Serving Those Who Serve: How UTHS Supports Military Families
The children of miliary-connected families often experience instability due to frequent relocations, academic disruption or inconsistency as well as stress and worry about their parents who are deployed. UT High School is dedicated to ensuring military-connected students have an experience marked by stability, community and recognition.
UTHS Senior Analu Pangelinan says, “As a military-connected student, my life is shaped by constant transition, but UT High School gives me a steady and reliable academic home that I can access from any location.”
Analu’s father, retired U.S. Army Major Frank Pangelinan, adds, “The UTHS Military-Connected Program recognized and supported our needs by removing obstacles to school transfers and registration we often face as a military family. From priority enrollment to free tuition, these benefits provided our family with immediate peace of mind and ensured that our daughter's education remains uninterrupted, especially during frequent relocations.”
UT High School serves 196 military-connected students—over 10 percent of the school's population—making it one of Texas's leading educational institutions for military families. While many might assume these are primarily children of active-duty service members, that isn’t the case. Most of the students are like Analu in that they have a parent or parents retired from the military. Of the 196 students, 161 are children of veterans, with only 35 from active-duty families.
"Our military families face the same struggles," UTHS Director of Testing Services Ileana Mendez explains. "Veterans carry with them unseen things they're managing—PTSD, service-related injuries and disabilities, financial transitions from military to civilian life. These realities affect their children in ways that aren't always visible."
Mendez truly understands students from military-connected families as she as both of her parents served in the military.
She also reports that only 10 percent of young adults from civilian families join the military, but 50 percent of military-connected youth ages 17-21 do. "By serving these kids and doing it well, we're doing our part for military readiness for the nation," she says.
A Purple Star Commitment
UTHS has earned Purple Star Campus designation from the Texas Education Agency twice, a recognition that must be renewed every two years. The designation acknowledges schools that demonstrate exceptional commitment to serving military families through transitional services, staff education, and community engagement.
The school's dedication goes beyond compliance. Each November, during Military Family Appreciation Month, students and staff participate in activities honoring veterans and their families. The school creates presentations featuring military connections from families, staff members, and stakeholders—a visual celebration of service and sacrifice.
"When one person serves, it's like everybody's serving," Mendez says. "Being in a military family, you give of yourself no matter what you're doing. These are amazing people in our lives who need to be honored and recognized."
One of UT High School's ongoing initiatives is its partnership with the nonprofit Soldiers Angels, to supply holiday stockings for veterans at the Olin Teague Veterans Center in Temple, Texas.
"We wanted it to stay in Texas, and we wanted to know we were having a direct impact," Mendez explains. The school holds workdays where the community comes together to stuff stockings for Texas veterans receiving services at the center.
The school also provides professional development for staff through the Military Child Education Coalition and maintains strong connections with military installations across Texas.
Advantages of Online Learning
Texas House Bill 4124, passed in 2021, specifically addresses military families' access to online schools, allowing them to bypass waiting lists and enroll immediately. For families who move frequently, the online format provides crucial consistency.
Mendez explains the nature of online education allows students to avoid that awkward transition and disruption of changing schools frequently. The school has even helped international students with Texas military connections access tuition-free education through the Texas diploma program.
The UTHS counseling team plays a vital role, offering specialized support for military families navigating transitions, grief and other unique challenges. They connect families with resources and provide that critical first outreach from the school community.
This year, UT High School is laser-focused on supporting 11th and 12th grade students from active-duty families. These students are in families that have a high transition potential and could easily have their lives disrupted. The school is expanding test sites and reducing barriers to ensure these students can cross the finish line, regardless of where military service takes their families.
For Mendez, who comes from a family where both parents served and whose brother currently recruits for the Space Force, this work is deeply personal. "When I share that I'm a military brat, somebody will ask me what branches, and then we start making connections."
What’s remarkable is that a number of UTHS team members come from military-connected families, including Superintendent Michael Caudill and UTHS Principal Darnell Horton. Counselor Melissa Brooks has a spouse who served and others such as Principal Dan Diehl have children who serve. Those connections have transformed into a comprehensive support system—one that honors military service while ensuring the children of those who serve receive the education they deserve.