at 8:27pm that night.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Erika Fuentes
Time: 8:30AM Period: 5th
Room: 126 Teacher: Huckeba
Story:
Erika Fuentes has died today at 7:15 am on her way to school due to the fact that she was texting while driving. She was texting her best friend instead of paying attention to the road. She never expected to get hit by an 18 wheeler. Erika was so busy texting that she didn’t notice the 18 wheeler coming at a high speed. When the 18 wheeler hit the car it made Erika's car flip over twice and killed her immediately. If you get a text, don’t look at it while you're driving it’s not worth it! A life was lost today because of a simple distraction.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Facundo Varas
Time: 8:45AM Period: 5th
Room: 321 Teacher: Hoffman
Story:
Facundo Varas was enjoying a great day of rock climbing. When he completed his quest he smoked weed to celebrate his great adventure. It had been an exhausting long day and Facundo knew he had to return home for dinner or his parents would be upset. On his way home Facundo lost focus and attention due to the marijuana. Facundo ended up driving off a bridge because his brain was too disoriented from the weed.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Josue Umana
Time: 11:45 AM Period: 7th
Room: 249 Teacher: FULMER
Story:
Josue Umana was walking home from school. He was listening to his music and reflecting on the day. He never heard the screeching tires. A driver who had been abusing prescription drugs veered onto the sidewalk and took the life of Josue Umana.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Julianna Ruiz
Time: 8:15AM Period: 5th
Room: 248 Teacher: Contreras
Story:
Julianna was on her way home late Friday after work when her car was hit as she was crossing an intersection. The driver's blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. Although the driver hit the passenger side of her car, the impact was so severe that Julianna died at the scene before an ambulance could reach her.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Lupe Gonzalez
Time: 10:00 AM Period: 6th
Room: Teacher: THOMAS
Story:
Lupe got out of work at 12:30 am this Tuesday morning. While she was driving home her eyes started to close. She tried everything to stay awake loud music, cold air, even putting every window down. Nothing worked as her eyes closed she started to merge into the wrong side of the highway. The last thing Lupe saw was the lights of a eighteen wheeler truck heading her way. She lost control of her steering wheel and crashed in the highway wall and died on impact.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Madison Rayford
Time: 10:45 AM Period: 6th
Room: 125 Teacher: SIMPSON
Story:
Last night Madison Rayford was ready to party. Her friends were turned up and Madison was turned up. Normally they would just get high and chill but last night Madison took it to far. She took a pill called Diphenhydramine HCl which made her hallucinate. The group of friends wanted to try something different and Madison agreed to follow. She ended up taking too much. While she was driving home, Madison was seeing weird colors and things. As she swerved to miss something she thought she saw, Madison drove into a brick wall. With all of the drugs in her system, Madison forgot to buckle her seatbelt. She flew through the window and was pronounced dead on sight.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Mario Flores
Time: 1:30 PM Period: 7th
Room: 319 Teacher: TURNER
Story:
Mario was walking through a neighborhood after he got into an argument with his friends after Prom. He was listening to music while he was walking home that night. He was thinking about why they were arguing, it was for stupid reasons and now he is just walking all alone in the middle of the night. His music was loud that he didn't hear the drunk driver driving like an idiot. Mario didn’t even see him coming until it was too late. That night at 2:28 a.m. Mario lost his life from being hit by a drunk driver.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Monica Hernandez
Time: 10:30 AM Period: 6th
Room: 152 Teacher: WAITS
Story:
Monica Hernandez went to a friend's house for a party. She drank whiskey and smoked pot. A friend brought some acid, so she also did that. Monica decided it was time to go home. She did not realize the combination of alcohol and drug severely changed her thought process and she was hallucinating. Monica thought she was go 20 mph and being really careful. In actuality, she was really going 60 mph. The traffic light turned red but Monica was unaware. Monica crashes into another vehicle that causes her to get ejected from the car and Monica dies instantly.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Mr. Aaly
Time: 2:45 PM Period: 8th
Room: 228 Teacher: AALY
Story:
Mr. Aaly and Mr. Fort were returning to Singley Academy from a conference. On their way back to school they were struck by a driver that was driving under the influence of drugs. The other driver was going through a divorce and took one too many pills. The car that Mr. Aaly and Mr. Fort were in was not even recognizable. Mr. Aaly and Mr. Fort did not survive, but the other driver did. That driver will have to live with the fact that she killed two teachers because she chose to take too many pills.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Mr. Fort
Time: 2:45 PM Period: 8th
Room: 119 Teacher: FORT
Story:
Mr. Aaly and Mr. Fort were returning to Singley Academy from a conference. On their way back to school they were struck by a driver that was driving under the influence of drugs. The other driver was going through a divorce and took one too many pills. The car that Mr. Aaly and Mr. Fort were in was not even recognizable. Mr. Aaly and Mr. Fort did not survive, but the other driver did. That driver will have to live with the fact that she killed two teachers because she chose to take too many pills.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Pete Camacho
Time: 11:10 AM Period: 6th
Room: 344 Teacher: WHITEWATER
Story:
Pete Camacho had gotten into a fight with his parents because they had a disagreement about his college choice. He got angry and left. Pete decided that alcohol would help calm him down. He slammed several beers and then he was ready to go home. Pete was driving too fast. He lost control of the vehicle, drove through a guardrail, off a bridge, and into a river. Because Pete was intoxicated, he was unable to save himself. Pete ended up drowning because he was unable to get out of the car.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Prajwol Dhungara
Time: 9:00AM Period: 5th
Room: 265 Teacher: McCalip
Story:
Prajwol went to a friends house party where he was surrounded by alcohol. Prajwol didn’t usually drink, but due to his peers being around him he felt the peer pressure to drink beer. He wanted to stop after the second beer. His friends only made him want to drink more so that he could impress them. Before he knew it, he slammed six more beers. Then Prajwol was asked by his friends for a ride home. Since he never drank before, Prajwol did not know how badly the alcohol had changed his vision. He said yes. Throughout the ride his friends kept on talking about their curfews and how they needed to get home quickly. Prajwol rushed all throughout the road. In the middle of the road his realized he had no control of his vehicle or his mind. He couldn’t control the vehicle. Prajwol was not fast enough to press the brake. The car crashed into a tree killing Prajwol and his friends.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Rudy Beccera
Time: 2:30 PM Period: 8th
Room: 344 Teacher: WHITEWATER
Story:
Rudy was alone at home, he took 4 hits of LSD to escape from his day. While tripping Rudy decided he should to go see his friend to get more LSD. He never made it out of the neighborhood. Rudy got behind the wheel and drove the car directly into a tree. Without his seatbelt on he was ejected from the car. Rudy died from head injuries.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Ruth Monjaras
Time: 9:40AM Period: PACE
Room: DLL/364 Teacher: SOLIS
Story:
Ruth had several drinks at a party when her friend Eli called her for a ride home. He had been at school late finalizing prom details. Ruth was bored and agreed to pick him up. While driving, she failed to notice a red light and got hit midway through the intersection of Northgate and MacArthur by a moving truck. The crash was fatal to both Ruth and Eli as they were unable to be revived at the hospital. She was pronounced dead at 8:34pm that night.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Santiago Valenzuela
Time: 11:30 AM Period: 7th
Room: 265 Teacher: MCCALIP
Story:
Prom had just ended and Santiago had heard that the after party was poppin'. Upon hearing this, Santiago and his friends thought it would be a good idea to get some drinks and head out there. On the way over there Santiago and another one of his friends decide to race. The race takes place on the highway where Santiago reaches speeds over 100 miles per hour. One small mistake of over correcting the wheel resulted in a terrifying crash. The car flipped three times and Santiago did not survive.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Saul Rangel
Time: 11:00 AM Period: 6th
Room: 126 Teacher: HUCKEBA
Story:
Saul Rangel was at a party with some friends. He knew drinking alcohol was not appropriate so he chose not to participate. His friends however proceeded to slam one beer after another. Saul was ready to leave. He knew his friend that he came with was not sober and should not drive. They argued for several minutes, but Saul gave in and let his friend drive him home. It wasn't long before his friend weaved into the other lane. The car hit head on with minivan. Even though the driver survived, Saul did not. Saul Rangel was pronounced dead at the scene.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Shorna Haque
Time: 1:00 PM Period: 7th
Room: 357 Teacher: ARGUELLES
Story:
Shorna had a major fight with her significant other right before Prom. To alleviate the anger, Shorna decided to drink almost an entire bottle of vodka mixed with ecstasy before driving off. She was not able to think properly. With thoughts of the argument along with the alcohol and drug buzz, she paid no attention to the speed limit. Shorna drove at least 30 miles per hour over the speed limit. She ended up crashing straight into a car that was driving in front of her. The glass of her windshield ended up shattering and stabbing into her head. Shorna died due to the head injuries caused by the accident.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Siam Hasham
Time: 9:20AM Period: PACE
Room: 330 Teacher: Darr
Story:
Siam Hasham did not hear his alarm and so he was running late for school. In an effort to reach the school in time, he started increasing his speed. While speeding, he decided to tweet to his classmates “Be there soon.” This was the last message Siam’s friends would ever see from him. Although his attention was only on his phone for a moment, the 14 character tweet resulted in his death. He crashed into a power generator on the side of the road knocking out the electricity for the entire block. Eventually the power boxed was repaired, but Siam’s life was not recoverable. Siam died soon after reaching the hospital.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Sonia Hernandez
Time: 1:45 PM Period: 8th
Room: 249 Teacher: FULMER
Story:
Sonia Hernandez was having some issues with depression because her boyfriend broke up with her. She started taking venlafaxine prescribed by her psychiatrist. Sonia was having a really bad day so she took more pills than she was supposed to. Sonia decided she needed to see her ex-boyfriend so they could talk. Sonia got behind the wheel forgetting to buckle her seatbelt. In her eyes she was driving very carefully, but in actuality she went the wrong way on the access road. Sonia hit head-on into another vehicle, flew through the windshield, and died of instantly.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Taha Imran
Time: 12:15 PM Period: 7th
Room: 320 Teacher: CASBURN
Story:
Taha Imran was on his way to meet his friends for dinner. He was running late, so he sent a text message to his friends to let them know. Taha was focused on his phone and not on driving. He did not see the red light. Taha drove through the red light and hit an eighteen wheeler. He never made it to dinner. Taha died on impact because he was texting and driving.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Vanessa Hernandez
Time: 12:30 PM Period: 7th
Room: 247 Teacher: HO
Story:
Vanessa sat in the passenger seat as her boyfriend drove. On their way home they were arguing about how much her boyfriend had been drinking at the after Prom party. He kept speeding while texting his friends and arguing with Vanessa. He was about to drop off Vanessa, so she had unbuckled her seat belt. Since he was paying attention to everything but the road, he crashed against a street light post. Vanessa flew out the window on impact and died during Careflight to the hospital.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Yasmin Cuevas
Time: 8:00AM Period: 5th
Room: 369 Teacher: Dodd
Story:
Yasmin Cuevas had a great time at prom. She and a few friends decided to celebrate by partying afterwards. Yasmin was taking shots of vodka to impress her friends. Suddenly she realized, she was late for curfew. Yasmin hopped in the driver seat even though her friends begged her not to drive. They knew she had too much to drink. It wasn't long before Yasmin wrapped her car around a telephone pole. Yasmin did not survive the accident.
Shattered Dreams: Every 15 Minutes
April 21, 2015
Name: Yenifer Garcia
Time: 2:15 PM Period: 8th
Room: 248 Teacher: CONTRERAS
Story:
Yenifer Garcia was at an after prom party with friends. She had several shots, then a friend offered her heroine. Even though Yenifer had never tried heroine, she accepted. Yenifer felt so sick. She just wanted to be home in her own bed. She found her keys to her car and drove home. On the way, Yenifer passed out behind the wheel, drove into a ditch, and never recovered. Yenifer died from a combination of the heroine and injuries from the crash.
