12/03/2025
Hello Friends,
As we enter this season of giving, I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of encouragement, how a single moment of affirmation can stay with you for years and carry you through challenges you never saw coming.
For me, that moment happened more than twenty years ago.
When I was in grad school, I worked on campus as the Assistant Director for Media Services. Our team handled audio, video, and lighting for every major campus event. There was one event in particular that I dreaded every year. It was overseen by a professor but led mostly by students...students who were smart and passionate, but who had never managed anything of that scale. Every year, it meant poor communication, last-minute changes, unrealistic expectations… you name it. For our department, it was always a struggle.
One year was especially rough. We pushed through, did what we always did...figured it out, problem-solved, and made it happen. After the event wrapped up, the students shared all the amazing things that had come out of the conference. When the debrief ended, the supervising professor pulled me aside.
He said, “Dennis, none of those great things would have happened without you and your department. We know this event is challenging. We know it’s hard to work with students who are still learning. You’re giving them an opportunity to grow, and because of your work, great things happened for everyone who attended. We couldn’t do this without you. Thank you.”
That conversation has stuck with me for over two decades. I think about it constantly, especially when I’m facing difficult situations. It reminds me that even when the work is hard, someone will benefit if we just keep going.
That is the power of encouragement.
And this year, you have the opportunity to share that same gift with our community.
Through Shine School Partnership, your generosity can encourage a teacher who is carrying more than anyone realizes. You can encourage a student who simply needs to know someone cares about them. You can encourage a family by making it possible for them to attend free events where they can laugh, connect, and create memories together.
Your support helps provide these things and so much more.
This season, I invite you to Give the Gift of Encouragement by supporting Shine School Partnership. Your gift makes a real and lasting difference in local schools across Albuquerque.
Thank you for being part of bringing hope, support, and encouragement to our city.
With gratitude,
Dennis Garcia
Executive Director
www.shineabq.org
