December 2024
By Gabriela Semenov, Staff Reporter
The University of Texas at Austin has long been a place dedicated to fostering athletic excellence. Among its nationally acclaimed scholastic programs, UT has been the home to some of the most competitive teams in collegiate sports history.
Texas has been the alma mater of some of the most notable athletes in their sport, with undeniable legends such as NBA player Kevin Durant or Olympian Volleyball player Chiaka Ogbogu representing the University of Texas at the elite level.
With the University of Texas being a major, if not the most important collegiate representative of Texas in Division 1 sports, there is an aura of success that surrounds the university– with that success, an even deeper sense of admiration from the student-athletes that see Texas as a dream, made to become reality.
Of Austin origin, KIPP Austin Collegiate High School is not short of student-athletes hell-bent on becoming future Longhorns, or, if nothing else, bringing the essence of a Longhorn into KAC.
More closely recognized for its academic achievements, KAC has long been a school dedicated to a well-rounded scholar. The high school has successfully implemented an Honors and AP for All system where every student is challenged to take next level courses and have varying options of Advanced Placement curriculum available to them.
While there is no lack of high-academic achievers that walk through, and have walked through KAC’s halls, there is just as much, an abundance of high-achieving athletes that have the determination to be great, not just as students but as elite-level athletes.
As a Texas Charter School funded by the FSP or Foundational School Program, KAC does not maintain the same athletics programs as the typical public school. Abundant in networking, recruitment culture, club athletes and public tax-funds, the average public high school in Austin has, over the course of its operation, a legacy of athletic accolades.
Whether it be a Regional UIL title, or a State Championship, most of Austin ISD have had the longevity of flowing resources both through the coaches and through the players.
As a Charter school designated to a small variety of Sports leagues, short of next-level resources, and lacking proper funding, KAC simply has not had the organic push to culminate generations of D1 and elite athletes. The priority on academics, not just by the school, but by KIPP Texas, consequently leaves little room for KAC athletes to train and compete as other aspiring Longhorns may be.
And despite this, KAC Athletics has continued to push for greatness.
In the past three years, KAC athletics has re-evolved beyond the boundaries of what was previously the standard for Charter High Schools.
Thanks to the dedication of the coaches, the athletes, and the mindset, many Cardinals have now been showcasing levels of athletic growth and prosperity once thought to have been left at the MLK Campus.
In the past two years alone, KAC’s Men and Women’s Varsity Soccer have accumulated a combined four State Championships: Cross Country has been decorated with State Champion and State Runner-Up: Women’s Varsity Basketball reached a first time feat: State Final Four: our Dance teams contended at National events…and despite no official awards, the 2024-2025 Volleyball team is at last, reaching program heights never reached before!
This next accomplishment is not a trophy, or a banner; it isn’t a packed audience, or even a win. And yet the recognition is nothing short of fulfilling.
Following a newly successful season, Flag Football was presented with a video message by Texas Football Defensive Back, Jaylon Guilbeau. In the video, he congratulates the team and wishes them well.
Longhorn athletics, as mentioned before, carries the weight of being one of the most well rounded, exceptional Division One College programs in the United States, with every successive decade having its own momentous accomplishments.
While the gesture is small, for a Cardinal team, the recognition means everything.
And the spotlight didn’t stop there!
Jaylon Guilbeau’s outreach bridged two unlikely KAC programs together with the same inspirational effects….
I talked to Miss Rosa Calvillo of the GAIN Program to get some insight on Jaylon, his meeting with the GAIN students, and how she sees the same Texas Longhorn determination in her classroom!
When interviewing Miss Calvillo, she relayed that he had simply been a product of sweet coincidence! A substitute for the GAIN classes had revealed that she was the girlfriend of Mister Guilbeau and with the request of GAIN (and the generosity of Guilbeau), the GAIN students were able to meet the Texas Defensive Back!
Even though the meeting was not of intention, I was keen on the implication of having a member of one of the greatest College Football teams in the Nation coming to see some of the strongest kids in KAC.
On top of that, in our interview, I had asked about what kind of strength she saw in her kids and in her response, I couldn’t help but see the uncanny resemblance to the spirit of our Cardinal Athletes.
The Cardinal Post 