Maxine L. Silva Magnet High School for Health Care Professions

Silva Magnet High School is a health-focused magnet high school within the El Paso Independent School District in El Paso, Texas.

It is named after lifelong El Pasoan Maxine L. Silva, who once represented the area in which the school is located on the El Paso Independent School District board of trustees.^[1]

Campus

Silva Magnet High School is a three-story, one-building campus located on the grounds of Jefferson High School in south central El Paso.

The University Medical Center (formerly Thomason General Hospital) and the Texas Tech University Health Science Center are located directly across the street from Silva, providing easy and convenient access for student learning. Students from middle schools throughout the county apply for admission to the high school during 8th grade, leading to a diverse body of students from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds from throughout El Paso County.

School within a School

Ms. Charmine Deremeir was the first administrator (1993-1994) of the El Paso Magnet High School for the Health Care Professions, now known as the Maxine Silva Magnet High School for the Health Care Professions. She was instrumental in assuring the placement of the Health Magnet High School as well as having worked closely with the first group of students (Class of 1997) and their parents in determining what needed to be done to ensure that Silva would be seen as a model school.

Mr. Ed Jones, the second administrator of Silva Magnet High School, used the phrase "school within a school" to describe Silva's situation. Students from Silva may attend some classes at Jefferson High School, which is located on the same campus, and participate in athletics and other extracurricular activities (e.g., orchestra, band) on Jefferson teams. However, the two are separated by different curricula and the availability of Health Science Technology (HST) courses for Silva students. These include Anatomy & Physiology, LVN training, Pharmacy Technician training, and many other courses.

Alumni

Many alumni have attended highly regarded universities and have achieved career and personal success: Gabrielle Demith, the 2007 Salutatorian attended Brown University and Brown Medical School, Lekha K., the 2008 Valedictorian attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Jesus-Mario Luevano Jr., the 2009 Valedictorian, attended Harvard College and now attends Harvard Medical School; the 2010 Valedictorian, Andrew Olives Stiles, attended Stanford University; the 2011 Valedictorian, Mauricio Gonzalez-Aranda, attended Princeton University, and the 2013 Valedictorian, Sophia Lugo, attends Harvard College. A particularly high rate of alumni are now involved in the medical field as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants and other healthcare professionals.

Clubs

-Student Council

-Academic Decathlon

-Speech and Debate

-National Honor Society

-HOSA

-Gay Straight Alliance (GSA)

-Get Fit Be Strong

-Math Club

-Student Ambassadors

HOSA

Silva students take particular pride in their participation in Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) competitions. It is the largest organization in the school. Silva students have participated and placed in HOSA competitions and conferences in regional (Area 4), state and national levels.

Silva also had many students serve as officers, at the Area, State, and National level.

School prestige

Among El Paso schools (private and public), Silva Magnet High School has consistently ranked academically at or near the top in various categories. In 2006, Newsweek magazine ranked Silva Magnet High School as one of the top 1000 schools in the U.S., and was rated highest of schools in El Paso on the list.^[2]

In 2003 and 2011 Silva received the Blue Ribbon Schools Award.^[3]

References

External links

• Silva Magnet High School website
• Silva Library
• Silva listed in Top Texas Schools list