(EL PASO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT – Feb. 2, 2024) — Texas Supreme Court Justice and Austin High School alumna Rebeca Aizpuru Huddle paid a visit to her alma mater Friday, Feb. 2, to impart knowledge to students in the campus’ Sandra Day O’Connor Criminal Justice and Public Service Academy.
Huddle graduated from Austin High School in 1991. She was invited to speak to students of the academy, which provides education and training to students in the criminal justice, forensics, and legal studies fields.
During the visit, Huddle spoke about her upbringing in El Paso and how her family shaped her into the person she is today.
“My mom was the driving force behind my success,” Justice Huddle said. “I wanted my mom to have a nice house to live in and I did what I could to make that happen.”
Justice Huddle lost her father early in life and said she learned about the value of hard work by watching her mother provide for her family.
Before serving as a justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, Huddle served as a justice of the First Court of Appeals of Texas from 2011 to 2017. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott then appointed Justice Huddle to the state Supreme Court in October 2020. She earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and received her law degree at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.
Students of the Criminal Justice and Public Service Academy helped to organize the Q&A session with Justice Huddle. The students said her story is inspiring and motivating to hear.
“It really motivates us to keep pushing for success and her coming by, she really helped us open our eyes and see what opportunities there are outside of school,” said Mariluisa Chavez, a senior at Austin High School. Chavez has been a part of the Criminal Justice and Public Service Academy for four years. She said she plans to go to law school when she enters college.
“These are some of the opportunities we try to provide to our students,” said Miguel Vega, a dual credit law enforcement teacher. “We like for our students to listen to these presenters because it shows them that, with hard work and determination, they, too, can be successful after high school.”
