While a lot of the year-in-review stories highlight some of the heartbreaks and tragedies of the past year, there was a lot of good news in 2022.
If you’re needing a reminder about just a few of the great things that happened in the San Antonio area over the last year, here are some feel-good stories that should make you smile. You can follow the links to read and watch the full stories.
People (and at least one animal) doing awesome things
Two North East ISD teachers were honored in Nashville this year as winners of the Country Music Association (CMA) and the CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence award. Johnson High School Band Director Jarrett Lipman and Roan Forest Elementary School Music Teacher Matthew Trevino were honored at an event hosted by Country Music Hall of Fame member Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn on Oct. 19.
Comal ISD second-grader Peyton Crow was awarded the National PTA Reflections Contest Award of Excellence.
A San Antonio family donated their 1932 Ford Model B to the National Museum of American History. They were the original owners.
San Antonio Fire Department member Albert Pedroza reported for duty for the first time since undergoing a double lung transplant.
We talked to a San Antonio woman, Courtney Kimball, who co-founded the nonprofit One Common Thread, helping women in Honduras earn a living by handmaking little hexagon pieces for quilts.
We learned about Janie Barrera — the longtime leader of the nonprofit lender LiftFund who earned her MBA from the University of the Incarnate Word after becoming a nun.
A San Antonio single mom-of-three started hosting a food distribution twice a month for her East Side neighborhood. She was inspired to give back after getting help from the San Antonio Food Bank.
Celebrating local sports
UTSA celebrated its C-USA Conference championship after a 48-27 domination over North Texas in the championship game. They were cheered on during a Rowdy River Rally at the Arneson River Theater. The Roadrunners reeled in 27 all-conference certificates and three C-USA All-Freshman Team selections. C-USA named quarterback Frank Harris Most Valuable Player, Kevorian Barnes was named C-USA Freshman of the Year and Jeff Traylor was C-USA Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. And Harris announced he will come back for one more season with the Roadrunners.
The first-ever KSAT Pigskin Classic showcased six local high school football teams in a triple-header at the Alamodome on Aug. 27, 2022.
For the first time in program history, Boerne played in the state championship game. They suffered a heartbreaking loss in AT&T Stadium, but it was a spectacular year. The Greyhounds finish their historic season with a 15-1 overall record.
Poth High School also played for the state championship in the UIL Class 3A Division II, ending their season with a 14-2 overall record.
Banner year for San Antonio Zoo
Dr. Dante Fenolio, vice president of conservation and research for the San Antonio Zoo, was awarded the Humane Hero Award by the American Humane organization.
This story is just cool
This list may seem long, but it’s just a small percentage of the good news and great people we’ve featured on KSAT this year. We look forward to covering more good-news stories in 2023.
You can read many more stories about people doing good things on the Something Good page on our website.
Read more year-end stories for 2022 here.