SJHS athletic director earns 2023 Spirit of San Juan Award

By Sara Beth Williams–
The San Juan Unified school district recently announced Freddie Bryant of San Juan High School as one of six honorees of the 2023 Spirit of San Juan Award.

Bryant has been teaching at San Juan High for eight years and has served as athletic director for five years. Bryant also coached basketball and currently coaches track and teaches restorative justice and student government classes.

“To be recognized is a really good thing,” Bryant said in response to a question from The Sentinel about him being one of this year’s honorees. Bryant said he’s originally from Louisiana and attended college on the east coast where he played college basketball.

In 2004, he began coaching at Encina High School in Sacramento before coming to San Juan High School.

The district will be celebrating its 10th annual Spirit of San Juan Awards on May 4, where the six honorees and other nominees will be celebrated.

In an email to the Sentinel, the district’s Director of Communication Raj Rai said the annual awards honor individuals or groups within San Juan school communities who “exhibit exceptional character, remove barriers and provide an inclusive environment for all.”

Along with Bryant, the other honorees include Ronnie Roshawn Brown, Head Custodian at Carriage Drive Elementary, Luis Cruz Solache, Coordinator for the Family and Community Engagement Department, Howe Helpers, a student group at Howe Avenue Elementary, Tiba Jasim, a student at Whitney Avenue Elementary and Surina Naran, a student at Rio Americano High School.

An awards ceremony will take place at Rio Americano in Sacramento, on May 4 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., beginning with a dessert reception outside the high school’s Center for the Arts. Doors open at 5:55 p.m. and the awards ceremony will begin at 6:05 p.m. Guests can RSVP on Eventbrite.