UHV student receives honor from Ganado Police Department
Calling Dr. Yusuke Yahagi just a student at the University of Houston-Victoria would be an understatement.
Heading into his third year at Ganado High School, Yahagi’s dedication to his students has not only garnered attention from the staff members, but also from the Ganado Police Department, where he recently earned a Challenge Coin from the department for the profound impact he has had on his students and the community.
“Every morning, I start my day with instructional preparation, and then I go outside to greet the students as they arrive,” Yahagi said. “I would give them fist bumps to help them start their day on a positive note. Not only would it cheer them up, but it would also cheer me up as well.”
The daily ritual is just one of the many ways Yahagi goes above and beyond for his students. He serves as a science teacher specializing in biology, anatomy and physiology. Last school year, Yahagi also received the 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year award from Ganado High School. In addition to his standard teaching duties, Yahagi also oversees the Ganado Medical Club, where he teaches students about various medical topics in his spare time.
“We are so proud and thrilled to see Dr. Yahagi share his wealth of knowledge to the students in Ganado,” said Mary Lasater, associate dean of the College of Education & Health Professions. “His background as a seasoned surgeon brings a unique perspective to the classroom, and we are honored to support him in achieving his goal of inspiring the next generation of scientists and healthcare professions.”
The Challenge Coin was presented to Yahagi by Nathan Besler, a patrol officer with the Ganado Police Department, who praised Yahagi’s positive influence on his students. Challenge Coins are a time-honored tradition in law enforcement, given to individuals who have provided exceptional service to the community, Besler said.
“I’ve seen it day to day how well he’s influenced these kids, and how much he has encouraged a lot of these kids to pursue professions in the medical field, and I feel like that’s such a great thing,” Besler said. “It also got me inspired as well because it inspired me to create a law enforcement club at the school because I saw how many kids he was reaching in the medical club. He’s just really influenced these kids to further themselves, and it has been really great to see.”
Born and raised in Japan, Yahagi landed in Victoria where he served his community as a cardiothoracic surgeon. Currently, the long-respected surgeon is enrolled at UHV to earn a teaching certificate through the Victoria Online Initial Certification for Educators program, otherwise known as VOICE.
To be eligible for the program, students must have a bachelor’s degree, a GPA of 2.75 in the last 60 hours of college work or a cumulative GPA of 2.75 and pass a criminal history background check. A bonus of the VOICE program is that along with the Texas teacher certification, a student can apply 12 hours of VOICE courses, which are graduate-level courses, toward a 30-hour Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at UHV.
With a projected graduation date of spring 2025, Yahagi is closing in to add a certificate from UHV to his numerous accolades and advanced degrees. He had previously earned a degree from the University of Washington and his medical degree in Tokyo. In 1996, after returning to the United States, he completed a general surgery internship at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.
He then pursued a residency in family medicine and surgery at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Following that, Dr. Yahagi went on to do a fellowship in thoracic surgery at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. It was after this extensive medical training that he made the move to Texas, where he completed a fellowship in cardiac surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
“There are a lot of unfortunate kids in Texas, especially those from economically disadvantaged families,” Yahagi said. “I like to give my best to support all kids; my missions are to support not only the students in my class but the entire Ganado community — whether it’s the students, their families or fellow teachers — that’s my mission.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.