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BJy Sally Kalos Discipline And Hard Work Pays Off For Jackson Schulzein basketball. Recognizing that most ackson Schulze, a senior at O’Connor Europe this summer. basketball skills, like shooting and ball High School, is a committed Jackson plans to continue playing handling, are perishable, Jackson highlights member of the Varsity Basketball basketball at the collegiate level and is the necessity of daily practice to maintainteam. He began playing basketball seasonally at a young age but started taking it seriously in the sixth grade. Jackson credits his teammates and coaches as his inspiration, constantly striving to meet their standards and be the best player he can be.His accomplishments include making the All Academic First Team twice at O’Connor. He has been with his AAU team, SA Hoops Elite, for six years, alongside most of his teammates, including two from the O’Connor team. Last summer, they won the Las Vegas Classic out of 140 teams. Jackson was also recruited to represent the USA under 19 team at the World Games inconsidering majoring in engineering or economics. His philosophy on challenges is straightforward: avoid self-pity, embrace challenges even if they lead to failure, as these moments are often when the most growth occurs. He advises placing less importance on personal feelings and more on fulfilling obligations.A standout memory for Jackson is O’Connor’s playoff run last year, where the team reached the Elite 8 in the Texas State 6A playoffs, a historic achievement for the school.He emphasizes the importance of accountability, discipline, and hard workand enhance these skills. Initially, his coaches and parents instilled the discipline required for improvement, and now he holds himself to the same high standards.This summer, Jackson experienced playing basketball in Europe—Austria, Germany, and Italy—an opportunity that broadened his horizons and introduced him to different cultures. He found it fascinating to interact with local fans and players, noting how language barriers with referees added an interesting dynamic to the games. The cultural exchange extended off the court, with local kids asking for autographs and souvenirs because he was from the USA.In addition to basketball, Jackson is involved in the National Honor Society and has been active in SASO (Student Athletes Supporting Others) for three years, further demonstrating his commitment to both sports and community.Brandon Carpenter Receives Grand Champion Title In SparringBy Sally KalosB randon Carpenter, who has been training in Kenpo 5.0 for three years, recently earned his Brown belt. Kenpo 5.0 incorporates elements from various martial arts including Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, Muay Thai, Karate, Wrestling, and MMA. Recently, Brandon competed at the Kenpo World Martial Arts Event in Las Vegas from July 23-26, 2024, where he won first place in the 13–16 year-old division and also clinched the Grand Champion title in Sparring. This international event draws competitors from numerous countries including Australia, New Zealand, Romania, the UK, Bolivia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Germany, Mexico, Portugal,Spain, and Holland.CommentaryBy Lou DugganF amilies, parents, legislators... this is important! In this concluding article of the series on Human Traffickingit is time for some straight talk! During seven months of research on this subject, plus numerous interviews with legislators, survivors, law enforcement (federal, state, and local), non-profit organizations, and parents---a lot has been learned. It is that cumulative investigation that suggests initiatives that could improve the fight against this complex crime. Consideration of these initiatives at the highest State level is important.First, some valid observations... Texas has four of the top fifteen cities involved in Human Trafficking. Women and children are sexually exploited in Texas every day. The abuser is the person least expected. Family members, relatives, friends, neighbors--- most trafficking victims are preyed upon by someone they know. One-in-3 middle schoolers; one-in-9 high schoolers; that is how many kids are being recruited into sex trafficking every day.8Brandon also competes in MMA, which is fought in a cage, contrasting with Kenpo’s mat-based bouts. In 2022, he placed second at the USFL cage fight tournament in Temecula, California, a national event. Despite an invitation to represent the USA at the “World’s” tournament in Abu Dhabi, he declined due to feeling unprepared after only six months of cage-fighting experience. Now, with more confidence and experience, Brandon is aiming for the national title and hopes to qualify for next year’s World’s tournament.This year, Brandon has been victorious in all his fights across various locations including Pasadena, CA, Dallas, TX, and Las Vegas. His father, who introduced him toMMA, aimed to teach him self-defense, discipline, and self-restraint, to prepare him for any physical confrontations he might encounter. According to his father, Brandon has exceeded all expectations and continues to impress with his compassion, kindness, and dedication.Brandon, who initially attended Harlan but now studies online, does so to accommodate his rigorous training schedule and participation in various tournaments. His future plans include continuing his fighting career and attending UTSA to join their MMA program. His father proudly notes Brandon has an outstanding work ethic and brings a refreshing sincerity and compassion to everything he does.Initiatives That Could Improve Success for Human Trafficking VictimsPart 7, concluding article of a multi-part series on Human TraffickingNow, some recent history... To increase the State of Texas’ efforts to impact human trafficking, Senate Bill 1527 became law on September 1, 2023. The law is a culmination of input from law enforcement, survivors, advocates, and it addresses legislative recommendations. It amends previous law, including the prosecution and punishment of those who compel and solicit prostitution, plus creation of additional criminal offenses. Where does SB 1527 fall short?Senate Bill 1527 does an excellent job bringing Texas agencies together to coordinate human trafficking programs. However, it stops short of ensuring those agencies dedicated resources, including personnel, to wage a unified fight against human trafficking. There are numerous law enforcement task forces throughout the state, but NOT a single Texas Coordination Center or unified unit solely dedicated to combating human trafficking.Who is in charge?What agency in the State of Texas is the lead for statewide efforts to combat humantrafficking? SB 1527 law mandated that many agencies have a part in the fight, but how do they accomplish their mission at the street level? Currently, Texas has numerous federal task forces and working groups, including a state taskforce for policymakers to coordinate efforts. However, their primary resources are in metropolitan areas. Rural communities are not always represented. The Attorney General’s Office is the lead for the state taskforce but does not have primary investigative authority for human trafficking.In 2022 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the ruling that the Attorney General can prosecute with the permission of the local prosecutor but cannot initiate prosecution unilaterally. Thus, human trafficking investigation authority was taken away from the Attorney General’s office. As a result, local DAs have no accountability for prosecution of human trafficking. We need change; to succeed we need to have one-stop oversight over human trafficking.The State of Texas should make or ensure a State Agency is responsible for a whole-of-state approach to combating human trafficking. This should include a law enforcement investigative arm whose sole mission is investigating human trafficking. The agency should also have a state coordination center to work with law enforcement, prosecutors, victim services and be a one-stop shop for assisting communities. To avoid any conflict with Texas’ constitutional restraints local DAs could retain the right to prosecute cases.There would be no need to establish a new bureaucracy; instead, the State could provide an existing Texas entity the primary responsibility of combating human trafficking. There are several agencies with great programs including, but not limited to, the Office of the Texas Attorney General and the Texas Department of Public Safety.Okay... how do you fund it?There are many ways to fund a state-run human trafficking coordination center that would be made up of representatives from allTrafficking - continued on page 10 September 2024www.heloteshighlights.com