March / April 2016 - RGVision Magazine

MARCH / APRIL 2016 | VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2

RGV:Vote!

Upcoming Elections Creating Buzz at the Ballot Box

Honor, Courage, Commitment Marine Military Academy of Harlingen celebrating 50 years of college prep success.

Knife Glider Across America A Ruby Red Ventures success story as seen on TV.

Understanding Real Nutrition Creating a foundation of optimal health.

A Complete Childhood Providing the opportunity to be on a team with Capable Kids.

Brewing Up Culture Brew-seum craft beer week at IMAS taps into diverse flavors.

© 2010 Southwest Airlines Co.

WHEN WE SERVE TOGETHER IN OUR COMMUNITIES, EVERYONE SOARS. Southwest Airlines® proudly partners with those who are helping to shape our communities all across America. One good deed—when coupled with another and another and another—can truly make a positive difference in our daily lives.

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Minimal invasive surgery guided by the same surgeon who is teaching others his art Dr. Mario del Pino, a talented and experienced surgeon,performs minimally invasive procedures using the most advanced laparoscopic and robotic technology. Having operated on over 1000 weight loss surgery patients, performing more than 300 robotic procedures, Dr. Del Pino has been recognized as the busiest robotic surgeon south of San Antonio!

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If you are scheduling surgery for yourself or a loved one, be sure to ask if it can be done using a minimally invasive procedure by Dr. Mario del Pino. The skills, the knowledge, the confidence and the art make the difference. It is all here, close to home.

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March 10 - June 12, 2016 The International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS) presents a feast for the eyes by Spanish master Salvador Dalí from March 10 to June 12, 2016. Les Diners de Gala features 12 photolithographs by the leader of Surrealism, who illustrated a cookbook in 1973. Dalí had a self-proclaimed refined taste for food and wine, and he collaborated with a “secret chef” to produce meals fit for a royal feast. Paul Chimera, Dalí historian and Dalí Museum founder

notes that, “Food was a favorite theme in much of Dalí’s work, his paintings, prints and other works are filled with images of bread, fish, lobster, sea urchins, grapes, meats and more. It was therefore perfectly logical and perhaps long overdue that Dalí should produce a book and a print suite dedicated expressly to gastronomy - a colorful world in which Dalí’s creative genius was cooked to perfection.”

1900 Nolana Avenue, McAllen, Texas 78504 | P. (956) 682-0123 | www.imasonline.org The exhibition is organized and traveled by the Castellani Art Museum at Niagara University, and is curated by Michael J. Beam, Curator of Exhibitions at the Castellani Art Museum.

GABE PUENTE

PUBLISHER/CEO

Dear readers, We are excited to announce a new feature of rgVision Magazine: a monthly podcast which will be available from our website, rgvisionmedia.com.

We hope this supplement to the printed edition, will convey why we are so proud to reside in the Rio Grande Valley, a beautiful and rapidly expanding region home to budding industries, new inventions, and life-changing activities. With local celebrities and businesses finding success both here at home and afar, it seems that the people of the Valley are more than ever taking their fate their own hands. You never know who will be the next “RGV native” making headlines, finding solutions to problems and paving the way for a better tomorrow.

This issue, we focus on several national initiatives: March is National Nutrition Month, which has several offices around the country (including our own) participating in health challenges. Read about real nutrition on page 56 to start improving your own health, and check out our article about workplace

culture on page 44; implementing ideas from the two can dovetail quite nicely for a healthier office!

As April is Autism Awareness Month, we learned more about the disorder that affects so many Americans. Help us combat stigmas by reading about the Capable Kids Foundation, which understands that all children want is to be included in the fun. The amazing work of Capable Kids contributes to a higher quality of life for all RGV residents, but there is still much work to be done, and not only in regards to accessibility. For all the growth the Valley prides itself on, we still have a poor record of civil participation.

Elections are coming up and we expect to see all of our readers registered to vote and in line at the ballot box. Read about the importance of voting on page 80.

We look forward to seeing who will represent us in Congress, and again encourage you to vote. If you are interested in starting the conversation about a topic not yet covered, please email info@rgvisionmagazine. com. As always, we thank you for reading.

James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.

Copyright by rgVision Publications Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without expressed written permission of the publisher is prohibited.

The opinions and views expressed in the magazine don’t necessarily reflect those of our advertisers or collaborators. rgVision magazine is published bi-monthly and circulates 12,000 copies across the Rio Grande Valley in 420 locations with a direct mail distribution to major hospitals and Superintendents within Region 1. The rgVision office is located at 506 W. University Dr. #101 Edinburg, TX 78539.

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OUR TEAM NACOLE RICKS PROJECT MANAGER/EVENT COORDINATOR

KAREN VILLARREAL EDITORAL MANAGER

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ANNIE SYKES LAURI REVILLA CLAUDIA LEMUS JONATHAN LEE SALINAS KAREN VILLARREAL

DOMINIQUE Y. ZMUDA GRAPHIC DESIGNER/ILLUSTRATOR

MARIELA PEÑA GRAPHIC DESIGNER/ILLUSTRATOR

DAVID ALVARADO MARITZA GALLAGA AMY GLOVER GEORGE COX JENNILEE GARZA

KEVIN MARTINEZ PHOTOGRAPHER/SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

ALYSSA GARCIA LEIGH WOOLDRIDGE LAURI PULIDO

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS ALIHERMY J. VALDEZ EDUCATION CONTENT CONTRIBUTOR

ALBERTO T. GARCIA LEGAL CONTENT CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS KEVIN MARTINEZ JAMES HORD GABRIEL ELIZONDO ADRIAN CASTLLO

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ALFONSO MERCADO, PH.D. HEALTH CONTENT CONTRIBUTOR

MELISSA GUANA NUTRETE NTP, CHNC HEALTH CONTENT CONTRIBUTOR

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TABLE OF CONTENTS EDUCATION Honor, Courage, Commitment 10 Marine Military Academy of Harlingen celebrating 50 years of college prep success.

A Leap in the Right Direction

Prepping for success at Harlingen ECHS.

14

A Chance to Explore Options 16 College Bound Expo brings together students and university recruiters.

Mother’s Pride in the Making

20

100 Years of PSJA!

22

Finding the Right Fit

24

What are your E-Colors?

28

First generation college student Clarissa Garza forming her own future at STC.

ON THE COVER RGV: Vote!

80

As the political campaigns head into primary runoffs and, ultimately, the November general election, the question remains as to how many people will be registered to vote, and how many of those will actually show up to cast ballots.

By George Cox | Cover Illustration by Mariela PeĂąa

8

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march/april 2016

Alumni reminisce during Jefferson Centennial celebrations.

Why rank colleges?

A new approach to communication.

2016

BUSINESS

HEALTH

VOLUME 8 ISSUE 2 March/April

QUALITY OF LIFE

Knife Glider Across America

32

Healthcare at your Doorstep

52

A Complete Childhood

70

Mobile Business Boom

34

Behind the Scenes Support Team 54

Brewing Up Culture

74

rgVisionary Woman

38

Understanding Real Nutrition

56

McAllen Sets the Stage

76

Retirement Planning

40

Spinal Cord Stimulation

60

Preserving the MOST History

78

Know Your Rights

42

E.R. Next Door

62

A Ninja Among Us

86

Living with oil & gas companies as neighbors.

Neighbors Emergency Centers providing alternative access to care.

Workplace Culture Matters

44

Fun , Games and Needless Risk 66

Lights, Camera... Carlos!

88

Building the Future

46

A Ruby Red Ventures success story, as featured on Good Morning America.

Shops on wheels face unique challenges, opportunities.

Being a leader is lessons from Dr. Paula Garcia.

Dual-income households have special considerations.

Develop the company culture you want.

Construction & real estate development is rising to meet demand.

Breaking Ground

48

Life Touch Home Health brings care services to Valley homes.

Device representatives often unseen, but vital to OR.

Creating a foundation of optimal health.

A life-changing treatment for chronic pain.

Parents, emphasize safety to your teens this spring break.

A Spectrum of Experiences

Capable Kids Foundation gives kids the chance to be part of a team.

Brew-seum craft beer week at IMAS taps into diverse flavors.

Live Concert Series showcases local talent.

Legacy 1910 Jail closed for renovations.

Abel Gonzalez brings warrior spirit, parkour to South Texas.

Valley native Carlos Morenos, Jr. making it on the silver screen.

68

Autism affects kids differently, and parents can help them flourish.

NTB Development offers strong foundation for new construction.

march/april 2016

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EDUCATION

50 YEAR OF HON 10

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march/april 2016

THE MARINE MILITARY ACADEMY HAS BEEN SHAPING THE LIVES OF YOUNG MEN SINCE 1965.

By George Cox

RS NOR

T

he Iwo Jima Monument towers over the Marine Military Academy parade grounds in Harlingen, an iconic symbol of one of the fiercest battles of World War II and the final resting place of a Rio Grande Valley Marine depicted in the sculpture and later killed during that battle.

Across Iwo Jima Boulevard is the main gate to the 142-acre MMA campus, where for 50 years teenagers have learned to become men through a rigorous academic regimen based in the U.S. Marine Corps values of honor, courage and commitment.

MMA Superintendent Col. R. Glenn Hill, whose association with the Marine Corps coincides with the half century that the academy celebrates this year, said MMA is the only military boarding school in the world to immerse cadets in those values as part of its curriculum.

Military discipline supports the school’s educational mission by creating an environment that integrates ethical, physical and spiritual training with academics all day, every day.

“We are a college preparatory school,” Hill said. “We focus on the academics and we work hard to provide quality of life.”

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EDUCATION

Hill joined the Marines in 1966, the same year as MMA’s first graduating class. After 30 years active duty Hill retired from the Marines and joined the academy staff, where he has remained for 20 years.

“I’ve had the honor of wearing this uniform for 50 years,” he said on a recent Friday morning in his office, dressed in fatigues.

With an almost unheard-of 100-percent rate of students accepted to college, and 98 percent actually attending a university or two-year college, MMA puts cadets on a track toward higher education from day one.

“One of the first people (a cadet) meets is a college counselor,” Hill said.

MMA is also a designated Naval Honor School, which means the academy can nominate its top cadets to U.S. service academies like the U.S. Naval Academy, where more than 400 MMA graduates have attended.

The cadets’ introduction to their service as a member of the Marine Corps JROTC program, and the discipline that comes with it, also begins immediately.

“What we do is take away the distractions,” Hill said. “There are no girls. Everyone wears the same clothes. It’s a regimented lifestyle. When you cut off their hair and put them in the same uniform they are just kids learning to work with one another.”

Retired Marines supervise the cadets’ daily routines while professional educators and counselors guide the students’ academic life. Marine Corps values and quality education combine to establish a setting where hard work and performance are prized.

“We want to teach that you are rewarded for good performance and that there are consequences for poor performance,” Hill said. “We want them to make good decisions. We teach ethical behavior so they will do the right things in life.”

In the early 1960s Capt. William A. “Bill” Gary, an Arizona rancher and retired Marine Corps reservist, was looking for a school to enroll his son in that emphasized the ideology of the Marine Corps, but there wasn’t one. Gary enlisted a group of

prominent marines to help him start such a school.

During the process the closing of the Harlingen Air Force Base gave the founders a place to land.

In World War II the base was established as the Harlingen Army Air Field and was the site of the Harlingen Army Gunnery School, which specialized in training for aerial gunnery.

The field closed after the war, in 1946, only to be reactivated as Harlingen Air Force Base in 1952 during the Korean War. Military cutbacks resulted in the base’s closure in 1962 and its transition to civilian use, which today includes Valley International Airport.

Gary and his legion of supporters worked tirelessly to network, organize, plan and raise funds to achieve their goal of creating the nonprofit Marine Military Academy, a male-only college preparatory school steeped in the values of the Marine Corps.

Gary’s son was the first cadet to enroll in the initial class of 58 cadets that started in September 1965. Six of those cadets would comprise MMA’s first graduating class in 1966.

The early years of the academy also attracted a man who would become one of Harlingen’s best known and most influential residents.

Col. H. William “Bill” Card retired from the Marine Corps in 1968 after 29 years of active duty and moved to Harlingen as MMA’s Commandant of Cadets and Director of Development.

Card, who enlisted in the Marines in 1939 on his 17th birthday, was aboard the USS Pennsylvania when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and saw combat throughout the Pacific Theater, including the invasion of Iwo Jima.

Card left MMA in 1975 to pursue a career in banking and served as mayor of Harlingen from 1987 to 1998, although he continued his service to MMA as a trustee for many years.

When he moved to Harlingen, Card brought his family with him. This included son H. William Card III, who would become one of the academy’s early graduates.

WHAT WE DO IS TAKE AWAY THE DISTRACTIONS. THERE ARE NO GIRLS. EVERYONE WEARS THE SAME CLOTHES. IT’S A REGIMENTED LIFESTYLE. WHEN YOU CUT OFF THEIR HAIR AND PUT THEM IN THE SAME UNIFORM THEY ARE JUST KIDS LEARNING TO WORK WITH ONE ANOTHER.” - COL. R. GLENN HILL 12

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The younger Card enrolled as a 16-year-old in 1968 and graduated in 1970. Despite growing up as the son of a Marine, the academy was an eye-opening experience.

“As any 16-year-old can attest to, you have your own ideas of how things should be,” Card said. “I was quickly dissuaded of all of that upon my arrival.”

He said his time at MMA helped him get his feet on the ground to prepare for the rest of his life.

“I needed to pick myself up by my own bootstraps and find my own way,” he said. “For that I’m eternally grateful.”

The younger Card also served with his father on the board of trustees and has watched the school grow and influence new generations of young people.

“One of the things we need more than ever in this world, in this country, is good leadership, and that’s one of the things you learn at that school,” he said.

Card went on to study at the University of Texas at Austin, returning to the Valley for a career in finance.

In 1991 he and his mother founded Card Investment Group, which continues today as a successful firm of financial advisers.

While a few of the original military base buildings are still in use, MMA has undergone major capital improvements that include barracks, classroom buildings and recreational facilities. As a nonprofit, the school is funded exclusively through tuition and donations, Hill said.

For the 50th anniversary, tuition and fees for the 2015-16 school year amount to $35,300, which Hill said puts MMA in the mid-range for private military schools. The school also offers scholarships and financial aid to make MMA accessible to a diverse student body.

This year the academy has 265 cadets enrolled from throughout the United States and around the world, from as close at Mexico and as far away as China and Nigeria.

Jorge Ramirez arrived at MMA from his native Mexico to find a world that would have a profound impact on his life.

“I can tell you that the school gave me the building blocks for the rest of my life,” Ramirez said. “It put me in a situation that most 14-year-olds don’t experience.

It’s learning from all these former Marines and being immersed in the Marine Corps culture that really sets it apart.”

After graduating in 1995, Ramirez returned to Mexico and became a lawyer. Then he returned to the United States and law school at the University of

MMA FACTS

Florida, where he drew on his MMA experience to succeed.

“I was a kid in a strange land,” he said. “I was only 22 years old. I struggled but I MMA GRADUATES applied all that discipline and HAVE ATTENDED U.S. I did very well. Things like NAVAL ACADEMIES. honesty and integrity that were required from me at the school were so helpful. I’ve learned that through hard work and RATE OF STUDENTS discipline you can work your ACCEPTED TO way through anything that life COLLEGE. throws at you.”

Ramirez became a U.S. citizen and now resides in Mission, where he is preparing to take the Texas Bar Exam.

ATTEND UNIVERSITY OR TWO-YEAR The 50-year history of COLLEGE. MMA, its culture and values are symbolically embodied in the giant sculpture across the street from the campus.

Created by sculptor Dr. Felix W. de Weldon, the CURRENTLY monument is inspired by ENROLLED. Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal’s Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of six Marines raising the American flag on the summit of Mount FOR 2015-16 SCHOOL YEAR TUITION & Suribachi on the island of Iwo FEES Jima.

It is the original plaster mold used to cast the bronze monument that is the centerpiece of the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. The artist donated the monument to MMA and it was dedicated on April 16, 1982.

The figures stand 32 feet high and include Marine Cpl. Harlon H. Block of Weslaco, who is shown placing the 78-foot flagpole in the ground. Block was killed in action three days later. His remains were moved to a gravesite directly behind the monument.

Close to the monument, in one of the original buildings, is the Iwo Jima Museum, administered by MMA and dedicated to preserving the history of that important battle.

Hill said the monument is a source of pride for the academy and the community of Harlingen.

“Having Harlon Block buried here is a big deal,” he said. “We feel very honored to have him here.”

march/april 2016

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EDUCATION

A Leap in the Right Direction

PREPPING FOR SUCCESS AT HARLINGEN ECHS

BY MARITZA GALLAGA

JOSUE ALDRETE

“ECHS ALLOWED ME TO GET ONE STEP AHEAD TOWARDS ACHIEVING MY GOAL OF PRACTICING MEDICINE.” - ALDRETE 14

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I

nnovation in education works. Just ask Josue Aldrete, who in 2007 enrolled in Harlingen CISD’s Early College High School (ECHS), a decision that would propel him towards his dream of practicing medicine as a physician assistant.

“At the time, ECHS was brand new, and most of us took a leap of faith towards the promise of a dual credit program. Looking back, I can say with confidence that I made the right decision,” says Aldrete, who was later accepted into a physician assistant school at age 20, the youngest of his class of 75. “ECHS was a big part and a right step towards my education.” Fast forward to May 2016, when he will graduate from the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) with a Master of Arts in Physician Assistant (PA) Studies.

Once certified, Aldrete plans to practice medicine both within and outside of the Rio Grande Valley. march/april 2016

Aldrete’s journey demonstrates that opportunity plus determination equals success. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Aldrete’s parents immigrated to Harlingen when he was three. “My parents, who both currently work for HCISD, gave up everything to allow my siblings and me a better opportunity and education,” says Aldrete. Full of high aspirations for their son, they saw enrollment at ECHS as an opportunity not to miss, and the years that followed confirmed that choosing HCISD’s ECHS provided definite advantages to the academically determined Aldrete. Four years after enrolling in ECHS, he graduated from high school with an additional diploma, an associate of science degree in biology.

His honors at graduation included being named valedictorian, a Distinguished Graduate, a Texas Scholar, and a Board of Regents graduate from TSTC with a 4.0 grade point average. Consequently, he earned his undergraduate degree in two years. Moving on to graduate school, he secured a highly coveted seat in the UNTHSC PA Studies program, beating out over a thousand applicants for the opportunity. “ECHS allowed me to get one step ahead towards achieving my goal of practicing medicine,” Aldrete explains.

HCISD’s ECHS, now in its ninth year, kicked off the district’s efforts to provide students and parents with a unique learning environment, offering students the opportunity to excel in both high school and college. HCISD Superintendent Dr. Art J. Cavazos, a staunch advocate for public schools, reminds us that education is the great equalizer. “The ECHS and TSTC partnership is a tribute to the power of community collaboration for student achievement,” says Cavazos. “Together we are offering a world-class education.”

Aldrete praises the school and encourages students to consider ECHS as a choice. He says it’s never too early to plan for the future. “Placing yourself on a good career path by working on your education will save you time and money, helping reduce some of the worries about the future.” Through its supportive environment, rigorous curriculum, and collaborative agreement with TSTC, ECHS moves students one step closer to their career of choice.

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EDUCATION

A CHANCE TO

COLLEGE BOUND EXPO BRINGS TOGETHER STUDENTS & UNIVERSITY RECRUITERS.

BY JA N E D O E

BY DAVID ALVARADO

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n a reflection of the Valley’s growing university culture, over 15 schools and several businesses filled a conference room in McAllen for the first ever College Bound Expo, providing information to university hopefuls from around the Valley. The expo is one of several initiatives planned by College Bound, an organization founded to help Rio Grande Valley high school students surmount the odds they face (in spite of outstanding academic performances) when it comes to college enrollment.

According to the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, nearly one-third of students entering a 2-year community college or four-year university in the United States are first-generation.

These students are also more likely to be minorities and statistically less likely to graduate; in six years, 40 percent of first-generation students will have earned a bachelor’s or associate’s degree or a certificate, compared to 55 percent of their peers whose parents attended college. The myriad of social, cultural and academic obstacles facing first-generation students contribute to this low graduation rate, and while many intelligent, talented students are planning to be the first in their family to achieve a post-secondary education, some do not know how to begin the process that will lead to college.

“All students have the potential to accomplish great things,” says Alihermy (Ali) J. Valdez, Founder of College Bound and Director of College Counseling at IDEA College Preparatory. “In my experience, tapping this potential is a matter of convincing students to believe in themselves.”

College Bound epitomizes this philosophy,

offering a solution to students and their families by covering the entire college admissions process from freshman year of high school to graduation through one-on-one counseling. Valdez has a hands-on approach, meeting with students several times a week.

This year will be the 4th graduating class Valdez has worked with and throughout all those years, she can proudly say that 100 percent of students have made it to the next stage of their education: college or university.

Priscilla Dominguez is among that 100 percent; she is currently enrolled as a freshman at Texas Tech in Lubbock. Dominguez says she knew almost nothing about the college enrollment process as an 8th grader at IDEA-College Prep; her parents understood even less than that. “I didn’t know anything about essays, financial aid...” said Dominguez, who is now studying Speech Patterns and Human Pathology. She met Valdez, her school’s college counselor, who took her and her parents in and provided information about applying. Dominguez now volunteers her time inbetween semesters to assist Valdez with anything College Bound. “I feel like if Ali’s helping, I can help too,” said Dominguez. “I think everyone deserves the opportunity to go to college, and College Bound is something that parents can really lean on if they have questions.”

Valdez has always had a spot in her heart for education, starting her career as a 7th grade Prealgebra and Life Science teacher at IDEA Public Schools, where she taught for three years. “It was a huge learning experience and the school had great resources,” she remembers. “We organized college field lessons for our students and they participated in overnight visits to colleges like Texas State and Rice

ALIHERMY GREETING PARENTS AT THE COLLEGE BOUND EXPO IN JANUARY.

EDUCATION

IN MY EXPERIENCE, TAPPING THIS POTENTIAL IS A MATTER OF CONVINCING STUDENTS TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES.

University.” She realized that although younger kids may not know it, visiting universities helps them understand that going to college is attainable for them and something to aspire to. From that experience, Valdez was convinced that students needed to start thinking about college as early as middle school.

Valdez worked as a Corp. Member Advisor for Teach for America for two summers in Houston, which provided unique leadership and growth opportunities in a variety of roles from instructional to operational. “From there, I transitioned into the Director of College Counseling role at IDEA CP, which was one of the best decisions I have made,” says Valdez.

Valdez makes sure her students and parents understand the added value in considering colleges that may be out of the area and the importance of researching their options. She also helps them overcome cultural hurdles that influence them to exclude entire categories of schools that would be perfect for them (based on graduation rates, specialized programs offered and financial aid packages) because of preconceived notions about affordability or homesickness. “To many parents, the further away students are, the more expensive,” Valdez says. She also has to explain to the parents that it’s not about wanting to send students out of the area and far away from their loving arms, but finding the best fit for them academically. “For some students, the best fit is UTRGV, for others it's Austin College, and in some cases it’s Harvard.”

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But as the college-going culture continues to rise in the RGV, some parents are learning to let go, while being as supportive as possible. “We have to...If you don’t get out there, you don’t know what options you have,” said Ramiro Hernandez, whose daughter, Nacole, is a junior at Edinburg North High School.

“Later in life you can find out you could’ve gone there or done this, and you just didn’t know about it - that’s pretty bad. We’re trying to give her every option possible.”

Working as Director of College Counseling at IDEA CP, while successfully helping other students through College Bound, Valdez is a force against academic failure. “We do our best to keep students from falling through the cracks, sitting with them frequently to make sure they are making progress in the right classes while building qualities that colleges look for,” she says. However, she says some of the biggest conflicts when it comes to preparing her kids for college is the culture in the RGV. “Getting to college is such a huge accomplishment for a lot of families,” Valdez says. While graduating is certainly an achievement worthy of recognition, she hopes that one day, it will be the norm for all families in the Valley. “Everyone can achieve their goals with proper planning, preparation, and attitude. Once students understand this, there’s nothing that can stop them.”

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EDUCATION

Mother’s Pride in the Making First Generation College Student Clarissa Garza Forming Her Own Future at STC

By Annie Sykes

T

hese days, getting into college is no cake walk. The competition is fierce and the application process is long. All of these obstacles are harder when your family cannot guide you through the process, as was the case with Clarissa Garza. “She’s the first one in our family to go to college,” says Clara Garza, her mother. “We support her in everything she does, so she has everything she needs to get ahead.” As she speaks, Clara’s voice swells with pride. She cannot contain her emotion at the thought of her daughter’s accomplishments; though she’s not yet twenty years old, Clarissa is already checking off milestones like an old pro.

From an early age, Clarissa knew she would attend college. She compared the stable lifestyles she observed of her collegeeducated teachers, school counselors, and principals to the daily toil of her parents - her father ranching in Mexico and her mother caring for seven children. She understood how few other options they

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had without degrees. Clarissa watched as her older siblings followed in their father’s footsteps, also limiting their career choices by not finishing school. Perhaps most importantly, she saw her mother’s hopes for all her children to have more out of life dashed. Clarissa wanted to ensure her mother would cry only tears of happiness and pride for her, not of frustration. She wanted a life filled with options for her future, so she made a decision: “I was going to go to college no matter what.”

The fact that she was a firstgeneration student did not deter Clarissa.

One of her first steps was making a list of potential colleges. After weeks of thorough research, one school rose to the top: South Texas College. “STC was perfect,” recalls Clarissa. “It was affordable - much more than other South Texas schools I looked at. And, they had a great program for education, which is what I wanted to study.” She says that in the end, it was a no-brainer to apply there first, and applying was not as hard as she thought it would be. “I just worked on every form and checklist and essay until I was totally finished,” she says.

Clarissa was not only accepted into STC, she also landed a competitive workstudy job in the financial aid office. Upon hearing the news, Clarissa’s mom was proud of course, but not surprised. “She’s always wanted to be someone in life who can do something for others,” Clara says.

Clarissa herself says finding that job on campus was a Godsend. “I think of it as a gift from God because without it, I might not have been able to attend,” she remembers. “It was close to home, so I could live there and help my mom out.”

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The financial aid office, where she helped fellow students with financial aid forms and deadlines, was also where Clarissa’s career dreams gelled. “I loved the feeling of making it easier for people to get their education,” Clarissa says. She had a knack for it, too: when a scheduling crunch this winter left Clarissa to man the office alone, she rose to the occasion. “I ran the office, and everything went fine. I was nervous at first but then I remembered that I knew how to do my job,” she grins.

These days, Clarissa is looking at yet another next step: finishing her bachelor’s degree so she can become a classroom teacher. “I earned my teacher’s aid certificate from STC already,” she says, “so I can get experience teaching - and earn money - while I’m getting my bachelor’s.”

In three to four years, Clarissa Garza will be teaching in her very own classroom. Then, she wants to be a high school counselor, working to help students develop plans of their own.

Knowing Clarissa, there is little doubt that she will reach all her goals. She is the kind of person who always knows her next step, a trait she says led her to become the first in her family to attend college and keeps her thriving in her second year at STC. “She’s always been very dedicated,” Clara agrees. She has witnessed her daughter’s academic success from elementary school to college, the result of always trying to make her mother proud. But no matter what, Clarissa knows she can count on her mother’s love and support. “For me,” says Clara, “she will always be my little girl.”

“She’s the first one in our family to go to college.

We support her in everything she does, so she has everything she needs to get ahead.”

- Clara Garza

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EDUCATION

PSJA

SCHOOL celebrates \

100 years of history

By Claudia V. Lemus

ALUMNI REMINISCE DURING JEFFERSON CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD welcomed alumni from as early as the 1930s to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its first high school located on Business 83 in Pharr. The school, which was recently renovated to preserve its historic status, is now the home of the district’s first early college campus, PSJA Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School. Centennial celebrations began with a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a once-in-a lifetime evening celebration Dec. 3, 2015.

During the centennial festivities, PSJA school district officials, current and former staff members, alumni of all ages and teachers celebrated and reminisced on the past and shared their future goals. In addition, attendees toured the campus and viewed special alumni memorabilia on display.

According Olivia Robie, a 1958 PSJA graduate, she was happy to relive old memories and was glad to see how the district has evolved since she graduated.

“The event was beautiful,” said Robie, who donated personal

memorabilia to the school district. “I attended school here and have a lot of memories. I was involved in cheerleading and I was a Bearette. I love what the Superintendent and School Board have done. My children all came to PSJA and are all educated, PSJA has done good by our children. I am a proud alum.”

In addition to donating special memorabilia like their letterman jackets, letters and photos, alumni had the opportunity to share their favorite memories and stories while at Jefferson.

For Mauro A. Treviño, a 1957 PSJA graduate, the centennial celebrations brought back numerous significant memories.

“If I could relive one moment of my time, it would be when I got my diploma,” Treviño recalled. “I was the first one in my family to graduate from high school. My parents were sitting in the stands and it was great for me.”

Since it was built in 1915, the Jefferson Building has served many generations, as the tri-city area's first high school, a middle school and a ninth grade campus. Due to the significance of the Jefferson Building, PSJA T. Jefferson T-STEM ECHS Principal

“PSJA Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School is the lighthouse of PSJA.” -Virna M. Bazan

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Virna M. Bazan said she is grateful for the opportunity to continue educating generations of students and representing the innovative school district.

“PSJA Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School is the lighthouse of PSJA,” proudly said Bazan of her state-of-the-art campus. “This school building has played a key role in educating generation after generation of students from Pharr, San Juan and Alamo. Students here at PSJA Thomas Jefferson are already productive members of society. I want to assure you that our future looks bright thanks to these wonderful students. The 100 years to come are filled with excellence and we will not let you down.”

ABOUT THE BUILDING First built in 1915, the historic building was first known as PharrSan Juan Public School and was part of Common School District No. 4, with an enrollment of 143 students in first through 11th grade. Over the years, as the school district grew and evolved, the building took on many names which included:

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Pharr-San Juan Public School, 1915-25; PSJA High School and Junior High, 1925-48; PSJA High School, 1948-62; Thomas Jefferson Junior High School 1962-66; Jefferson East/West Junior High School, 1966-69; Jefferson Junior High, 1969-78; Jefferson Ninth Grade School, 1978; PSJA Ninth, 1978-79; Memorial Ninth Grade, 1979-90; Memorial Junior High, 1990-92; Memorial Middle, 1992-2002; and PSJA Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School, 2012-Present

After being vacant for 10 years, the Jefferson building which received a historical marker in 1986, has been the home of PSJA Thomas Jefferson T-STEM Early College High School since 2012. It was the first PSJA ISD early college high school, serving as the role model for the rest of the district. Since its inception, the campus has earned Exemplary Ratings and Distinction Designations from the Texas Education Agency, with many students graduating with the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and an Associate Degree from South Texas College.

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EDUCATION

finding

THE RIGHT FIT Why rank colleges?

BY ALIHERMY J. VALDEZ 24

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ccepting a college offer is one of the most important and expensive decisions students and their families will make in their lifetimes.

After considering tuition, board, required fees, books, transportation and other personal expenses, a bachelor’s degree from some private universities can cost more than $240,000 if students pay the full sticker price. This is why it is imperative that students and their families create a prospective college list that is customized to their needs. Two of the most popular college ranking guides that serve as “College Bibles” for college applicants are Barron’s Profile of American Colleges and US News and World Report. They share comparative merits of educational programs at America’s colleges and universities in order to provide students and parents with as much information as possible. Analyzing data from these types of resources, college hopefuls can compare the academic quality of schools.

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What’s really the difference between colleges?

Are colleges getting more competitive?

Ranking colleges is an extensive process, as this information can be used in the selection process. Some of the data used to determine ranking includes selectivity, graduation rates, retention rates, and faculty information. With so much data, it is easy for one to get lost in the sea of educational statistics. Ranking can certainly be used to narrow down a list of schools, but should not be used as the sole basis to choose one school over another. A student and their family should think about what factors they consider important before comparing colleges, so they can then select the best option for their needs.

Some factors that prospective students need to consider before selecting colleges to apply to include the student’s academic and professional ambitions, financial resources, school’s size, cost, programs, atmosphere and location. The prestige of the college is an important factor to consider, as earning a diploma from a distinguished institution can help a graduate get a good job or gain admission into a top-notch graduate program.

During the past decade, there has been a decline in the number of schools that are considered easier to get into and an increase in the number of schools that are characterized as the most elite. However, a survey from the National Association for College Admission Counseling suggests that 75% of colleges have seen an increase in applications every year, which contributes to why schools are appearing more selective. Therefore, although colleges seem to be getting more competitive, it has to do more with the abundance of qualified students that are applying to those colleges, and less with the school's’ educational rankings.

The bottom line when it comes to making college application choices is that there are differences in the academic quality of colleges and universities, and the application and acceptance atmosphere is always evolving. College Bound focuses on helping students and parents compare the academic quality at colleges and universities in order to make the application process less stressful during the journey towards that best fit school. If you are in the process of selecting a college for yourself or your child, we invite you to hold our hand and let us guide you through this difficult, sometimes overwhelming, process. march/april 2016

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EDUCATION

This is why it is imperative that students and their families create a prospective college list that is customized to their needs.

Some recognized institutions are listed below along with tier and level of selectivity. *Barron’s List of Colleges and Tiers

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EDUCATION

Thinker

Relater

Socializer

Doer

E-Colors:

A NEW APPROACH TO COMMUNICATION WHAT ARE YOUR E-COLORS?

BY JENNILEE GARZA

Dr. Rosalinda Mercado-Garza, PhD Chief Executive Officer LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST

Typically, people lean toward working with individuals who share similar thought processes and work ethics. But, working with only like-minded individuals won’t get you the strongest end result. As the saying goes, “Two minds are better than one, and four minds are better than two.” However, if those minds don’t operate like yours, how can you approach those differences to yield more effective communication?

We all know that the human brain is divided into four lobes and two hemispheres. Each part of the brain is responsible for different functions including movement, visual processing, memory, speech, emotion, perception and more. At E-Colors in Education, a renowned global coaching organization, studies have led the company to divide the brain into four major personality types that become 12 different E-Color combinations:

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The Doer

The Socializer

The Thinker

The Relater

E-Colors in Education and Equilibria, a 13-year-old coaching company that focuses on effective communication, developed a survey that assesses a Personality Diversity Indicator (PDI), which provides an indication of everyone’s strengths and potential limiters (formerly known as weaknesses). When a PDI questionnaire is taken, a series of words are used to determine an individual’s top two E-Color combinations, which describe a more specific personality style. This is conveyed in any context, whether examining a student and what he or she brings to the classroom, or a teacher and what he or she brings to the team. Additionally, a leader can also learn how to better organize the health and well-being of his or her staff.

“When you look at what we have to offer, as far as training, one of the things that we discuss are core values.

My core values had always driven me to work with students who were in atrisk environments,” said Dr. Rosalinda Mercado-Garza, who has served as the CEO of E-Colors in Education for nearly three years. The non-profit organization will celebrate its three year anniversary in June 2016. A former principal for Southwest Middle and High School in Houston, Dr. Mercado-Garza’s school was approached by Equilibria. At the time, the company focused on professional coaching within the oil industry and had just branched out to other fields including education. As principal, Dr. MercadoGarza welcomed Equilibria to her campus and found their approaches effective and worthy of more exploration. “When you saw the opportunity to help create a healthier environment - that ended up mattering more to me as a leader than the

actual position itself. So I really moved from being a principal to expanding this network because I wanted other schools, other students, and the individuals that were all involved to be in environments that promote a greater understanding of communication,” she said. Dr. MercadoGarza is considered Yellow/Red. E-Colors in Education offers personal development and leadership trainings for elementary - college students, staff and faculty. Each training accepts no more than 150 participants and trainings are offered in English and Spanish. A full day of training would cost an organization $1,200 and a half day would total $800. Materials are an additional cost.

Throughout the training session an array of hands-on activities and games are administered to challenge participants and help them understand the value of healthy communication.

Dr. Gina Cano-Monreal (G/R) from Texas State Technical College experienced an ECiE Leadership Institute and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

“During the 2-day E-Colors leadership workshop, I saw a group of people come to “own” their strengths and learn how they could press their play button for empowerment,” said Dr.Cano-Monreal.

“I saw a group no longer ashamed of weaknesses but aware of tools and techniques they could use to manage potential limiters. It was a wonderful experience to be a part of a team that came together from different areas of the college to grow and realize the unique contributions that we all bring to the table and how we can use these to help one another.”

To date, E-Colors in Education

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SO, HERE’S WHAT AN EIGHT HOUR TRAINING DAY LOOKS LIKE IN A NUTSHELL: •

Participants determine their PDI through a brief questionnaire (prior to session).

•

Self-focus activities assess participants’ strengths and limiters.

•

Participants determine their PDI through a brief survey.

•

Participants are grouped with individuals who share the same E-Color combinations.

•

Participants then agree on two common strengths and limiters.

•

All participants are later seated in a “U” shape.

•

Participants discuss how teamwork is disrupted for them as an individual.

•

Participants evaluate personal traits that may cause teamwork disruption for others.

•

Participants are partnered with someone of a different E-Colors combination and assess how to better communicate and work with that personality style.

•

Participants discuss how to reduce reactionary decisions and offer more appropriate response.

•

Participants learn how to maximize and build capacity within the organization by using each other as a resource rather than a barrier.

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EDUCATION

has worked with over 45 organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Within each organization, multiple departments have utilized these trainings. Ultimately, ECiE plans to expand to every school in every nation. That’s their vision 20 years from now.

Locally, Dr. Rosalinda MercadoGarza is also raising funds to provide 100 students in the Rio Grande Valley a free workshop. For $50, a student can experience a full-day training session including materials and a free meal. If you are interested in supporting this cause, contact Dr. Mercado-Garza at Rosalinda@ecolorsineducation.org Curious about your E-Colors?

Anyone can take the questionnaire for free at EColorsInEducation.org by clicking on the “E-Colors (PDI)” tab on the homepage.

I took the questionnaire myself and qualified as Red/Green – “The Thinking Doer.” While I was skeptical as to whether the PDI would accurately capture my personality traits within the workplace, I ended up smiling as I read my results.

According to E-Colors, I’m a creator more than a follower. I am decisive and determined to complete tasks that I start.

But, I am also sensitive to conflict and do not like resistance, especially if it can affect my goals and objectives; I’m prone to over-analyze, can be quite self-critical and tend to take on many tasks. I take calculated risks when making decisions, prefer to work alone, focus on the future, tend to think of people as 'tools in the toolbox,’ enjoy planning, monitoring and measuring, and I tend to become over analytical and can micro-manage if I am not careful.

Yup ,E-colors in Education completely nailed it.

Don’t forget to follow E-colors in Education on facebook at facebook.com/ ecolorsineducation.

“DURING THE 2-DAY E-COLORS LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP, I SAW A GROUP OF PEOPLE COME TO “OWN” THEIR STRENGTHS AND LEARN HOW THEY COULD PRESS THEIR PLAY BUTTON FOR EMPOWERMENT. “ - DR. GINA CANO - MONREAL (G/R)

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BUSINESS

Knife Glider Across America A Ruby Red Ventures Success Story

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sBy Alyssa Garcia

H

usband and wife entrepreneurs Sam and Jennifer Shipp woke up on December 28th, 2015 to find the online sales of their two-week-old business shooting through the roof. At first they noticed all the sales were coming from the eastern coast. An hour later, from the central states. Next, the west coast. “What was going on?”

Sam wondered. The couple from Mission, Texas were anticipating that the exposure they received on ABC’s Good Morning America would boost sales, but they hadn’t realized that the segment would be airing that morning. As the show made its way across time zones, sales were pouring in.

Jennifer Shipp had previously been invited to feature their brand new product, the Knife Glider, on a segment entitled “Life’s A Pitch” with Joy Mangano, the inspiration for the movie Joy starring Jennifer Lawrence that premiered this past December. The movie tells the inspirational story of how she succeed as an entrepreneur with her Miracle Mop design and went on to be “the Infomercial Queen.”

Jennifer, a stay at home mom, explained to Joy that she feared nicks from handling a knife and removing food from the blade. Knife Glider serves as a plastic guard between the knife's blade and the user. “The sign of a great product is that it solves a problem,” Joy said, complimenting the Knife Glider. At the end of the segment, Joy awarded Jennifer a check for $10,000 to go towards growing her and Sam’s burgeoning business.

While being on national TV certainly factored into their “overnight success,” the Knife Glider has actually been five years in the making. Officially their business is only months old, but for much longer than that the Shipps have received assistance through Mission EDC’s Ruby Red Ventures initiative.

“Nurturing entrepreneurs and empowering individuals- these are the goals of Ruby Red Ventures,” states Alex Meade, the CEO of Mission EDC. While Mission EDC is committed to attracting large corporations to its city, they also realized the importance of investing in people.

Meade explains that when introducing major companies to Mission, a strong local economy is really attractive. Ruby Red Venture is helping to develop the local economy of Mission by empowering local business owners and entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills to run and maintain a business, coupled with the capital to grow their company.

“They are just awesome at the Mission Economic Development Corporation,” Sam declares. “I encourage anybody who has a great business idea to look at Ruby

“I encourage anybody who has a business or has a great business idea to look at Ruby Red Ventures. They are excellent to work with.”

Red Ventures. They are excellent to work with. They are very informative and they will give you the tools you need so you can move forward with your project.”

The Shipps’ first attempt at bringing Jennifer’s idea to life was a bulky concept made from materials Sam found at Home Depot and Hobby Lobby. After exhibiting it at various trade shows, the Shipps streamlined their design. In 2013, through Ruby Red Ventures, Sam attended nine hours of business classes given by the UTRGV Small Business Development Center. “They really helped refine our business plan,” says Sam. Sam’s twenty-page business plan was evaluated and moved on to the final round where he was asked to present it to prominent members of the Mission business community. The Knife Glider was awarded $10,000. With their award money, they were able to create a working 3D prototype and patent it.

In 2015, they applied with Ruby Red Ventures again. This time they were awarded $15,000 which they put towards manufacturing their product. They have kept their business local by utilizing local manufacturers; to create the mold, they employed Priority Tool out of South march/april 2016

Texas College. They used Emu Plastics in the McAllen Trade Zone to produce the actual product.

Knife Glider is still on the rise. They have launched on the internet through knifeglider.com, Amazon, Facebook and eBay. Each site has videos that demonstrate the product. Next they hope to be able to demonstrate their product on television and have been talking to leading at-home shopping networks. They hope to see their product on the store shelves one day, and are excited that Bed, Bath, and Beyond has already expressed interest.

Venture businesses often use programs such as Ruby Red Ventures during the adolescent stage of their business cycle to help them grow. The Shipps themselves have now received funding from other sources, but Ruby Red Ventures helped them to overcome major hurdles in establishing their business.

Since their conception in 2012, Mission EDC’s Ruby Red Ventures has funded 26 projects with an average award of $10,000. If you are interested in competing in the next round, contact Mission EDC. Participants must be a resident of Mission or have the intent of growing their business in Mission.

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BUSINESS

MOBILE BUSINESS BOOM SHOPS ON WHEELS FACE UNIQUE CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES

BY G EO R G E C OX Jym Almazan hated his job as a fork lift operator, so he rolled the dice with a shoestring business venture selling handbags out of his car.

“I was married and needed to make money,” Almazan said. “I started selling knock-offs from the trunk of my car.”

Today he runs a successful business on wheels that takes merchandise to the customer. He credits his wife Monica for pushing him to upgrade from selling cheap replica handbags into handling high-end designer brand names like Michael Kors and Louie Vuiton.

“My wife works behind the scenes,” Almazan said. “She’s pretty much the one that tells me what we’re going to do.”

With the help of Monica and son Kalvin, Arm Candy Boutique was born more than a decade ago and now sells namebrand fashion accessories out of two Ford buses that are set up as on-the-road showrooms.

Arm Candy Boutique was created at a time that mobile businesses were really just getting started. It is a business model that has boomed in recent years with everything from food trucks to services.

“There’s a lot of people on the streets selling things,” Almazan said about the growth of mobile businesses. “You can get someone to come wash your car or change your oil.”

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He cites convenience for the customer as the main reason behind the growing popularity of mobile businesses.

Based in Edinburg, Almazan and his son make between 15 and 20 regular stops daily, parking the buses at businesses where employees have requested the mobile shopping experience.

“My son is usually on one side of town and I’m on the other,” he said.

While he started out focusing on handbags, Almazan has expanded his inventory to include other designer fashion accessories.

“We also sell wallets and watches, and I’m getting into expensive perfumes and colognes,” he said.

The Arm Candy Boutique buses, decorated with the company logo and contact information on the exterior, promote the business everywhere they go. Almazan also uses social media to stay in contact with customers. A Facebook page with more than 1,400 followers boasts that phone calls or messages are typically returned within an hour. Once inside the buses, customers find a shopping experience similar to walking into a specialty shop.

“It’s a boutique inside,” Almazan said. “It actually looks like a store. My customers come on board and look at the designer purses and perfumes.”

Quality merchandise is a key to success, he said, but

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convenience and good prices are popular with customers.

“They like it because they don’t have to go to the mall or look for parking,” he said. “They call me and I can meet up with them.”

The handbags, wallets, watches and perfumes offered are well-known brands that typically carry a high price tag, but the low overhead of going mobile allows Almazan to be competitive with his pricing.

“I’m here to help customers out who can’t afford a lot of expensive items,” he said.

By going mobile the Almazans have found a livelihood that requires a lot of hard work, but something they can do on their own terms.

“I work whenever I want, but mostly it’s working all of the time,” Almazan said. “It’s pretty crazy but there’s nothing like being my own boss and I love doing it. I can’t see myself doing the fork lift ever again.”

Small entrepreneurs like Almazan make up a significant portion of the Rio Grande Valley retail sector, on and off wheels.

The Small Business Administration defines a small business as one with 500 employees or less, but the vast majority of small businesses in Deep South Texas are micro-businesses, or independent enterprises operated by one or two people, according to Angela Burton, district director of the SBA’s Rio Grande Valley district office.

Mobile businesses are playing a more prominent role in this retail segment, as evidenced by the growing number of food truck operators taking their recipes to the streets.

The McAllen Chamber of Commerce opened the Valley’s first food truck park in May 2015 at 1200 Ash Ave.

The chamber maintains the McAllen Food Park Facebook page to promote the venture. With more than 10,000 likes the social media outlet posts information about different food trucks and special events to attract patrons.

“During the week we have about two or three food trucks,” said Luis Cantu with the chamber’s community development department. “During the weekends it changes but we usually have from three to five.”

Cantu said the chamber hosts events like Food Park Unplugged to draw people to increase the number of customers.

“We bring a talent to come and play music while people come and eat at the park and enjoy the evening,” he said.

While several trucks operate out of the food park, others have staked out territory in different parts of the city.

“The advantage of a food truck is that they can operate in different places,” Cantu said. “It’s like having a restaurant but you can’t move a restaurant around to different locations.”

The Mighty Food Truck, specializing in sandwiches and

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BUSINESS

“I’ve been keeping my eye on it as the different cities have started to review their ordinances,” she said. “This is a trending business development and they are having to look at their laws and regulations.”

burgers, parks its business at 1303 N. 10th St. in McAllen.

In business since late 2014, owner Amy Gomez had an interest in restaurants and chose a food truck to stake her claim in the world of eateries.

“It’s cheaper than a restaurant,” she said. “It’s easier with a food truck. It’s easy to move around.”

Making a move, however, can have its red tape. Gomez said a contract is required at the location, rent is paid and there must be access to restrooms.

“We started out at a different location with only four tables,” she said. “We moved to a bigger space with seating for about 70 people.”

Gomez made that move last summer and she said business is good, especially weekend evenings.

The Mighty Food Truck also has a second rolling restaurant for catering and special events.

The Harlingen Chamber of Commerce opened space last August in its parking lot at 311 E. Tyler Ave. for food trucks, and it is common to see anywhere from two to five trucks parked there serving up their specialty dishes.

Brownsville, the only major Valley city without a designated location for a food truck park, is debating the best way to go about making room for this growing business model. The city has put out requests for proposals for companies interested in managing a food park and is exploring the needed ordinances to allow the mobile restaurants.

Burton said more communities are starting to take a hard look at ways to accommodate mobile businesses.

“I’ve been keeping my eye on it as the different cities have started to review their ordinances,” she said. “This is a trending business development and they are having to look at their laws and regulations.”

The expansion of food trucks shows no signs of slowing

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down in the upper Valley, where Spanky’s BBQ is one of the newer kitchens on wheels.

Owner Fernando Alvarez said he took to the streets in November.

“I’m still pretty young,” he said. “When we first opened up, we were kind of crossing our fingers.”

Alvarez set up shop at the McAllen Food Park and created a Facebook page to promote his menu. Spanky’s BBQ truck also moves around to cater special events.

While he started to gain a following early on, it wasn’t until he placed a brightly colored promotional wrap on his truck (featuring his logo, menu and contact information) that the business really gained traction.

“Before it was just a plain yellow truck with a banner,” he said. “Once we got that wrap business really took off. We even catered a Christmas lunch.”

Alvarez plans to drive his restaurant to South Padre Island to be part of the Spring Break Jam car show in March and Beach ‘N’ Biker Fest in April.

“I started all this with the thought of having my own business,” said Alvarez, who worked in the wholesale restaurant industry for more than 10 years. “So I decided one day I’m just going to do my own thing.”

Like Almazan and his rolling Arm Candy Boutique, Alvarez has not looked back to the days of working a regular job.

“You’re your own boss,” he said. “You make your own rules.

It’s up to you how much money you want to make as long as you’re willing to put in the time.”

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BUSINESS

RGVisionary Woman

is a new feature of the magazine that specifically spotlights the success of women in the region. Each issue, we will honor a prominent female leader in one of the following areas: education, business, healthcare, or quality of life. If you would like to nominate a local leader for this recognition, please send us an email at info@rgvisionmagazine.com.

LESSONS FROM A LOCAL LEADER: DR. PAULA GARCIA

By Annie Sykes

F

rom Brownsville to Raymondville, PSJA to TFA, Dr. Paula Garcia has spent nearly two decades working to create a public school system where all children can flourish. Currently, she serves as Executive Director for Teach For America Rio Grande Valley, one of the oldest and most successful branches of the nationally known organization. Ever the teacher, she shared with us the “leadership lessons” she’s learned along an extraordinary professional journey.

Dr. Paula Garcia 38

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LESSON 1: Being a leader is being an advocate Being a respected fixture in the Valley education scene is a far cry from where Dr. Garcia started. Her early years were spent half in Mexico, where her parents are from, and half in the United States. “I recently drove through the town where we grew up, and it shocked me,” Dr.Garcia reflects. “I had not realized how poor we were until I saw it with adult eyes.” Despite being U.S. citizens, she and her brother attended schools in Reynosa until a fated encounter with a Border Patrol officer. “We were so nervous when he stopped us, but he just suggested that my mother put us in U.S.

Currently, she serves as Executive Director for Teach For America Rio Grande Valley, one of the oldest and most successful branches of the nationally known organization.

march/april 2016

schools,� Dr. Garcia remembers. “He told her we’d be better off. I don’t think she had even thought of it that way before. Soon, we started going to school in McAllen.�

Navarro Elementary in McAllen was Dr. Garcia’s first taste of the American school system. “I was in band, and band kids just went to gifted classes, it seemed like,� she remembers. “I wasn’t even fluent in English yet, but I got pushed into a track that gave me more options and better instruction than others at my school. It’s one of my earliest memories of educational inequity.�

Dr. Garcia’s other memories of secondary school involve hiding her accent, perming her hair, and otherwise assimilating herself into American culture.

It wasn’t until she got to the University of Texas - Pan American that her Mexican heritage became a source of pride. “I took classes in Chicano literature and history.

My professors lit a fire in me about the systemic differences in opportunity that exist in America,� Dr. Garcia recalls. “I’d say my consciousness was raised from a zero to a ten.�

That fire still burns today. It is the driving force behind Dr. Garcia’s careerlong advocacy for Latino students. “I changed from hiding my roots to considering them an asset. And they are an asset - speaking two languages, understanding multiple cultural perspectives; these are all things that drive progress forward,� she states. “When more people adopt this view, we all win. That’s why for me, being a leader is being an advocate.�

LESSON 2: Being a leader is being bold After college, Dr. Garcia was accepted into Teach For America, which places college graduates in struggling public schools to teach. Dr. Garcia’s placement school hit close to home: she taught 5th grade in a Mercedes ISD school that so closely mirrored her own elementary school, she says it was “like time traveling.�

Right away, Dr. Garcia saw things she wanted to change. “I saw how the school’s traditional structure - English speakers up front, ‘the Mexican kids’ in the back - was already closing doors for

immigrant students,� she says. “We made many changes, like bringing in a balanced literacy approach (as opposed to ‘sit and get’ reading) and starting a lending library.�

That Dr. Garcia overhauled her classroom’s reading program as a brand new teacher is typical. “I actually prefer starting from scratch,� she tells us. “You’re definitely accountable if it doesn’t work, but you have more freedom.� This attitude helped her as a founding principal at IDEA Donna, the crown jewel of the IDEA Public Schools network. “The founders, Tom and JoAnn, trusted me to build a successful school,� says Dr. Garcia. “I had to really lead - to make tough decisions and back them up, to prioritize action over appeasement. It taught me that being a leader is being bold.�

LESSON 3: Being a leader is living with integrity Between IDEA and her current work with Teach For America, Dr. Garcia spent years growing as a leader in her field.

She supported the development of early college high schools in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo and Brownsville ISDs, served as Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Raymondville ISD, and earned two masters and a doctorate. Despite her laundry list of accomplishments, Dr. Garcia stays grounded by committing to living with integrity. “You either live with integrity or you don’t,� she posits. What does this look like for Dr. Garcia? She says it means making choices for good reasons and remembering that accomplishments are the result of your whole team’s efforts, not just yours. “It also means treating people right and prioritizing relationships.�

Dr. Garcia’s advocacy, boldness, and integrity have served her well, and we recognize her as a true visionary in the field that builds all other fields. The entire Valley benefits from Dr. Garcia’s drive to continue opening doors and building pathways through education. Her dream is for all the children in this community - and this country - to have the opportunities they deserve.

doer

socializer

thinker

relater

E-COLORS IN EDUCATION EVERY SCHOOL. EVERY NATION. REALIZING POTENTIAL WHAT ARE THE E-COLORS? The E-Colors are used as a communication tool that helps you understand your own and other people’s personality tendencies.

FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS E-Colors in Education offers professional development sessions, workshops and institutes that incorporate the elements of self-awareness and awareness of others, diversity of thought, team building and social emotional learning.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT US AT EColorsInEducation.org

CONTACT US Dr. Rosalinda Mercado-Garza, PhD Chief Executive Officer +1 281 202 9392 drmercadogarza rosalinda@ecolorsineducation.org

E - COLORS IN EDUCATION, INC

PO BO 2031 | HARLINGEN, TX 78551-2031 | USA

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BUSINESS

Retirement Planning for Dual-Income Households Wealth Management Systems Inc. Bill Martin, CFP速 Financial Advisor, 1845 Group at Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley, McAllen, TX

The typical American family reflected in iconic television shows of the 1950s and 1960s, in which the husband went off to work each morning and the wife happily played out the role of homemaker, is firmly in the minority. By 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 6 in 10 families with children have two working parents. What's more, the majority of Americans feel they need dual incomes in order to reach their financial goals.1 For a major goal like retirement, working couples need to be especially vigilant to coordinate their planning efforts in a way that supports their combined accumulation objectives. As you and your spouse execute your joint retirement strategy, keep some of the following tips in mind:

IRA Contributions and Deductibility In 2015, you and your spouse can each contribute $5,500 to a traditional or a Roth individual retirement account (IRA), if you have sufficient taxable compensation (or 40

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march/april 2016

earned income from self-employment).2 If you are age 50 or older, you can direct an additional $1,000 to your IRAs for a combined total of $13,000. Your eligibility to contribute to a Roth IRA is dependent on your filing status and modified adjusted gross income for the year. You also may be able to deduct all or a portion of your traditional IRA contributions if you satisfy Internal Revenue Service guidelines. For example, if you file a joint tax return, and neither spouse is covered by an employersponsored retirement plan, traditional IRA contributions are generally fully deductible up to the annual contribution limit.

If you both are covered by an employersponsored retirement plan, traditional IRA contributions will be fully deductible if your combined adjusted gross income (AGI) is $98,000 or less. The amount you can deduct begins to phase out if the combined AGI is between $98,000 and $118,000, and no deduction is allowed if it is equal to or exceeds $118,000.

Similarly, if one spouse is covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan and the spouses file a joint federal income tax return, the spouse who is not covered by an employer-sponsored retirement plan may qualify for a full traditional IRA deduction if the combined AGI is $183,000 or less. Deductibility phases out for combined incomes of between $183,000 and $193,000, and is eliminated if your AGI on a joint return equals or exceeds $193,000. Note, however, Roth IRA contributions are not income tax deductible.

Coordinating Multiple Accounts Like any investment portfolio, retirement accounts should work in unison to help you pursue a specific accumulation goal. However, with job changes so prevalent, it is likely that a couple may have multiple retirement accounts, including 401(k), 403(b), or 457 plans, rollover IRAs and possibly defined benefit plans. Because of the range of investment options offered under such plans, it is important to keep the big picture in mind in order to maintain a coordinated investment strategy. As you review your accounts, ask the following questions:

• • • • •

Is your overall asset allocation in line with your objectives and risk tolerance?

Are the portfolios adequately diversified?

Are they overweighted (or underweighted) in any one asset class or individual security?

Do the portfolios complement your other investments (e.g., taxable investment accounts, real estate and other assets)?

Consider the fees associated with your retirement accounts and how they might affect returns. Would it make sense to consolidate some accounts to help minimize these costs?

Retirement Distributions Couples nearing retirement need to decide the timing of retirement account distributions in light of their income needs, tax situation and market dynamics.

Among the issues to consider are:

•

•

Tapping taxable and tax-deferred accounts. Conventional wisdom suggests that tapping taxable accounts first enables your tax-deferred accounts to continue compounding longer – and potentially growing larger – over time. However, there are also those who argue that waiting longer to tap tax-deferred accounts could result in larger required minimum distributions.

Converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, allowing you to put off distributions as long as possible and/or receive tax-free income.3

If one or both spouses are covered by a defined contribution (DC) and/or a defined benefit (DB) pension plan, you will typically be given several pay-out options to consider. These may include:

•

•

A single life or joint life annuity – Typically the distribution method of choice for DB plans, a single life option, pays out a fixed benefit for your lifetime; the joint life option continues paying some portion of the benefit upon death to another party, typically the surviving spouse. DC plans may also offer the option to annuitize, convert all or a portion of the account balance to a guaranteed stream of income for life.

A lump-sum payment – Typically an option for both DB and DC plans, in which the full value of the account is paid out upon retirement. It is up to you to then decide whether and how to reinvest the proceeds.

10% penalty tax will apply on funds converted to a Roth IRA, if those funds are withdrawn before five years have elapsed unless the owner is age 59 ½ or another exception

“By 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 6 in 10 families with children have two working parents.”

applies. Before converting, taxpayers should consult their tax and legal advisors based on their specific facts and circumstances.

Asset allocation and diversification do not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining financial markets.

If you’d like to learn more, please contact Bill Martin, CFP®.

Article by Wealth Management Systems Inc. and provided courtesy of Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor.

The author(s) are not employees of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC ("Morgan Stanley"). The opinions expressed by the authors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley. The information and data in the article or publication has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Neither the information provided nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation by Morgan Stanley with respect to the purchase or sale of any security, investment, strategy or product that may be mentioned.

Social Security

Tax laws are complex and subject to change.

You can begin receiving Social Security payments as early as 62, although delaying the election increases the monthly total. Married couples may want to consider first tapping one spouse's benefit and delaying the other one’s until age 70, which maximizes the income and may substantially increase the couple's total Social Security payout over a lifetime.

Determining when and how to claim Social Security benefits is a complex matter involving many variables. Please contact me for assistance in considering the particulars of your situation as you and your spouse plan for retirement.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice and are not “fiduciaries” (under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code or otherwise) with respect to the services or activities described herein except as otherwise provided in a written agreement with Morgan Stanley. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a retirement plan or account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments made under such plan or account.

Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor(s) engaged RGVision Magazine to feature this article.

Bill Martin, CFP®

may only transact business in

states where he is registered or excluded or exempted from

registration

http://www.morganstanleyfa.

com/1845group/. Transacting business, follow-up and individualized responses involving either effecting or attempting to effect transactions in securities, or

Source: 1 Forbes, "4 Dual-Income Households Tell All: How We Save and Spend," November 4, 2013.

2 If an individual has more than one IRA, the limits apply to the total contributions made in the aggregate to all the Traditional and Roth IRAs an individual owns.

3 A Roth Conversion may not be right for everyone. There are a number of factors taxpayers should consider before converting, including (but not limited to) whether or not

the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, will not be made to persons in states where Bill Martin, CFP® is not registered or excluded or exempt from registration. © 2015 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

CRC 1261383 9/15

the cost of paying taxes today outweighs the benefit of income tax-free Qualified Distributions in the future. A

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BUSINESS

Know Your

Rights

Living with Oil & Gas Companies as Neighbors After a long, busy day you are looking forward to relaxing: watching some television, spending quality time with your family, or perhaps catching up on sleep. All you want to do is enjoy the peace and quiet of your home, when all of a sudden, your neighbor violently disrupts your peace and quiet.

This neighbor’s dog is not barking, his music isn’t too loud... This is not your typical noise complaint, but then again this is no run-of-the-mill neighbor. A typical “neighbor” would not be operating industrial machinery, shining lights from towers into your home, handling toxic chemicals, causing vibrations throughout your house that make you think an earthquake has hit, and overall doing things that are dangerous to you and your family. To make matters worse, this is going on around the clock, seven days a week, for thirty days or more. One would think this is illegal and just plain wrong! Unfortunately, this racket next door is an oil and gas company drilling an oil or gas well, and in Texas and many other states, the oil and gas companies are within their rights to drill in close proximity to homes.

This is not to say that you as a homeowner do not have the right to take some legal action. While you do, that means taking on the oil and gas companies by filing a lawsuit. Does that mean you should give up?

No, you should ask, “What are my rights?”

In Texas you have the right to sue under the legal

By: Alberto T. Garcia Attorney  albert@garmtzlaw.com  (956) 627-0455 www.garmtzlaw.com 42

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theory of private nuisance. Without using too much legalese, a nuisance claim simply means you have the right, as a homeowner or house occupant, to sue any person or business (including oil and gas companies) that interferes with the peaceful enjoyment of your home. If a court or jury agrees with you, you may be paid for any loss in the value to your home, any repairs needed on your home, and for all emotional harm you have suffered as result of the disturbance to your enjoyment of your home.

To understand all of this, it is important to state a basic legal principle in Texas: oil and gas companies have a constitutional right to drill for oil and gas, wherever it is found. However, they just cannot do it in a manner that harms the neighbors’ rights to peacefully enjoy their homes. Also, oil and gas companies (if drilling within a city limit) usually have to obtain a permit from the city government to drill.

That sounds like a good thing and you might think it will prevent oil and gas companies from drilling next to your home - or at the very least if they do, it will be in a safe and quiet manner. However, having a city permit does not guarantee a thing. A city permit does not protect the homeowner from the dangerous activity, as the city permit only requires the oil and gas companies to meet minimum standards, which do not protect the homeowner from the harm that is sure to follow.

We have filed and successfully prosecuted these types of lawsuits against oil and gas companies. In these cases we look at what the oil and gas companies did (versus what they should have done) to protect homeowners from this dangerous activity and to respect a homeowner's’ right to peaceful enjoyment of their home. We have also forced the oil and gas companies to pay for the damages caused by their dangerous activity.

Without a doubt, as oil and gas companies continue their pursuit for more natural resources, they will find themselves ever closer to residential areas and interfering with the peaceful enjoyment of a person’s home. Homeowners just have to be ready, willing and able to assert their rights as well.

“The law firm of Garcia & Martinez showed an impressive command of the law and the courtroom when they got us our $9 Million jury verdict.”

– Dr Juan and Sylvia Mancillas.

march/april 2016

BUSINESS

WORKPLACE CULTURE

MATTERS

Develop the company culture you want

By Alyssa Garcia

SUCCESS COMMITMENT IDEAS

WINNING TEAM

VALUES

ACCOMPLISHMENT STRUCTURE

SERVICE

EXPERIENCE

HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL INITIATIVE

TALENT

ENHANCE LIFESTYLE Respect Fairness

Purpose

Goals

Strategy

DIVERSE

LEARN

EXCELLENCE

Quality 44

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results oriented

Trust Integrity

Responsibility

POSITIVE

INNOVATIVE

DRIVEN march/april 2016

Have

you wondered why some people hate showing up to work, while others can’t wait for the next business day? In some cases, the job itself isn’t a good fit for the individual, but a poor working environment can turn even a dream job into a nightmare. A company’s culture can dramatically affect how employees feel about their workplace, coworkers, and customers, which will reflect in their interactions. A business’ success is contingent on creating a successful workplace environment as it can attract or repel customers as well as potential talent to your workpool. If bosses and managers fail to establish an atmosphere that reflects the company’s values, the workplace will still create it’s own culture, but one that might not reflect what you want it to.

Making Time for Change Developing a workplace culture could take time and new strategies. Training, which is often experienced only by new hires, is vital for employees of all levels. Jose Cruz of Sotelo & Associates coaches and trains middle- and upper-managers on leading a successful team. Among other things, he believes that creating a space in which to have sincere dialogue is vital.

According to Cruz, it is best practice to communicate your company’s values directly, making sure to instill them in your employees and reinforcing them through the environment. In addition to learning from experts like Cruz, managers and small

“Our employee partners are empowered to take care of customers.

We give our customers ‘The 300% Experience:’ We give 100% of ourselves to 100% of our customers, 100% of the time.”

-Gilbert garcia business owners could find it helpful to take pointers from companies with highly functional workplace cultures.

The Mercedes-Benz brand reflects success, so when you walk into Mercedes-Benz of San Juan, you will see a sales floor dressed to impress. While the professional attire of the sales staff and the elegant design of the showroom reflect this, so does their workplace culture. General Manager Gilbert Garcia explains what makes Mercedes-Benz of San Juan pull in record sales: a commitment to making service the core of their culture, providing the best at the local level. He states, “We come in every morning to be of service.”

Embody Company Values Your company is your employees. They serve as either the the face of the business, or produce the products that will represent your work to the public.

Creating a culture in which all members of the team embrace the vision of the organization helps to relay to the world the company's values.

“How may I be of service?” greets Garcia. His business card reads the same, while their website explains that the culture of Mercedes-Benz of San Juan is “fueled by our desire to enhance the lifestyle of every customer.” At the corporate level, MercedesBenz’s slogan is “The Best or Nothing.” Luxury is the business of giving people what they want, thus the message at Mercedes-Benz of San Juan is clear: They are at your service, as this is what their elite clientele is accustomed to. Through an “employee-centered” business model, Mercedes - Benz of San Juan hopes to convey to employees this commitment. They break down the rigid managerial structures found in other companies and emphasize a culture of service from the top down. Garcia explained that at MercedesBenz of San Juan, managers and their teams are all partners. Managers are there to serve and empower their team by giving them not only the resources but the power they need to make their customers happy.

“Our employee partners are empowered to take care of customers,” says Garcia. “We give our customers ‘The 300% Experience:’ We give 100% of ourselves to 100% of our customers, 100% of the time.”

Employees are encouraged to make decision and take action to keep their customers satisfied. Allowing individuals to take initiative makes them vital to the vision and empowers employees, investing them on a personal level in the company’s success. They show up energized to see their ideas succeed.

The Right Environment As Cruz suggests for all workplaces, MercedesBenz of San Juan has a dedicated time and place to ensure everyone’s concerns are voiced, and accomplishments and ideas celebrated. For MercedesBenz of San Juan, this space is their monthly professional book clubs. All employees and managers meet in small groups and are treated to lunch.

These groups reflect the diversity of the company and are designed to represent individuals from all departments, including sales, automotive, finance, and marketing. Through this book club, they learn and refresh ideas about professionalism and how to be effective in the business world. They read book such as “Who Moved my Cheese?” and “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”

Partners also make use of this informal meeting to elect an Employee of the Month who they feel has gone beyond their required service. Employees of the Month receive a parking spot, free gas for a month, their name added to a trophy, and a bonus.

A Winning Team The ethos of success found in the workplace culture at Mercedes-Benz of San Juan is reflected in their customer service. Creating this climate breeds productivity. Some employees may finish reading this article thinking of their own toxic work situation… and how to get out of it. As a manager or business owner, take a look at your workplace culture and ask yourself, “Would I want to work here?” Talented individuals want to join an environment where their efforts are appreciated and the team is winning.

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BUSINESS

BUILDING THE

FUTURE OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY

“OUR WORLD IS CHANGING AROUND US IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE, BUT IT IS ESPECIALLY OBVIOUS WITH THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTS HAPPENING LOCALLY. THE JOB OPPORTUNITIES ARE GOING TO BE TREMENDOUS FOR THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. “ 46

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The next economic boom in the Rio Grande Valley is taking shape right before our eyes.

Growing at a surprising rate and projected to continue at a pace that will make our heads spin, the Greater McAllen area has residential home contractors trying to keep up with high demand. The land development, new home construction, and commercial buildings erecting in the high-traffic areas we are experiencing are something tangible we can definitely see around us – it’s especially evident in the increase in traffic that we “Valleyites” are not used to.

The most notable area with tremendous growth is the City of Edinburg. The city has announced a long list of commercial developments and commodities (most of which will be seen this coming year), including the RGV Viper Arena, the second phase of The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley off of Trenton, several luxury hotels, and our Texas Native HEB. The biggest draw, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the new School of Medicine, has upped the ante for more multi-family buildings. The medical area has encouraged developers to take on the surrounding empty land and create residential lots for construction, something the growing city is in dire need of as builders’ greatest obstacles are finding the lots. They have the buyers lined up, but no affordable land to build on unless the consumer wants to go outside the city march/april 2016

limits or compromise on the location.

The selection is limited as accessibility to commercial locations (i.e., grocery stores, shopping centers, and restaurants) continue to be a strong resource that buyers want; they want to be close to the action. We see residential subdivisions going up and selling out in record time and at record prices. However, they are still not being developed fast enough for the average Valley Buyer!

The City of McAllen is not too far behind with their never-ending growth, and although personally I didn’t see enough land for expansion in the city, plans for development have proved me wrong.

Not only are they adding over 80,000 square feet of retail space and parking decks for 1,100 cars at La Plaza Mall, but their biggest announcement was the Texas A&M University Satellite Campus (WHOOP!) which will all be part of the Tres Lagos Development, McAllen’s first Sustainable Master Planned Community.

We’re talking single-family residential, multi-family residential, townhomes and commercial retail space. Did I mention a couple of man-made lakes?

Rental rates are at an all-time high in our country and the Valley is no exception.

Due to the trying times our economy went through several years ago, Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers held on to their real estate and because of the uncertainty of the market, Millennials were not buying, instead moving back in with their parents.

However, 2015 proved to be the year of re-building as Millennials emerged in full

force, and represented almost 2 million sales - more than one-third of the total home sales. This group is expected to continue to play a major buyer role in 2016. 1 The most recent home pending sales report from the National Association of Realtors states that sales plateaued this fall for the third time in four months because buyers continue to battle limited home sale availability and prices that are rising too quickly in some markets.2 As the economy continues to stay in the green, the financially-recovered Generation X and Baby Boomers who are entering retirement will play a double role on the market. Because the majority are already home-owners, they will become sellers and then buyers. It’s a sellers’ market, but as prices continue to soar and with the constant threat of raised interest rates, buyers are left with no inventory to choose from. Yes, we have a healthy luxury buyers’ market but builders are ignoring the average Valley buyer, whose median price in the fall of 2015 was $131,400 according to the Texas A&M Real Estate Center.

We are presently in a high crescendo

after the dark years of real estate past.

Readers, pay close attention: at this moment, the phrase ‘’the market is hot” would be a tremendous understatement.

Our world is changing around us in all aspects of life, but it is especially obvious with the business developments happening locally. The job opportunities are going to be tremendous for the Rio Grande Valley.

Let’s hope that we can keep up with the demand for properties that will come from these job-creating developments!

Look for our articles to continue getting the most up-to-date information on how growth will affect not only you but our local economy and real estate. The next time you mention to someone you’re from the Rio Grande Valley, they will know exactly where to point on the map.

Sources: National Association of Realtors (realor.com), December 16, 2015. By Jonathan Smoke, http:// www.realtor.com/news/trends/five-key-trendsfor-2016/ National Associtions of Realtors (realtor.org), 2015. Based on a study by Lawrence Yun, NAR Chief Economist. http://www.realtor.org/topics/ pending-home-sales

By Judith Benavides, BIG Realty Judith@isellrgv.com RGVLOCATOR.COM 956.607.2383

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BUSINESS

Breaking Ground Noble Texas Builders Development Offers Strong Foundation For New Construction

By George Cox

NTB taking a development from a concept to brick and mortar and beyond is the idea behind a pair of companies poised to stake a claim in the Rio Grande Valley’s expanding economy.

A group of partners with extensive experience in construction and economic development embarked on an ambitious venture with the formation of Noble Texas Builders win February 2015, and more recently NTB Development (Noble Texas Builders - Development), two companies that work hand-in-hand to identify opportunities and guide their clients through the process of bringing a project to fruition.

Rene Capistran, president of Noble Texas Builders, and some of the other partners worked for SpawGlass, a Texas-based general contractor, and wanted to pool their knowledge to create what Capistran refers to as a “cradle to grave” process.

“It is the sum of all our parts that makes us unique,” said Capistran, who previously was president of the SpawGlass South Texas Division. “We build and maintain for the long term. We will be there for anything from changing light bulbs to building an addition.”

Other partners who met recently for this article are Pat Williams, former president of the SpawGlass Austin Division; Alfredo Garcia, former SpawGlass Building Services Manager; and Ramiro Garza, former Edinburg city manager. In their new roles with NTB Development, Williams is vice president and Garcia serves as Director of Operations. Garza has come on 48

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board as president.

Noble Texas Builders is the contractor, Capistran said, while NTB Development handles the up-front economic studies and development process. “The game-changer in what we’re doing is we identify people and we help them with the whole process,” Capistran said. “If someone is contemplating a project, we want to help walk him through the process, help him decide when to do what.”

Under Garza’s leadership, NTB Development identifies projects and developers and works with them to solidify the concept, conduct economic impact studies and research financing options, including tax abatements and other financial incentives that may be available.

“Ramiro comes in and does the economic impact,” Capistran said, noting Garza’s experience as Edinburg city manager where he worked on economic development and negotiated with private companies to locate in that community.

“We have assessed needs around the Valley,” Garza said.

“We’re always looking for performance under the umbrella of what we do, advising on the best use of property, financing, building and maintenance.”

Once the groundwork is complete and the project gets a green light, NTB Development steps in to handle the actual design and building phases, as well as provide maintenance for the facility once construction is complete.

march/april 2016

“We build and maintain for the long term. We will be there for anything from changing light bulbs to building an addition.”

“We help landowners make informed decisions,” said Williams. “We help them separate fact from fantasy and work through the entire development process with no false starts.”

As an example, Garza discussed an apartment complex development in Port Isabel, where a landowner wanted to transform his vacant property into a revenue-generating development but wasn’t sure about how to best use his land.

“There is a big need for housing in Port Isabel and South Padre Island, and it can be very expensive to develop,” Garza said.

“We’re doing all the due diligence on the front end … advising on the best use of property, financing, building and maintenance.”

Garza said the initial economic research has been done and the landowner is ready to move on to next steps such as rezoning and financing.

As the project is ready to break ground, the other Noble Texas partners will build on Garza’s expertise to shepherd the project through the construction and maintenance stages. “We offer a good foundation because of everyone’s experience,” Garza said.

“A lot of years in multiple disciplines, that’s what we bring to the table.”

The NTB group is exploring many other aspects of the Valley economy for opportunities, including the medical and educational fields. “We’re doing a lot of medical work, hospital updates, expansions and renovations. We want to be at the front end of that,” Capistran said. Furthermore, Noble’s interest in

education goes beyond pursuing development projects to include reaching out to schools to generate interest among students in what they do. “We go into schools and talk to the kids about careers in construction, engineering, architecture. It’s a mutual gain,” Capistran said. Williams added that they want to change the image of construction among young people by exposing them to the multitude of career opportunities available. “It wasn’t that long ago that when a kid said they wanted to go into construction, some adult would tell them, ‘Is that the best you can do?’ We want to change that.”

Before the partners took the plunge into their new venture, they did their homework about the Valley economy and expressed enthusiasm for the future.

Citing examples like the expansion of higher education with the new University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, SpaceX’s plans to build a rocket launch facility near Boca Chica Beach, the proposed liquefied natural gas plants at the Port of Brownsville, the Noble Texas partners see a wealth of opportunity in Deep South Texas. With some 10 million people within a 150-radius, said Williams, it is an international market that straddles the Rio Grande in northern Mexico and South Texas. “We’re bullish on the Valley’s positive trends,” he said. “The once little-known Rio Grande Valley is now being understood in the wider market.”

march/april 2016

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HEALTH

Healthcare at your Doorstep

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march/april 2016

Life Touch Home Health brings care services to Valley homes

By Jonathan Salinas

There are over 12,000 home health agencies in the United States. This proliferation is partly the result of a demand for medical care from the comfort of patient’s homes, and partly from escalating hospital and nursing home costs. Compared to the hundreds, even thousands of dollars that hospital expenses can accumulate to, home health expenses amount to – on average – $100 a day. The Rio Grande Valley is no exception in the need for such services, and our community is lucky to have medical places like Life Touch Home Health Services in McAllen, which strives to advise the community before they need treatment, and assure that patients maintain their independence if they do.

With their state-of-the-art healthcare equipment and 24/7 availability, Life Touch is at any time serving around 150 patients. Offering private-duty nursing as well as speech, occupational, and physical therapy, their staff is skilled, experienced, and trained in all the latest treatments and therapies. With their expertise, you can rest assured that you or your loved one will receive excellent healthcare in a supportive homehealing environment. “Our patient’s main priority is maintaining their independence and that is something we strive to assist them with, beginning with their health,” says Jonsete Reyna, registered nurse and Director of Nurses and Administrator at Life Touch.

Home health is considered acute care. “It’s not a long-term plan,” says Reyna. Life Touch offers an array of services such as wound care, IV therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy,

for both adults and pediatrics. Reyna maintains that the family is key to a good medical outcome, so Life Touch supplements their broad range of health care services by involving the families in their loved one’s care. “Our job is to help the patient stabilize medically, maintain their independence, and keep them from going into the hospital.”

Life Touch’s services to the Rio Grande Valley extend beyond medical care. Through education, they hope to encourage the community to lead healthy lives.

Taking preventative measures, according to Reyna, can decrease the frequency of unexpected hospital visits that contribute so much to medical costs. “We as an agency encourage our patients to gain control of their health, starting with their nutrition,” says Reyna.

However, our region’s cultural and genetic makeup contribute to some of the health problems she sees. “It takes a lot of teaching,” says Reyna. “Here in the Valley, we have a large Hispanic population. With that, you have a high incidence of diabetes and hypertension.

There’s always a lot more that comes with these two disease processes.” Furthermore, Reyna has identified a cultural habit within our community: putting off doctor visits. “A lot of patients don't start seeing the doctor until later on, generally when the disease has progressed,” she says. This is the other component of Life Touch’s mission – trying to encourage a health-conscientious community that takes action sooner rather than later. “It’s about encouraging our community to lead healthy lifestyles,” says Reyna.

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HEALTH

Behind the Scenes Support Team Device Representatives: Often unseen, vital part of OR

By Jonathan L. Salinas

hanks to shows like House and E.R., we are familiar with the atmosphere unwelcoming to mistakes faced by operating room (OR) doctors, nurses, and anesthesiologists. But we seldom consider, if at all, another scrubs-wearing component of the operating team responsible for providing a surgeon with the right surgical equipment at the right time, and training the surgical team on new medical devices.

In the stressful environment of the OR, Medical Device Representatives like Manny Molina and John Canales make sure everything runs smoothly. “When a device rep steps into an OR, it’s vital that you know everybody’s role. You’re almost behind the scenes quarterbacking,” says Canales. “You give the physician things he needs to provide prior to him walking into the ER.”

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Medtronic’s mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life for six decades.

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Medtronic offers countless medical device services including aortic stent grafts, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) devices, and neuromodulation devices, which Molina and Canales specialize in.

Molina and Canales are both device reps for Medtronic, the nation’s largest medical device company. It has been Medtronic’s mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life for six decades. Medtronic offers countless medical device services including aortic stent grafts, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) devices, and neuromodulation devices, which Molina and Canales specialize in.

A device rep’s job is multifaceted.

Based on the doctor’s recommendations and patient’s needs, Medtronic device reps check for compatibility with their products and provide necessary training for physicians. Considering doctors’ busy schedules, device reps fill in when patients have questions about surgeries. “The doctor only has so much time to spend with each patient; they have thirty or forty patients,” says Molina. “That’s where John and I come in, going over brochures, videos, and

answering questions with the family.” The ER often factors into their work day, with the reps providing the device and ensuring their functionality. “We are in all the cases, which is why we wear scrubs. We work with the hospital,” says Molina. “We’re part of the team.”

Outside of surgery, the device reps at Medtronic spend a good deal of time informing hospitals and private practices about their products and services. “It’s all about a better quality of life for patients,” said Molina. Medtronic is unique from other medical device companies in that following consultations and operations, they are available to provide support for life after surgery. Canales wants to combat the stigma he sees in the Valley, whereby patients don’t know that these procedures are available in our area. “You don’t have to travel to Houston or Dallas,” he says. “We have qualified, trained physicians here who are able to do that for you.”

Canales, who has been with Medtronic for ten years, says the humbling part of his job is getting to experience it through the patient’s eyes. He shared that he often remembers one of his first cases, a young lady named Kayla. “She had a spirit unlike any other. It’s the will of the human spirit,” he says. Canales sees her once every few years to change a medical pump in her stomach, and he says she is now in college and wants to become a nurse. “We get to see the beginning and the end. When you have a patient like this, who has a result that is life-changing, it’s cataclysmic in the way that everything else changes,” he reflects.

“The rest of their life, their perspective on things change...to be able to see that is an honor. It really is an honor.”

The life-changing effects of DBS surgery were highlighted in RGVision Magazine’s January/February article, which can be read online at rgvisionmagazine.com.

march/april 2016

(956) 423-6030

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HEALTH

UNDERSTANDING REAL NUTRITION

By Karen Villarreal

T

hose struggling with obesity sitting in a doctor’s waiting room know before they reach the exam room that the first thing they will hear is that they need to eat better and lose weight. Though they recognize the need to do so, they often leave the office with little information about how to follow through. Melissa Gauna, a local nutritionist in the Rio Grande Valley, suspects many people struggle to eat “better” because they don’t know what that looks like in practice.

As a holistic nutritionist and nutritional therapist, Gauna aims to remove some of the barriers to health, starting with a clear starting point.

“My goal is to partner with doctors because many times they do not have the time to explain nutrition to their patients, and many don’t have a strong nutrition background from which to do so,” she says. “Many only took a class on nutrition in medical school, so it’s a win-win situation for both parties for me to come in and help their patients understand why and how to make long-term dietary and lifestyle changes.”

Gauna observes the modern-day obsession with weight-loss, and stresses that obesity itself is not a condition.

“It’s a symptom of something else being off in the body,” she says. In trying to

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“A lot of doctors took only a few classes on nutrition in medical school, so it benefits both parties for me to come in and help them understand why and how to make long-term changes to their diets or lifestyle.” understand and address obesity, we first have to understand some of the underlying reasons why people are unable to lose the extra weight. That may be unstable blood sugar, compromised digestion, hormonal imbalances, stress, dehydration and vitamin/mineral deficiencies among others. “The goal of any weight-loss program should be to get the body healthy. You have to build health in order to start losing extra weight,” Guana says.

“That starts with eating real food, getting plenty of rest, sunlight, and water, as well as managing stress levels. We need to get back to basics. Once you start giving your body what it needs, the magic happens and your body starts to function as it was intended.”

march/april 2016

Not just meal plans & recipes Gauna’s job goes beyond meal planning and sharing recipes. She first educates her clients about nutrient-dense foods, which contain vital nutrients needed by each cell of the body (compared to processed food that has lots of calories but no real nutrition). She explains that there’s a trend towards personalized nutrition that acknowledges and respects each one’s bioindividuality. “Cookie cutter meal plans can give you a good place to start, but you eventually need someone to help hone in on what’s right for your body, particularly if you are experiencing symptoms of dysfunction,” she says.

For example, someone who has high blood sugar needs to understand the glycemic index of carbohydrates to determine which foods will help stabilize their blood glucose. Even those with cardiovascular issues need to know which foods contain anti-inflammatory properties, which support heart health.“Your body knows exactly what to do in order to heal; you just need to feed your body what it needs,” Guana explains. “We want to get down to the root of the issue, so hopefully together with your doctor disease can be delayed or even reversed.”

Melissa Gauna, NTP, CHNC Nutritional Therapy Services

Health starts in the gut

Much of Gauna’s approach is directed towards creating a foundation of optimal health. Among those foundations addressed is gut health where the breakdown, absorption and assimilation of nutrients takes place. You may have heard that you are what you eat, but it’s actually more like, “You are what you can digest and assimilate,” because simply eating good foods does not guarantee absorption of the nutrients. So if you are someone who suffers from heartburn, bloating and gas, chances are your ability to digest foods and absorb nutrients is compromised.

Gauna works with clients to look at how, what, and when they eat impacts their ability to break down foods.

Sweet tooth

Likewise, stabilizing blood sugar is another important foundation of optimal health. A group class she teaches is related to sugar. Statistics reveal we are consuming more sugar than ever. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average American consumes anywhere between 150-170 pounds of refined sugar in one year! Less than 100 years ago, the average intake of sugar was around 4 pounds per person per year.

According to Gauna, we cannot consume this much sugar and not expect to have

You may have heard that you are what you eat, but it’s actually more like, “You are what you can digest and assimilate.” health consequences. “It is absolutely critical we start educating people about the effects of a high sugar diet,” she says.

“Sugar is high inflammatory which can also play a role in heart disease.” By teaching a program like the RESTART Program, Gauna guides clients through a 21-day sugar elimination period in order to reduce consumption of processed foods, increase consumption of whole foods, reduce sugar and carb cravings, and more importantly, teach which foods help provide sustained energy, satiety and stable blood sugar.

While she is happy to see more people are taking an active interest in their diets, Gauna says her biggest frustration is knowing that there’s so much outdated information out there that is not only ineffective, but unhealthy. “People are still

march/april 2016

on the low-fat craze. We did that for a long time and we’re sicker than ever,” she says. “You need fats!”

Her belief is that nutrition can help heal the body, but we’re so disconnected from what real food actually is. The “nutrition” stores we see full of prepackaged containers of protein powders and bars are misleading. “This is not real nutrition,” she says. “The synthetic stuff can only get you so far. Eventually you have to get back in the kitchen and cook your own food.” She makes the point that the longer you continue to ignore some of these things, it will be much more difficult down the road to reverse disease.

“Luckily,” she says, “it’s never too late to make changes.”

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HEALTH

SPINAL CORD STIMULATION: A Life-Changing Treatment for Chronic Pain BY LAURI REVILLA

T

en years ago, Neli Morales’ life changed forever.

She went from being an active grandmother and college student to being bound to a wheelchair due to a car accident that left her with severe leg pain. After many years of unsuccessful treatments, Neli finally got her life back on track thanks to Spinal Cord Stimulation.

Neli’s journey dates back to a chain of events starting ten years back that severely debilitated her. A few weeks after

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getting hurt at work, she was involved in a serious car accident that left her with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome – a condition that is caused by injury and results in complex regional pain that is much greater than what the injury caused.

To make matters worse, Morales was involved in another car accident two years later that worsened her condition.

After visiting several pain specialists that thought the pain was all in her head, Morales found the Center for Pain Management. “As soon as I walked in and Dr. Chowdhury looked at me, I knew that he believed me,” said Morales. “I knew that he was going to help me. He took my march/april 2016

hand and said ‘I’m going to do the best I can to get you walking. It’s going to be a slow process, but you will walk again.’ ” Morales’ spinal stimulator was implanted around eight years ago, and she immediately began noticing major improvements. “I was slowly able to get out of the chair and was able to do more things. Now, I take care of my grandson, Julian. It’s a beautiful feeling being able to enjoy your grandchildren, take them to the museum, or even just go grocery shopping.”

Spinal stimulation therapy, also known as neurostimulation therapy, is an innovative therapy for people dealing

“I’M GOING TO DO THE BEST I CAN TO GET YOU WALKING. IT’S GOING TO BE A SLOW PROCESS, BUT YOU WILL WALK AGAIN.”

UPCOMING EVENTS FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 + Discover the Dinosaurs

SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2016 + Saxet Gun Show

SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2016 + Wedding Fair

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016 + 2016 RGV Home & Garden Show

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016 + Mayor’s Prayer Luncheon

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016 + MPU Annual Night Out

SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 2016 + South Texas Wedding and Quinceanera Showcase

FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016

- DR. TAJUL “TIM” CHOWDHURY M.D.

+ Ha-Ash

MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016 + Anjelah Johnson Presents: Bon Qui Qui’s Gold Plated Dreams Tour

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2016 + RGV Dog Expo 2016

with chronic leg and back pain. A medical device similar to a pacemaker is surgically implanted and sends electrical impulses to the area near the spine to interrupt pain messages before they ever reach the brain. It has proven to be very successful in reducing pain and allowing individuals to be able to perform their daily activities, while reducing the amount of oral medications needed.

For Neli Morales, the results have been very dramatic. “I am able to do 90% of the things that I was physically not able to do before the stimulator,” said Morales.

She attributes a big part of her success to Dr. Chowdhury and the knowledgeable

staff at Center for Pain Management.

The freestanding clinic is the oldest and most innovative pain management practice in the Rio Grande Valley. It has over 22 years of experience treating acute, chronic, post-operative, and cancer pain. By combining modern technology with a holistic approach, Center for Pain Management has been able to make a difference in the lives of patients, just like it did for Neli Morales.

The Center for Pain Management’s website features a video highlighting Mrs. Morales and her newfound level of activity.

Watch here: http://cfpm.net/

march/april 2016

FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2016 + South Texas Comic Con

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HEALTH

ALTERNATIVE ACCESS TO CARE MEET YOUR EMERGENCY ROOM NEXT DOOR

By Jennilee Garza

I

n the midst of an emergency, there’s no time to wait. But, when you’re admitted to an emergency room behind countless other patients suffering emergencies of their own, what’s the alternative?

Up until 2016, the Rio Grande Valley’s only viable option for emergency care has resided within hospital emergency rooms, where unless a patient is experiencing life threatening symptoms, their “emergency” might just have to wait.

Since waiting in pain isn’t the ideal situation, Neighbors Emergency Centers (NEC) is bringing Valley residents an alternative for quality emergency care.

With over 20 years of experience in a hospital emergency room, Harlingen Neighbors Facility Director Jennifer Miner says their goal is for their patients to

have an emergency room experience that is different than any. “My staff is equipped and skilled to treat any emergency with the same resources that any hospital emergency room would be able to treat,” she says. “We’re here for our patients and want to offer superb ER experiences when they need us.”

In a typical emergency room in Texas, a patient experiencing non-life-threatening symptoms could wait anywhere between four to six hours before being seen by a physician. At NEC, the door-to-doctor wait time averages 10 minutes and their average length of stay is anywhere between 45 to 95 minutes.

In less than the amount of time it would have taken a patient to merely see a physician at a hospital emergency room, a patient would have already checked in, been seen by a physician and been checked out or stabilized for transfer at Neighbors Emergency Centers.

Considered a Freestanding Emergency

“What differentiates us is we strive to provide excellent care. Our goal is for you to walk into our facility and to be greeted and treated like you’re part of our family.”

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march/april 2016

Center (FEC), Neighbors is opening the first three FEC’s in the region. FEC’s are fully operational emergency rooms unaffiliated with a hospital campus.

“We needed it down here,” says Celina Hernandez, Marketing Liaison for Neighbors Emergency Centers. “There’s no alternative to access to care. It’s just the hospitals and that’s it. Those are the only ER’s that we have and that’s what motivates them [our physicians] the most, is access to care.”

In January, NEC opened its first Center in Harlingen, and will open two more in Brownsville and McAllen

by April 2016. NEC currently has 22 operating Centers in Texas and anticipates having 53 Centers nationwide by the end of 2016.

“We’ll be available to treat your emergencies: 24 hours, 365 days a year,” says Miner. “What differentiates us is we strive to provide excellent care. Our goal is for you to walk into our facility and to

be greeted and treated like you’re part of our family.”

According to Neighbors Emergency Centers CEO Dr. Setul G. Patel, Recipient of the 2015 Ernst & Young Health Care Entrepreneur of the Year, NEC’s are equipped and staffed to administer the same quality of care as any hospital emergency room.

“Here at neighbors, we can provide the same level of emergency care that anybody else can. We’ve delivered babies, we’ve taken care of major trauma. So, we can do all of those things and if you need to be eventually transferred to the hospital for in-patient care or surgery, we’ll simply transfer you,” Patel says.

Beyond the exceptional one-on-one patient care administered by NEC, the organization is committed to servicing

its community through various volunteer projects and community contributions.

Neighbors tries to be their patients’ best neighbor in every sense of the word.

“It’s a wonderful company to be a part of. They have a lot of heart and a lot of involvement in the community ... They give back, not only to their employees, but to their community. They involve themselves in charities and a lot of community outreach that I admire,” says Hernandez. “I feel privileged to work for a company that has brought those morals down here to the Valley,” she adds.

While FEC’s are either physician owned or considered a Hospital Outpatient Department (HOPD), Neighbors Emergency Centers are physician owned.

The physicians who have invested in NEC also see patients, which compels them to

ensure the highest quality of care.

Neighbors CEO Dr. Setul G. Patel is also a practicing physician. “We have physicians that partner with us. I am a physician myself; I still see patients one day per month. I still know what it’s like to hold somebody’s hand and be a doctor,” he says. “ So, we look for like-minded physicians. If we have a critical mass of like-minded physicians compiled with a need in the community, it’s a perfect scenario for us to come in, and there’s a high likelihood of success when all of those factors line up like that.”

You can learn more about Neighbors Emergency Centers and their services at NEC24.com and follow them on social media with the hashtag #BestNeighborsEver.

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HEALTH

FUN AND GAMES AND NEEDLESS RISK PARENTS, EMPHASIZE SAFETY TO YOUR TEENS THIS SPRING BREAK

By: Dr. David Sauceda, M.D.

Each year, approximately

19 million new STD infections occur.

Almost half of them are among youth ages

15-24.

source : about-std.com/stds/statistics-on-stds-teens/

TV

, movies, and videos bombard us with images of young college students and teens on un-chaperoned spring break excursions. Last year, thousands of people flocked to South Padre Island alone. Unfortunately, what was once an annual college ritual has become a rite of passage for some high school kids, with teenagers thinking this is a normal, cool thing to do. You even hear about some parents dishing out the money for their teen to go on all-expense paid spring break tours, assuming that they will be chaperoned.

Some teens may be very responsible and quite level headed, but (contrary to their own beliefs) teens are not mature enough to handle some adult decisions.

Kids can grow up having no fear and thinking nothing can happen to them but they still can be placed in a risky situation for which they may be unprepared. They may be taking serious risks that may affect them for the rest of their life. So what are some things parents need to consider?

Whenever you mix alcohol or drugs, teenagers or young adults, and the absence of parents, you often get the sum of a

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consequence that was not intended by the young person. Maybe it’s just an embarrassing moment or two. Maybe it’s the transmission of a sexually transmitted disease. However, alcohol is a fatal attraction for teens. It is implicated in the three major causes of death of children and teens in this country (National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism). During spring break, the average male reported drinking 18 drinks per day and the average female reported 10 drinks per day. About half drank until they got sick or passed out at least once. ( Journal of American College Health). Teens often downplay the risks, not considering the very real possibilities of sexual and physical violence, accidents, and even death.

When teens are faced with peer pressure it is sometimes difficult to make the best decisions. Spring break sites are notorious havens for underage consumption of alcoholic beverages and other drugs. Spring break sites are also often the point of origin for STDs for many young people. HIV, genital warts and herpes are prominent STDs that are incurable, but treatable. However, the psychological effect of the sexual march/april 2016

experience can be traumatic for years.

Additionally, when there is alcohol and drug use there is always the increased danger of sexual assault and rape.

Sexual predators have roamed these party havens for years, searching out unsuspecting victims. These predators are incorporating a weapon today more than ever- drugs, specifically “date rape” drugs.

With one drink, the victim often suffers from decreased inhibition, sleepiness, and memory loss; this combination of symptoms not only increases the likelihood of sexual contact, but also decrease the chances for prosecution of a crime.

With the week off from school fast approaching, parents can prepare themselves for the upcoming discussion their teens will bring to the table. Parents may sometimes have a hard time saying “no” or making a decision where they will lose favor with their children, but we must remember that we are responsible for our children until they are age 18. Considering all the risks, parents do have the right to say no to their teen if they feel uncomfortable about any activity they want to do. This is our obligation, to keep our kids safe.

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HEALTH

A Spectrum of Experiences Autism Affects Individuals Differently ALFONSO MERCADO, PH.D., LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST VALLEY PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES - ASSISTANT PROFESSOR-DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY At The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 1201 West University Drive Edinburg, Texas 78539 www.utpa.edu/psychology

In the classroom, peers without autism can help those who have the disorder by teaching and modeling appropriate social behaviors.

A

utism Spectrum Disorder (or ASD) is a developmental condition that impairs language development, cognitive function and social skills. Autism involved impairments in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication. An individual with ASD will communicate, interact, behave, and learn in different ways from most. According to The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 1/3 of parents will begin to see early signs of ASD within the first two years of life. It is estimated that 1 in 68 children are identified with ASD, which is five times more common among boys (Baio, 2014). Children who develop ASD are often on separate sides of spectrums, ranging from very gifted to quite challenged. A parent should have concerns if their infant does not babble or gesture (pointing, waving, or grasping) by 12 months, is not putting at least two words together by 24 months, and if child begins to lose language or learned skills at any point.

The following 10 behaviors are considered common early warning symptoms in children. However, every individual with Autism will experience these symptoms differently, and on a mild to severe spectrum.

Common Early Symptoms of ASD 1

Disconnection to others

2

Apparent lack of empathy

3

Indifferent to human interactions

4

Emotional outbursts

5

Delayed language development

6

Prone to non-verbal communication

7

Difficulty understanding figurative expressions

8

Repetitive behaviors

9

Sensitivity to external stimuli

10

Avoiding eye contact

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ASD Treatment At the moment there is no medication that can cure or target core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. However there are different approaches which will aide in the treatment of patients diagnosed with ASD. While there are some medications that help manage high energy levels, inability to focus, or depression, it is crucial that parents be aware of the side-effects their child might experience as a result of the medication. (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2015). Due to the vast amount of differences per ASD case, each child will respond differently when placed on a medication regimen.

Since medications on their own rarely improve behavior, behavioral interventions are pivotal. Various treatment programs emphasize operant conditioning, which uses rewards to encourage good behavior and “positive punishment� to discourage bad behavior. This avenue aids in improving communication and social interactions and decreasing troublesome behaviors like aggression or self-injury. A similar approach is cognitive behavior therapy, which targets thoughts as well as behaviors. Social skills training can also help children with Autism improve their interpersonal functioning. In the classroom, for example, peers without autism can help those who have the disorder by teaching and modeling appropriate social behaviors. Integration into regular classrooms is another important advance in the autism field, although some children benefit from inclusion more than others. (APA, 2015) It is important that parents consult with a doctor in order to get a formal evaluation for autism spectrum disorder usually completed by a licensed psychologist (U.S.D.H.H.S, 2015).

Once the ASD diagnosis is made other clinical recommendations typically include: Family therapy and parent training to address giving the family direction on how to deal with specific behavior problems as well as properly using available resources.

This will allow the family to give the 25 hours a week of engaging speech in social activity that is needed to produce the best outcomes for children with this condition.

Patient will be referred for speech therapy, occupational therapy and sometimes physical therapy. It is also crucial that the therapists from the interdisciplinary treatment team give activities/exercises/homework for the parents to work on at home as it has been found that children with Autism need 20-25 hours a week of intentional and engaging interaction with others to make significant gains.

Families can also receive advocacy and support from local, state, and national organizations like the RGV Mental Health Coalition, Mental Health America of Texas, and Autism Speaks. *References available upon request Dr. Mercado’s Mental Health Lab at UTRGV contributed to this article (Marco Gonzalez, Vanna Clarke, & Sarah Soto)

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A Comple Childhood Capable Kids Foundation Gives Kids The Chance To Be Part Of A Team

By Amy Glover

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ll loving parents have many hopes in their heart for their children: that nothing bad will ever befall them, that all people they encounter will love them as they are loved at home, and that the world will welcome them with open arms to engage with all its wonders. To the families of children with 70

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disabilities in South Texas, it can feel at times like the needs of their children are glossed over and forgotten about by the rest of the public. Typical activities such as shopping or enjoying outings to parks or movie theaters can all be daunting tasks for these children and their families as the Rio Grande Valley has a deficit regarding disability-friendly mechanisms, public places, and events. One nonprofit organization, Capable Kids, believes that much of the issue lies in a lack of march/april 2016

information as opposed to apathy, and has taken it upon themselves to return some of the joy of childhood to a community in need of accessible entertainment.

Started in June of 2015, the Capable Kids Foundation believes this can be remedied through the events, teams, and groups they are planning for the upcoming year.

President of the foundation Melanie Watson explains Capable Kids is dedicated to helping children with disabilities participate in activities and events in an environment suitable to their needs, something they don’t get to experience often. “Coming to therapy is basically their fun time,� says Watson. Vice President Desiree French explains that families have a very difficult time getting their children out into communities for a variety of reasons from over-stimulation

lete

to difficulty navigating their adaptive equipment. She gives the example of grocery shopping. Most stores have carts for young children that feature a strap; however, some children’s physical growth outpaces their need for such devices, creating a difficult situation for parents now having to maneuver their children’s chair or other equipment in addition to the shopping cart and anything else they may have in their hands. Capable Kids wants to bring awareness to this issue so that local stores can implement a Caroline’s Cart (a shopping cart designed with a front seat large enough for an adult) or other devices to accommodate for these families. This is one of many plans they have and according to French, the families of these children are very supportive and excited for the future. “We are just trying to eliminate

those barriers as much as possible for them so it becomes an enjoyable experience for the children and for the families as well,” says French.

The community has responded positively to the events and change proposals implemented by the program, with turnouts to their events surprising the coordinators. “We planned to start slowly but actually took off a lot quicker than expected,” Watson said. Popular events included a Halloween trick-or-treating fest at La Plaza mall, in which volunteers and families decorated the children’s wheelchairs or walkers to set off their costumes and various stores participated in distributing candy. Another community event, a winter wonderland, was hosted at a private residence in Mission, Texas. The team from Capable Kids filled a 2,000 march/april 2016

We want these kids to have the opportunity to be a part of community leagues, go to holiday parties…

We want to give them something to do besides school, therapy, and being at home.

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Our goal is to eventually start incorporating with city events. We’d like to have some time dedicated during these ceremonies for the special needs kids.

We don’t want them to be separated, but accommodated for.

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square foot area with real snow and pulled them around on sleds modified to their needs. Among a carnival-like atmosphere, a photo-booth allowed children to take pictures with Santa – a childhood milestone many kids hadn’t been able to do previously because of their excitability.

A few years before Capable Kids was created, their workplace occasionally hosted events for the children they worked with. Andy Del Fierro is the Treasurer of the organization and recently helped create a committee to organize sports leagues since the previous one with their workplace went so well. Their first football game had about 40 participants. “They don’t usually get involved in sports,” says Del Fierro. “The first play I hiked the ball to one of the kids and he looked at it. I told him to run - and he took off ! All the other kids got in a conga line, and when he scored they all started doing a dance. march/april 2016

It was so cool.” After the success of that event, they got involved with the Boys and Girls Club and some other organizations to create a season-long team (as opposed to a one-day event), providing another first to many of the children- the opportunity to form bonds with teammates. The first, a tee-ball league, was so successful that Capable Kids is starting a basketball, indoor soccer, and cheerleading league this year with the intent to make these children more active. “The sporting events are primarily for our children with special needs but most of our social events are for family members as well,” says French.

“It’s very important to us that they have an opportunity to interact and do things with their brothers and sisters. We are really trying to emphasize children being a part of the community. We are trying to integrate as much as we can.” In addition to the sports leagues, Capable

Kids is planning a kid’s triathlon, a prom, an Easter event, as well as the annual Halloween and winter wonderland events.

They and also want to do some small classes xas Retirement the year such as theater, art, uidance forthroughout over 30 Years and dance. Watson says, “Our goal is to eventually start incorporating with city events. We’d like to have some time dedicated during these ceremonies for the special needs kids. We don’t want them to be separated, but accommodated for.”

Del Fierro feels personally connected to the cause and believes that not only do the children need to feel safe at their events, but the community needs to be more educated so they feel safe anywhere they go. He recalled an instance told to him by the family of a six-year-old whom they’ve worked with. They went to the movies and planned to sit in the wheelchair accessibility section, but there were ablebodied adults occupying the seats who refused to move. They ended up calling the manager, security, and eventually the police to resolve the situation. French says these are the kinds of experiences that make children with special needs and their families not want to go out. Del Fierro,

French, and Watson are all very passionate individuals and hearing this and other heart-wrenching stories is what spawned their organization. “We work with a wide variety of children with different diagnoses.

We are all-inclusive,” says French. “I want the community to see, acknowledge, and be aware that these children are here.” She hopes this will create more advocacies for change and says that there’s nothing these children can’t do without a little help.

To get the word out, they are planning on doing more fundraising, marketing, and networking. Watson says, “We talked about doing some educational videos and posting it on our Facebook such as ‘How to Talk to a Special Needs Child.’ We want people to not be afraid of interacting with these kids. We hope that the more we get them out in the community, the more people will become educated about it.”

They strongly believe that this video series and other educational incentives will help accomplish that.

If you know a child that could benefit from Capable Kids or would like to volunteer, visit their website at capablekidsfoundation. com or their Facebook page.

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IMAS PRESENTS

CRAFT BEER WEEK A P R I L 5 - A P R I L 1 0, 2 0 1 6

By Jonathan L. Salinas

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f preserving the nearly-destroyed works of Aristotle in the Baghdad museum is not enough to keep a special place in your heart for the culture of modern day Iraq, you may be interested to know that the life-source enjoyed by philosophers like Alexander the Great’s teacher today flows on tap, a semblance of the ever-flowing Tigris. The oldest recipe and poem about beer comes to us by an unknown Samarian in the form of a hymn dedicated to Ninkasi, goddess of brewing and beer. In a stylish atmosphere of fashion and art, The International Museum of Art and Science (IMAS) has been cultivating our region’s appreciation for this ancient beverage for the last seven years with their eagerly-anticipated annual event, A Night at The Brew-seum (ANTB).

The idea for what was once a one-day event began as a collaboration headed

by KRGV’s meteorologist, Tim Smith,

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and other members of the IMAS’ board.

Nicole Marshall is serving this year for the first time as Co-Chair of the committee heading ANTB. “When we first started it was just Saturday night at the Museum,” said Marshall, who is also Co-Owner of Madworks Ad Agency. “The last several years it’s been a week of festivities – Brew-seum week.” Brew-seum week will begin on Tuesday, April 5th from 6-8 pm at Grain to Glass in McAllen, where a Battle of the Brew Tap Takeover will challenge local brewers to make the judges say, “I’d tap that.” The competition will be followed by the Brew-seum Bash at the Flying Walrus in downtown McAllen, Wednesday, April 6th from 9 pm – 12 am.

Anyone who enjoys pairing dancing with that Mesopotamian gift from Ninkasi is encouraged to “drop it like it’s hoppy.”

These activities are sponsored by L&F distributors. march/april 2016

“When we first started, it was just Saturday night at the Museum. The last several years it’s been a week of festivities – Brewseum week.”

Up next on the Brew-seum Craft Beer Week agenda is a beer dinner sponsored

by Glazer's & Leinenkugel to be held at the IMAS on Thursday, April 7th. 100 lucky guests will enjoy a succulent feast, specially-made by House Wine & Bistro and Salt’s Chef/Owner, Larry Delgado.

Prices for this event are $125/person at a table of eight.

The grand finale, sponsored by Clark Chevrolet and Clark Knapp Honda, A Night at The Brew-seum will be back for its eighth year on Saturday, April 9th.

Paired with delicious entrées, guests will be able to sample over 100 craft beers.

Perhaps a tribute to the Hellenistic-type culture of which this celebrated drink is associated, proceeds will go (as is well put by the organizers of this event) towards fulfilling its mission to “promote a deeper appreciation for the arts and sciences through its exhibitions, cultural events and educational programs; and to preserve, expand and display its permanent art and science.”

Leftover beer will be sold at a discounted price the next day from 12 to 4 pm at IMAS. The museum will be open to the whole family, and will include

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activities for the kids and your favorite local food trucks.

Tickets for A Night at The Brew-seum can be purchased at the IMAS. Prices vary from $40 for a designated driver (because though this will be a fun event, it should be enjoyed responsibly); IMAS members get a discounted price of $55; $70 for general admission; and $100 for the VIP section where, according to Marshall, you will get to sample premium beers and wines exclusive to VIP guests and stay an hour after the event is scheduled to capoff. If you hurry onto the website above, you might still get one before the 200 VIP passes are sold out.

The sound of a tap pouring onto a glass is a familiar one to most of us, as it was to that anonymous ancient Samarian poet who wrote, “The filtering vat, which makes a pleasant sound; You place appropriately on a large collector vat.”

Plentiful shall filtering and collector vats be, entwined with a noble cause, solidified with a unified goal, and “filtered” through a stream of joy, comparable to “the onrush of Tigris and Euphrates.” Not thinking about attending is unthinkable.

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McAllen Sets the Stage LIFE

Live Music Concert Series opens this April for its 6th season

BY Lauri Pulido & Liegh Wolldridge draft

We all love music and a great playlist. Music can change

our mood, inspire us, and even motivate us. But music through our headphones or car speakers can’t hold a candle to the experience of live music. Live music engages all our senses and creates a sense of community between the audience and the performers. McAllen recognized the importance of a platform to expose people to different types of live music in a family friendly environment, thus the Sunset Live Concert Series was created. At the time of inception, the McAllen Performing Arts Center had not yet broken ground so it was decided the concert series would take place in Oval Park on the Convention Center’s campus. The Sunset Live event offers a big city feel with the uniqueness of a Rio Grande Valley sunset with the native palm trees and foliage as the backdrop. The first concert was produced in partnership with the South Texas Community Arts Foundation in October 2013. During the first concert, McAllen was hoping to attract a few hundred people but were pleasantly surprised when over 1,500 people attended the event. The series is 76

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now in its sixth season and boasts an average of 6,000 attendees. Sunset Live has booked some colorful and eclectic artists over the years, some of which have blown up in the music scene.

McAllen typically produces three concerts in the fall and three concerts in the spring and the demand for more concerts keeps on growing. Sunset Live’s platform continues to stress the importance and investment in the performing arts is an investment in our community’s future.

Sunset Live has provided a great footprint for other local events. Sunset Live was the first event to invite the local food trucks in 2014, and an artisan market with hundreds of hand crafted items. The event also offers a nice selection of craft beers and cool wine in addition to great live music from local and regional acts.

Held every second Saturday of the month, the outdoor concert series focuses on promoting the arts and giving up-andcoming artists and musicians a different type of exposure outside of the local bar scene. Sunset Live has grown exponentially each month, which is attributed mainly to social media and word-of-mouth. Sunset Live targets millennials by showcasing an experience that they are passionate about: music, food, friends and local arts.

McAllen encourages them to share the event information and bring their friends, family and pets. Sunset Live is about enhancing their quality of life, which is what millennials want in their community

so they are willing to tell all of their friends.

The 2016 Spring season begins Saturday, April 9 and will wrap up Saturday, June 11. McAllen invites everyone who enjoys great live music, unique food, set in a beautiful family and pet-friendly environment to join this unforgettable experience.

“We believe that in investment in the arts, Is in investment in our future and we started the outdoor concert series as a way to promote the arts in the Rio Grande Valley.”

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RGV: Vote!

ELECTIONS CREATING BUZZ AT THE BALLOT BOX

BY GEORGE COX

E

lections creating buzzoters in the Rio Grande Valley started to make their voices heard in the 2016 election season with the March 1 Democratic and Republican primaries.

Well, at least some of them did.

As the political campaigns head into primary runoffs and, ultimately, the November general election, the question remains as to how many people will be registered to vote, and how many of those will actually show up to cast ballots.

Historically, the Valley lags behind the rest of Texas in voter turnout. Over the years primary election voter turnout in Hidalgo and Cameron counties averages between 21 percent and 23 percent, even during presidential years.

The general election in November attracts more interest from registered voters, with turnout ranging as high as 28 percent in non-presidential years to around 44 percent when the nation chooses its next commander in chief.

On a larger scale, the United States in 2012 had a registered voter turnout of 84 percent, placing it seventh among the 34 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to calculations by the Pew Research Center published in 2015.

While that statistic sounds impressive, the Pew Research Center also noted that the United States only ranks 31st out of the 34 countries when turnout is calculated as a percentage of the estimated voting-age population, with 54 percent. The difference

between that number and the 84-percent registered voter turnout is a reflection of the gap between the number of people eligible to vote and those who make the effort to get involved and register.

In the Valley there is a relatively new organization with its sights set on Hidalgo, Cameron and Starr counties, aiming to turn the the low turnout numbers around through voter registration and participation. The Advocacy Alliance Center of Texas (AACT) has set a goal to increase the turnout of registered voters in Deep South Texas to 65 percent, a substantial boost over the historical averages.

“We’re a nonprofit organization established in the Rio Grande Valley since 2012 to increase the voter turnout,” Project Coordinator Albert Morales said. “We do that in a nonpartisan way by helping with voter registration and mobilizing people to go to the polls.”

AACT was founded to “educate, engage and empower the community by providing them a network of support to successfully mobilize, register and track voters across the country, region and state,” according to the nonprofit’s mission statement.

“Here in the Valley we have a very low voter turnout,” Morales said. “Only four out of every 10 people vote in presidential election years, while six out of 10 vote in other parts of the state.”

For Morales and AACT, that translates into a neglected population when it comes to having a voice in government and the march/april 2016

legislative process.

“As the South Texas citizenry continues to grow at record pace in terms of population, our proportional representation in the electorate has not,” AACT states on its website.

The organization’s mission is based in the idea that the greater numbers of residents who vote in any given area, the more that area will be noticed by elected officials.

“Here in the Valley we are at a deficit when it comes to voter turnout, so we get neglected for funding and other needs in our local communities,” Morales said. “If we want to correct some of the inequalities we need to get more people out. We want everyone to be on the same page when it comes to participating.”

AACT has enlisted a network of more than 90 partners made up of public institutions and private businesses to help, including media outlets, private companies and schools. The network pushes efforts to increase the number of registered voters and encourage them to participate by showing up at the polls on Election Day. “Our partners help to get the word out and they do that through their employees internally,” Morales said. Partners typically have designated AACT ambassadors to further the organization’s mission. “At those locations, those are the people we depend on to register people,” Morales said. “And during election time they motivate people and do things to get the people to turn out.”

Community outreach through public

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service announcements, signs encouraging voter participation and voter registration events also play a role in AACT’s strategy.

The organization’s website, aactnow. org, contains a wide range of information about voters and voting. An individual can learn how to register, view sample ballots, do a search to find their voting precinct and get involved as a volunteer, all online.

The AACT website also offers a teacher’s manual and voter curriculum for use in schools to help educate future voters about the importance of participating in our democratic system of government.

“Just in Hidalgo County, we have a little over 300,000 people registered to vote and in the Valley there are more than half a million registered,” Morales said, adding that AACT’s efforts to date have resulted in the addition of more than 30,000 new voters.

The dynamic 2016 race for the White House has helped to generate more interest among voters and potential voters across the nation and in local neighborhoods.

As Donald Trump and Ted Cruz duke it out with a large field of Republican contenders whose campaigns have

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made newspaper headlines practically every day and dominated the air time on cable news networks for months, more and more people are paying attention.

In the Democratic race, Bernie Sanders’ surprising rise in the polls to challenge early front-runner Hillary Clinton for that party’s nomination has also generated a lot of buzz. The chatter is seemingly constant – on the street or over the internet, in coffee shops or workplaces, over dinner or cocktails – just about anywhere people come together.

But in terms of actual voter participation the jury is still out. While the national political crusades have arguably garnered unprecedented interest, many of those following the campaigns do not have a history of actually casting ballots.

The fortunes of some politicians will turn on whether they can convert potential voters into registered voters who will turn out.

High-profile or controversial national campaigns also tend to have a trickle-down effect on voter participation in the Valley.

“It’s actually a turn

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on,” Morales said. “More people are paying attention to what’s going on in the media, especially when we have these extreme candidates. Voters want to get involved when we have these big elections with these dynamic candidates in the race.”

The increase in Republican candidates in South Texas over the years has also helped increase voter awareness and participation, he said. Historically in a predominantly Democratic region like the Valley, many local races can be decided on primary day with the top Democratic vote-getter sailing into the November general election without any opposition.

“There are a greater number of Republican candidates that are on the ballot and whenever there are contested races there will be a higher turnout,” Morales said. “The local races generate increased interest and turnout in this area.”

In the run-up to the March 1 Texas primary, AACT’s mission was to get more people registered prior to the Feb. 1 deadline. After that the organization

concentrated on mobilizing voter turnout.

“After the deadline for the primary we shift over to ‘Go vote,’” Morales said.

“We do that through mass messages through texts and email, public service announcements and so forth.

“After the primary we jump back into our registration and educational phase as we approach the November election.”

The cycle of voter education and mobilization by AACT and its partners has proved to be successful, although the job is never complete.

“We have been able to get more people to turn out to vote,” Morales said. “And these are people that were not likely

voters, which meant candidates did not reach out to them because of that.”

As political campaigns become more sophisticated through technological advances, candidates can more accurately target their messages to registered voters and even drill down to those voters most likely to cast ballots.

Once individuals decide to register and vote, they become more plugged into the political process in terms of being exposed to candidates’ campaign information that helps them make more informed choices.

“The service that we provide really is effective because we are reaching out to those people and they are coming out to vote,” Morales said. “The important thing to note is that these people would not turn out to vote if it had not been for our efforts to get them to the polls. Our organization would like to encourage everyone to get ready, to register and get out and vote.”

“We have been able to get more people to turn out to vote, and these are people that were not likely voters, which meant candidates did not reach out to them because of that.”

- Morales

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A NINJA AMONG US Abel Gonzalez brings warrior spirit, parkour to South Texas

By Amy Glover

What drives a Ninja Warrior?

Parkour enthusiasts may find South Texas lacking in obstacle courses fit for their training needs - but that didn’t stop Abel Gonzalez, two time participant on the popular show “American Ninja Warrior.”

Gonzalez is no stranger to adversity and had other obstacles to overcome; building his own workout facility to train for the televised challenge was one he took on headfirst. From that backyard venture to a full-blown gym focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle, Gonzalez has big plans to put his training to good use.

“I want to chase my dream and be successful,” says Gonzalez, who used to work at the oil refineries doing dangerous but reliable labor. However, his ultimate dream was to try out for the TV show American Ninja Warrior. When he broke his finger, he decided that he would quit his job and pursue his true passion. “I don’t want to be negative or be 86

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a victim of my circumstances,” he says, explaining some of the personal history that drives him. He was only twenty years old when he was granted custody of his younger brothers, and he’s been fighting a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack its own tissues and joints.

“It’s a constant reminder that I have to eat healthy,” he says. “I also have to have a healthy mindset and tell myself that I’m not sick.” Gonzalez is a very strong believer in spirituality and connecting with the earth.

He reads a lot about fitness and personal development is very important to him. “I’ve been through so many things that could’ve kept me down and made me negative -and they almost did- but I overcame that,” he says. “If I keep thinking, ‘Man, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis; I’m sick forever,’ then it will constantly be in my head,” Gonzalez explains. “My performance will decline because the mind works together with the body. They’re so integrated that they really aren’t separate.”

This is the mindset that made him a ninja warrior. Gonzalez remembers the process: The first step is the application video, which Gonzalez says

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an obstacle course in itself. The first application video Gonzalez made was not accepted by NBC, but he didn’t let that stop him from trying. “I tried out as a rookie walk-on by driving to Dallas and waiting in line for five days to get a chance to compete,” he explains.

He was one of only three rookie walkons in seven years who made it past the two qualifying rounds on their first try. The two rounds in Dallas are prerequisite for the next four rounds in Vegas, where the million-dollar prize is up for

is about who you are as a person, your personality, and your athletic skills.

This was when Gonzalez and his friends got the idea to create their own place to train. “Before we made this gym, Nate and I would have to travel to Houston to train,” he explained.

“We were moving our equipment back and forth a lot.“ They wanted a more stable workout environment, and decided to build a DIY training course with friends to facilitate their training. “I saw the slab of cement in my friend’s backyard and I said, ‘Nate, if we had this foundation at my house, it would be a full blown gym.’ At first, his backyard looked like a junkyard but he started cleaning it up.” Gonzalez explained that he worked on the project with Nate for a month and then trained for another month before the March qualifier. Says Gonzalez, “We started with building an obstacle or two and then it just kept on going.” Most of the obstacles they have created in the gym are based off of the show’s course, but Gonzalez says that some of them are of his own design. “We try to use whatever we can, and make whatever we can out of what we have,” he says. “That gives us a lot of opportunity for creativity.” The obstacles they built to train with takes them through a circuit including a rock wall, peg board, salmon ladder, warp wall, monkey-bar-type rings, a cage, rope climb, and a lot of padding.

Their at-home training course served them well; Gonzalez made history both times he participated on American Ninja Warrior, though getting there was

“I’m very proud of myself because I’m able to compete with some of the best athletes in the country, even though I’m not a professional athlete in any way.” grabs. The first year, Gonzalez fell on Stage Two of the Vegas rounds, leaving him ranked 18th nationally.

When he returned the next year, Gonzalez did even better, breaking his own records by making it to the third stage and obtaining rank 8th. Although this was the year two other competitors completed the course for the first and second time ever within minutes of each other, Gonzalez is rightfully proud of himself for his achievements. “I’m very proud of myself because I'm able to compete with some of the best athletes in the country,” says Gonzalez, “even though I’m not a professional athlete in any way.”

Gonzalez, who also recently participated on Team Ninja Warrior on Esquire Network, says competing on the shows are time-consuming, but he’s applying to compete as a Ninja Warrior again this season. When he’s not training his own body, Gonzalez is educating others in the use of theirs; he has a calisthenics certificate and will be getting a parkour and personal training certificate soon. He uses Yoga to help identify issues his trainees may be having: tight hamstrings, tight quads, tight shoulders, and a tight chest are common problems. Gonzalez says imbalances can cause injury so it’s important to show people how to fix these imbalances before safety becomes an issue. He plans to open an indoor parkour gym in the future, and is enjoying the local celebrity status that comes with his previous appearances on Ninja Warrior, as it allows him to get involved with the community. Gonzalez was recently proud to guest host and participate in an event called Over the Edge.

Gonzalez was the first celebrity host to repel off the Chase Tower in downtown McAllen to raise funds for the Boys and Girls Club of Edinburg, McAllen, and Pharr. “It’s a great, once in a lifetime opportunity to give back,” he says.

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LIFE

LIGHTS, CAMERA...

CARLOS! M

VALLEY NATIVE CARLOS MORENO MAKING IT ON THE SILVER SCREEN

BY JONATHAN SALINAS 88

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aybe he’s not yet a household name, but Carlos Moreno, Jr. has developed an acting career the Valley will want to keep on its radar. The San Juan Native has quite the prolific resume, with roles in over fifteen films and TV shows including Dexter, ER, Transformers, Habanero and Pacific Rim. This year, Moreno landed an invitation to the Sundance festival for his part in Frank and Lola. A grand achievement in itself, his journey to Sundance is no less remarkable. Moreno’s life story speaks to his tenacity and humility, as he hasn’t let the success go to his head or change him.

Rather, among the many roles he’s played over the years, the one that brings him most satisfaction is that of community advocate and teacher. Moreno takes every opportunity to encourage people from all walks of life to keep knocking on doors, all the time “looking for ‘yes’ doors.”

Morenos has a strong belief that the arts are vital. “Without art,” says Moreno, “you kill the community.” He wants to serve as a role model for minority youth who may not feel confident enough to follow artistic dreams into the theater.

As for himself, he was never one to suffer stage fright. Moreno’s first roles were in his childhood when he participated in nativity scenes at his church. “Well, I thought I was going to be Joseph,” recalls Moreno.

“But no! They gave me the shepherd. I was pissed!” He jokes, “Immediately, I was stereotyped,” a tongue-in-cheek allusion to some of the roles he’s been cast in. Still, he is grateful for the experiences, as he has learned valuable lessons from his renown co-workers and colleagues since making it to Hollywood. Vital to his development as an actor was director and Moreno’s former mentor, Milton Katselas, who passed away in 2008. He had previously coached stars like Marlon Brando, George Clooney, and Jim Carrey, among others. However, Moreno’s less prestigious life experiences before he ever set foot on a red carpet have also shaped him into the actor, instructor, and student of life he is today.

Moreno developed a life philosophy in his youth working in the fields, toiling as a migrant worker beside his elders. He has vivid memories of gazing upon the fields he and his family worked, with the

He wants to serve as a role model for minority youth who may not feel confident enough to follow artistic dreams into the theater.

monumental task of 30-40 acres to clear before them. His uncle would tell him not to look that way, and to focus instead on what was before him. Moreno remembers him saying, “By the time you know it, you’ll be there."

He applied this work ethic to his education, intending to become a politician. However, Moreno recalls that his interest in acting was again renewed at around age 16 through the drama club at his alma mater, PSJA High School, and he put political aspirations aside. After graduation and once in university, Moreno had to wrestle with future goals when choosing a major: political science, or his passion? Regardless of the condescension Moreno received from his university advisor when he disclosed his plans to pursue a career in acting, he shortly after got an acting role in East Meets West, and the rest is history.

Morenos would like to share these memories, and the “golden nuggets” of wisdom he acquired from the stars, with the Valley. He feels there is a need here to support aspiring entertainers as the touring acts that sometimes stop in the Valley do not staff locals, according to Moreno only actors from larger cities like Austin, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio. Moreno wants to tap into the talent he knows the Rio Grande Valley possesses by opening an acting school in McAllen within the next few months. Also in the near future, Moreno plans on giving a workshop and delivering a keynote speech at this year’s Festival of International Books and Arts (FESTIBA) at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

As one can tell, giving back to the community is Moreno’s priority aside from acting, though given the nature of both, they are one and the same. Whether moving our hearts from the stage, or encouraging local youth to do so from the director’s chair, Carlos Morenos, Jr. is contributing to a Rio Grande Valley full of art and appreciation for it. This vision is certainly attainable if arts are made a priority in our education, but at home, art is something we can all take part in as individuals. As Carlos’ uncle says, by the time we know it, we’ll be there.

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