You can see them at pep rallies, theatre events and around school, wearing their bright Dragon Green blazers, walking around offering to help all who need it. They are known as the Green Jackets and they serve as the helping hands of Carroll.
“Green Jackets are ambassadors of Carroll ISD and are held to a high standard,” Green Jacket sponsor and teacher Ms. Karen Knight said. “Students who are selected to be a Green Jacket are the face of our esteemed school district.”
Green Jackets are chosen in the spring of their junior year. To be considered, a junior has to be nominated by a staff member, have a high GPA and have no issues with repeated absences or disciplinary problems. When these students are selected, they must receive five or more teacher nominations to move on to the essay round, where a blind panel selects the final students. This year, 16 students were picked out of 700 members of the class of 2026 to represent the school.
“To be nominated for the Green Jackets is an honor within Carroll ISD,” Green Jacket and senior Jackson Campbell said. “It means you exhibit very high-achieving qualities within your class and becoming a Green Jacket allows you to be recognized for those qualities. To me, it means I can represent our school with pride and simultaneously show my pride for myself and where I fit in the school.”
The first Green Jackets were selected in 1998, inspired by the Maroon Coats at Texas A&M University, an initiative to make an organization of leaders who focus on serving others.
“The Green Jacket program, a proud tradition at Carroll Senior High School, elevates our campus by setting a clear standard of excellence—academically, personally and through service to others,” CSHS Principal Shatina Lewis said. “Each jacket represents commitment, integrity and pride in both scholarship and leadership. This visible symbol inspires future generations of Dragons to strive toward those same ideals. Year after year, the program cultivates a culture of academic and personal excellence that defines who we are as a school community.”
This accomplishment is recognized by teachers and administration as a continuation of service and leadership. However, it is more than that for the students selected.
“Being nominated was really meaningful because it was great to know the kind of person my teachers see me as: someone they trust to represent our school and give back to the community,” Green Jacket and senior Zania Karim said.
Once selected, Green Jackets are required to complete at least eight Green Jacket-sponsored events throughout the year such as graduation, freshman orientation, convocation, pep rallies and alumni events.
“The most memorable event so far has been either graduation, which felt like a preview of our own next May, or the Class of 2005 20-year reunion, where I had the chance to meet alumni and even former Green Jackets,” Green Jacket and senior Christine Choi said.
The 2025-2026 Green Jackets are Christine Choi, Brooke Brown, John Mark Fraga, Tatum Stewart, Jackson Campbell, Rafael Otoya, Aara Cho, Aarav Agarwal, Ben Blount, Zania Karim, Ben Randall, Carlos Galindo Pacheco, Emma Eyster, Gavin Strange, Julie Martin and Rebecca Thomas.
“It’s an honor because it reflects more than achievement—it reflects character,” Lewis said. “To wear the green jacket is to be recognized as a leader who sets the standard for others and who embodies the pride, heart and excellence that define our school community.”
