July / August 2019 - RGVision Magazine

J ULY/AUGUST 2 0 19 | VO LUM E 11 ISSUE 4

‘THE DOORS ARE OPEN’ STC’s She Persists aims to target women in nontraditional careers.

STAYCATION RGV offers summer vacation opportunities through several parks, museums.

Repairing perceptions, practices of health care in the Rio Grande Valley.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS RGV restaurateur promotes local culinary education, activism through chairwomanship.

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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 801 N. Bryan Road, Mission, TX 78572.

To receive an annual subscription of RGVision publications for $29.99, email info@RGVisionMagazine.com.

CONTENT CONTRIBUTERS

Cristina M. Garcia Daniel Ramirez Sergio Contreras Bill Martin Leonardo F. Chang Tijerina Legal Group Danielle Goslin Dr. Alfonso Mercado Roxanne Pacheco Quinta Mazatlán

WRITERS

Danya Perez Karina Vargas Berenice Garcia Ana Karen Torres Sofia Aleman George Cox Irene Wazgowska

Omar Díaz Erik Webster Barbara Delgado Ben Briones Beatriz Ulloa

ILLUSTRATORS

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

PHOTOGRAPHER

PHOTOGRAPHERS

As we move into summer, this past Memorial Day I remembered Lt. Col. Kermit Tyler. On Dec. 7, 1941, an hour before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Tyler received notice of a radar blip 100 miles north of the Oahu shore.

Fifteen minutes after receiving the notice, he told the radar operator, “Don’t worry about it.” Less than an hour after that order, more than 2,400 Americans were killed, 19 U.S. naval vessels were damaged or destroyed, and the United States was plunged into WWII. Though Tyler was inexperienced at the time and was not found at fault, it is hard to avoid considering other scenarios and outcomes. If he had delved into the blip by asking the radar operators if this was normal, looking at patterns, or even sending planes up to check it out, many American lives could have been saved.

RGVision believes these are tales of what can occur if we ignore the signs and don’t seek the truth in what is happening. This current issue covers some brutal facts our region faces when it comes to health care.

What some doctors and health systems have done and others are doing to heal the perceptions and practices of health care is important for the Rio Grande Valley. We hope you stay informed, educated, and inspired. Thank you for picking up this issue.

Gwyn D. Zubia

CORRECTION For editorial comments and suggestions, please send emails to info@rgvisionmagazine.com.

For advertising information, please call us at 956.379.6017 or email us at info@rgvisionmagazine.com.

A special thank you to all the advertisers who support this publication: You are the power behind the flywheel igniting positive change that keeps the conversation going.

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In the May/June 2019 issue of RGVision, an advertisement incorrectly listed Dr. Verushka Vera’s credentials. She is an obstetrician and gynecologist with Valley Care Clinics.

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 2 0 19

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VOLUME 11 ISSUE 4 RGVISION MAGAZINE

62 ON THE COVER

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HEALING TRUST

Repairing perceptions, practices of health care in the Rio Grande Valley.

EDUCATION

BUSINESS

Reading to Succeed pg 8 Leading by Example pg 10 Together We Can pg 12 Get Sold On pg 14 Confindent Classrooms pg 16 Competitive Edge pg 18 From RGV to Ivy League pg 20 Taking You Further pg 24 Moments & Momentum pg 26

Career Paths pg 28 Staying Secure pg 32 Windows of Want pg 34 Four Generations pg 36 A Service and Resource pg 38 Financial Focus pg 40 Am I Covered? pg 42 Crucial Commerce pg 44 Crunching the Criticism pg 46

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‘ T HE DOORS A RE OPEN’

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S TAYC AT ION

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REC IPE FOR S U C C ES S

South Texas College’s She Persists campaign aims to target women in nontraditional career fields.

RGV offers summer vacation opportunities through several parks, museums.

RGV restaurateur promotes local culinary education, activism through chairwomanship.

HEALTH

Community Care pg 48 Special Delivery pg 50 Cranberry Chipotle Recipe pg 52 The Reality of Asylum Seekers pg 54 CBD Oil pg 56 Healing Emotional Wounds pg 58 Adult ADHD pg 60

QUALITY OF LIFE

Giving Thanks pg 66 Tamale Empire pg 68 Urban Wildlife Encounters pg 70 Faces in the Valley pg 76 ‘Real Treasure’ pg 78 Pint Night pg 82 Wake Up and Smell the Coffee pg 84

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READING TO

SUCCEED Enhanced Literacy Program Preparing Harlingen CISD Students for Success at a Younger Age

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b y C r i s t i n a M . G a r ci a

Bowie Elementary School first-grader Sebastian Sanchez beamed as he spoke about his ability to read books.

“I know how to read now,” Sebastian said. “Sometimes I make some mistakes, but I try my best. That’s how I do it.”

Sebastian and his classmates gathered around a classroom table near their teacher, Laura Lemarr, for one of their daily early literacy lessons during the 2018-19 school year.

Harlingen CISD continues to enrich its reading programs by implementing initiatives and curriculum to increase literacy at an early age, part of the school district’s strategic plan established in 2014. During the 2018-19 school year, Harlingen CISD partnered with the Neuhaus Education Center and Scholastic, a publishing

company, to create stepping stones toward elementary, secondary, and high school educational success.

“Ninety percent of learning happens before the age of five,” said Carmen Alvarez, the district’s early childhood specialist. “We want to seize the opportunity when children are little because they are picking up everything they are learning.”

The early literacy program at the elementary school level encourages students to grow their vocabulary, thus increasing their ability to read more complex words and books. By the time students reach the age of 6, their vocabulary includes about 24,000 words.

“We have worked extremely hard,” Alvarez said. “Our teachers have worked diligently to perfect their practice and master reading. We are using the most advanced procedures, scientifically based theories with our

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students and our teachers.”

The Neuhaus Education Center's curriculum gradually improves literacy beginning when students enter prekindergarten. In kindergarten, students break up into groups of about eight students for their letter recognition, phonological awareness, oral language, multisensory letter introduction, and handwriting lessons.

The Neuhaus program also uses a scientific spelling method to improve spelling in kindergartners through third-graders.

“The goal is to have very differentiated instruction,” Alvarez said. “No classroom should look the same anymore because we are meeting the needs of a particular group of students.”

Along with the Neuhaus program, Harlingen CISD also added Scholastic’s Leveled Literacy Libraries, which are used by elementary school teachers to assess and measure students reading abilities to ensure they reach the proper level. In literacy libraries throughout all elementary campuses, books are coded from A through Z, progressing from easy reading to more challenging texts. The popular books are written to captivate readers of all ages.

“With this program, we are hoping to build confidence in the learner,” said Rebecca Rodriguez, assistant principal of Austin Elementary. “We are going to use guided reading to lead students to that independence and comprehension.”

Everyone from teachers to principals to library media specialists received training before the start of the school year, which detailed the guided reading and small-group instruction curriculum.

“Ms. Lemarr will hear us (read). So, if we read correctly, if we read good, she will put ‘OK’ next to our name, and

Reb ec c a Ro d r i guez, Au stin E lemen tary assistan t prin cipal

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“With this program, we are hoping to build confidence in the learner. We are going to use guided reading to lead students to that independence and comprehension.”

JUL/AUG 2019

that’s how you do good, and that’s nice,” Sebastian said as he sat at a table for small-ground instruction.

As students move through the programs, their ability to comprehend and speak fluently will increase.

Since the district began tackling literacy as part of its strategic plan, it has already seen gratifying results.

Harlingen CISD reached 84 percent in kindergarten readiness — 34 percent above the state average.

“Our children here in Harlingen are getting a fabulous start,” Alvarez said. “I really believe that greatness starts in early childhood education.”

For Sebastian, the first-grader being taught lessons as part of the district’s literacy programs, his ability to read makes him smile and shine.

“Every time I’m done reading a book, I just (say), ‘Woooo!’” he said. “And I read it again.”

E D U C A T I O N

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PSJA ISD Embarks On New Leadership Journey

Leaders at Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD celebrated the completion of their second year in the Holdsworth Center’s leadership institute for Texas public schools. District leadership also received a certificate from the center during a special ceremony recently in Austin.

Founded by H-E-B Chairman and CEO Charles Butt, a lifelong advocate for public education, the Holdsworth Center offers world-class training and leadership development to school districts selected to participate through a generous multi-year investment. PSJA ISD was one of only seven Texas public school districts selected for the center’s inaugural cohort, which began in June 2017.

As part of the cohort, PSJA ISD committed to a fiveyear development journey aimed to build a strong talent pipeline and leadership development system that began with the superintendent and leaders from central office and incorporates additional personnel at the campus level.

"The reason I founded The Holdsworth Center is to help public schools invest in the long-term growth and development of leaders at all levels," Butt said in a letter sent to the participants.

"Leadership is not a function of rank or title. Leadership is a journey we can all take, starting with effectively leading ourselves and growing into leaders of others, including students."

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F rom left, E xecu tive Director for Middle Sch ools N ora Rivas-G arza; E xecu tive Director for High Sch ools Dr. N ora Can tu ; Assistan t Su perin ten den t for Hu man Capital Developmen t Dr. Rebeca G arza; Ch ief of Tech n ology & Stu den t Services Adrian G arcia; Su perin ten den t Dr. Dan iel K in g; E xecu tive Officer for E lemen tary Sch ools I ris Alvarez; an d Sch ool Board Member Jesse Vela Jr. take part in th e Holdsworth District Leadersh ip gradu ation ceremon y.

E D U C A T I O N

As part of the process, the center helped evaluate the district's work via an annual assessment sent to all staff to determine areas of need. Four committees were established to assist this work: Leadership Development, Selection, Evaluation and Role Definition, and Internal Communications.

Since the program started, the district has also developed its new Leadership Definition — the Spirit of PSJA. The Spirit of PSJA is the district's definition of great leadership developed during the 2017-18 school year through a comprehensive approach engaging several members of the PSJA family through the process. Its purpose is to guide the district's work in developing current and future leaders. It is also a tool each member of the family can use to evaluate their work and potential as they continue to grow as leaders within their role and the organization.

According to Melanie Singleton, Holdsworth Center’s district support for PSJA ISD, one of the most visible changes is the Spirit of PSJA. "The district’s leadership definition was designed in year one with the help of teachers, staff, central office, and leaders in the district," she said. "If you walk into any school or department, you will see it prominently featured.”

In addition to the district’s leadership definition, Singleton said that some of the most granular changes for staff members include the hiring process through the Human Resources Department, which has become more clear and transparent, and improvement of internal communications through the new MyPSJA Employee Portal.

“I love working with PSJA. It has been such a pleasure to work with the district that although has been accomplished in so many ways and has set records across the state and

country, is still so hungry to lead, to change, and improve,” Singleton said. “This is a program for school districts that are already doing well and want to go from good to great. I have no doubt that this will lead to even more great things from this district.”

In addition to central office leaders participating in this journey, most recently, three PSJA ISD schools became the first to participate in an inaugural PSJA-Holdsworth Campus Leadership cohort. Five additional campuses were selected this spring after a competitive and intensive selection process: FALL 2018

• Audie Murphy Middle School • Raul Yzaguirre Middle School • Marcia Garza Elementary

SPRING 2019

• Clover Elementary • Dr. Long Elementary • Kelly-Pharr Elementary • Longoria Elementary • Sorensen Elementary

These campuses have the mission to represent the district as they continue to expand lessons learned throughout this leadership journey.

"To the first group of educators, I send my deep thanks and hearty congratulations," Butt said. "Thank you for putting faith in us and for giving your all to this journey. I could not be prouder of everything you have accomplished in the past two years and am optimistic for what the future holds."

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M e m b e r s o f P SJA ISD’s f o ur PSJA - H o l ds w or th Co mmittees atten d th eir last collaborative meetin g.

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TOGETHER

WE

CAN Going Back To College is a Family Affair for Some IDEA-U Students

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by D a nya Per ez

Encouragement can come unexpectedly. For these IDEA-U students, it came in the form of a push to go back to college — but as a family.

IDEA-U partnered with Southern New Hampshire University over a year ago to offer associate and bachelor’s degrees. These are acquired solely online and at the student’s own pace. But students are also required to be advised in person weekly to make sure they are on track.

Through the partnership, the degree plans are offered on a flat rate tuition of $1,835 per four-month term, and students can take as many credits as they can handle.

Having to put aside college to focus on whatever challenge or opportunity life throws one’s way is not a rare decision anymore. Whether to pursue a job or career, raise a family, or even due to lack of guidance, there are many reasons why a traditional college setting might not fit for a student.

In the case of these families, once one member decided to go back to school through IDEA-U, the encouragement quickly spread to pull others into the program.

“I was hesitant at first, but after seeing her go through the associate (degree), she really convinced me,” said Rick Casas, whose spouse, Lory Garza, began attending

the college program months before he did.

The couple focused on raising their family and working. Through the years, the thought of going back to a traditional college setting just wasn’t compatible with their full-time work schedule and busy home life.

While Garza was supposed to be the only one to go back to college at the time, once she was in the program, they realized that it would also work for Casas’ sometimes unpredictable schedule.

“When you do it on your own, sometimes you feel like nobody understands you,” Garza said. “Being in this together not only motivates us to keep doing it, but it’s also that push we need when having a hard time.”

Garza completed her associate degree in healthcare management and is now seeking a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Casas is also going for an associate degree in healthcare management, but also plans to move on to the bachelor’s program.

“The biggest (benefit) for me is that you don’t feel as much pressure as if you were to go to a regular college and university,” Casas said. “This is really at your own pace. You turn in assignments whenever you can finish them. That’s what really lets me relax a little.”

The program also attracted Elsa and Pete Lozano, who

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traditional college and having to take time off would have been too taxing on his studies and his health.

“I knew I wanted to go (to college), but I didn’t know if I could do a traditional university,” he said. “The flexibility is what really inspired me to go in that direction … it really just works out really well for me.”

Briana Juarez is seeking a Bachelor of Arts in management with a concentration in public administration, while Joey Juarez is pursuing an associate degree in general studies with a business track.

The two don’t live together anymore, so IDEA-U is where they get to catch up and interact regularly. They meet once a week with the same counselor and also talk to each other about courses they are taking or any issue that might be arising.

“I also get to prep him for what’s to come,” Briana Juarez said. “He knows that if he has any questions, I can also help him.”

For all of these families, a constant plus in attending IDEA-U was the flexibility to go through the program as quickly or as slowly as their lives permit. Also, the constant feedback and guidance from a counselor keeps them focused, they said.

“It just seems so much more attainable with the layout and the way the program is structured,” Briana Juarez said. “The fact that they guide you — I think that makes all the difference because having that guide makes the attainability factor more enticing.”

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run their own business together specializing in Chinese medicine and therapy.

After 21 years of practicing, Pete Lozano was looking for a change of career and landed a job at a school district.

But as the district prepared to hire him, he couldn’t fulfill the request of submitting his college transcripts.

There was thought of going back to college, but the Lozanos weren’t sure if it would work with their jobs and raising their family.

“I didn’t know it was possible,” he said. “I didn’t know that there was this format where it could help a working professional.”

At his first orientation with IDEA-U, Pete Lozano realized that other couples had enrolled together. He returned home saying, “I think this works better if we do it together.

“I saw the potential push that we could give each other,” he said.

“I never thought I would be back in school,” Elsa Lozano said. “I didn’t know I needed it and I didn’t know it was possible. … We run around with our three kids from wrestling, choir, baseball, math camp, cheerleading, volunteering at church, and we run booster clubs.”

Going back to school together in a flexible program like this one was the only way they could still tend to their business and family, the couple said. And now they are both seeking their associate and bachelor’s degrees in business.

For siblings Briana and Joey Juarez, the IDEA-U program fit different needs under one goal: not stopping until they get their degrees.

The two had attended traditional college and had to stop — but always with the thought of going back one day. Once they found IDEA-U, they started the program about a month apart.

Briana Juarez, 26, was the first to enroll after hearing about the program’s flexibility and low cost. She knew she wanted to earn her bachelor’s degree, but her work schedule in public government proved too demanding to do both.

“I actually had started and stopped, and started and stopped,” she said. “What was a little challenging for me was balancing the work-school life and paying for each semester. And when I started working for the county, the job took a lot of my time.”

Once she found IDEA-U, she realized it worked for her.

She also thought of her younger brother.

Joey Juarez, 21, had been in a car accident in 2017 that left him in need for multiple surgeries. Attending

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GET SOLD ON A

REAL ESTATE CAREER

Garcia says his time during the week is spent doing the typical dad routine. There is tennis and folklorico practice for the kids, errands for his wife, dinner to prepare, and business meetings, he said. But when the weekends come, he is working to fulfill a personal dream.

“I tell my wife that Monday through Friday she has me, but come Saturday and Sunday I belong to STC, and she understands that and the kids understand it,” Garcia said.

Educationally speaking, real estate courses at STC are less of a toe dip in the pool than they are a firm nudge into the deep end. Courses are thorough and comprehensive, and through the work of faculty who are also working professionals, students learn everything from fair housing laws, to contracts, appraisals, financing, titles, and everything in between.

The course load enables students to sit for the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) exam, and eventually into a new job assisting clients with the homebuying process.

“My attraction to STC was due to the fact that I was going to sit in an actual classroom instead of taking the classes online,” said Laura Garza, who commutes from Harlingen for her real estate courses at STC. As an employee for the Harlingen school district, Garza said she was looking for something to supplement her career, and was inspired by a significant other who works in mortgage lending. Beginning with her courses at the start of 2019, Garza says she is now finished with the classroom portion and is set to take her TREC exam.

“I had gone the online route initially but it didn’t work out for me,” she said. “This is 100 percent one on one, and you are able to ask questions and get feedback. That’s what really attracted me to the courses here.”

STC is a TREC-approved provider of courses, which offers training for students seeking to obtain their Texas real estate license.

The program includes six core courses, encompassing 180 hours of instruction on Principles I and II, Law of Contracts, Law of Agency, Finance, and Promulgated Contracts. In order to obtain a license, a student must furnish TREC with satisfactory evidence that they have

South Texas College Offers Flexible, Immersive Training

by Jo ey Go mez | p h o to s b y B en B r i o nes

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As an advertising and sales professional, Frank Garcia says the opportunity to branch out into real estate has been the turning point of a career spent dedicated to clients and their needs.

Now with the chance to fulfill his own personal career goals, learning about real estate has been a special privilege for Garcia, who has taken advantage of classes at South Texas College in order to earn his Texas real estate license even while balancing a full-time job and family life.

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“This is an ethical profession. It’s about putting the interest of the client above anything else, and that is a code of ethics we live by as realtors.”

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of the client above anything else, and that is a code of ethics we live by as realtors.”

STC instructor Jack Brown, who teaches on the weekends, has been a real estate broker for 40 years and instructor for the last 20 years, and operates his brokerage Town & Country R.E. out of San Antonio. He commutes from San Antonio every weekend in order to teach at STC. Real estate courses at STC are provided on evenings and weekends for students seeking to balance their education and work life. Henry conducts classes during the week on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 p.m., and Brown holds classes on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Courses during the week consist of eight classes per core course, and the weekend portion taught by Brown consists of four classes per core course.

“The reason the college has set up the classes this way is to help people like Frank or even those mothers in the class who have to rush home and take care of the family before they get to class,” Brown said. “It can put a lot of pressure on those who work until 5 p.m. or 5:30, so STC developed both weekday and weekend classes.

“Our goal is to get people like Frank and Laura ready to be able to take the Texas real estate exam. It’s a very tough exam to pass, and every year it seems like TREC tightens the screws and makes it more difficult. They upgrade their standards every year.”

For more information on real estate courses at South Texas College, visit southtexascollege.edu/cpwe/ realestate.html or call CPWE at (956) 872-3585.

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successfully completed all six core courses.

The student makeup is also diverse. Classes consist of educators, attorneys, business executives, students, and retirees who are seeking to become real estate sales professionals.

“In my business, we buy properties ourselves so we can build our stores,” said Fernando Reyes, the proprietor of a chain of local convenience stores in the Mission area. “I have always been involved in the process of buying the property and I have always been interested in the real estate sector.

“This will help me as I seek to continue growing my business.”

Classes at STC are casual, but arranged like frank discussions between students and faculty.

STC instructor Mary Lou Henry says she takes extra steps to ensure that courses at the college emphasize the real world responsibilities of being a real estate agent apart from the image portrayed in film or television.

Henry is a former STC student and has been an instructor with STC since 1999. She also serves as a broker member on TREC’s Education Standards Advisory Committee, which reviews curriculum, course content requirements, and instructor certification requirements for qualifying and continuing education courses.

“When we teach these courses at STC, we deliver the material that is required for students to pass the exam, but we stress the fact that even though we are involved in sales of properties, the students are going into a profession that is a fiduciary profession,” she said. “This is an ethical profession. It’s about putting the interest

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Ma ry Lo u Henr y, STC i ns tr ucto r

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CONFIDENT CLASSROOMS

constantly saying they need to speak up, stand up in front of the class, or speak louder, you're not going to get the results that you want because that child is going to feel like they're being bullied.”

Much better results are achieved when the teacher allows the student’s temperament toward that subject to expand at their own pace. The student will eventually feel comfortable to do those things the teacher is asking.

One of the biggest goals at Pace Academy is leading children to become lifelong learners. A Waldorf education means students are not only learning academically, but physically, artistically, socially, and emotionally.

“All of these things about this child are developing and it is just as important to teach a child how to multiply as it is to teach a child how to appreciate their gifts,” WilsonClipson said. “Teaching to their temperament helps them step outside of their comfort zones and develop a part of their personalities that they didn't know, and do things they didn’t know they were capable of.”

For instance, a student who was very shy and reserved came to Pace Academy as a sixth-grader, but after two years of being taught to her temperament, started ninth grade as a cheerleader.

“We want parents to understand that we're not labeling their kid as being one thing or another. We're embracing all facets of their person,” Wilson-Clipson said. “When you're confident, you want to do more. When you're comfortable with who you are, you don't mind raising your hand whether you know that the answer is correct or not. You know, that's the kind of confidence that builds beautiful classrooms.”

Pace Academy Teaches Toward a Child’s Temperament

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by S ofia Ga r cia A lema n Pace Academy, a Waldorf school in Harlingen, is implementing personalized instruction strategies to meet the differentiating needs of even the shyest, most disengaged, or hyperactive student by adjusting their lessons to a child’s temperament. Taking into account things like how well the student adapts to new situations, typical mood, distractibility, or how they react in different social settings is paving positive views of learning for each child.

“With Waldorf, you are looking at the child, deciding what their temperament is, and allowing them to be that person and not trying to force them to be something else,” said Robin Wilson-Clipson, principal and teacher at Pace Academy.

The benefit of teaching to a child’s temperament is a harmonious classroom that ignites a student’s best qualities and gives them more self-confidence in the classroom and around their peers. When children can begin to enjoy subjects they did not enjoy at first, learning takes on a whole new meaning. It also allows them to excel in subjects they truly delight in, and builds assurance in themselves as learners. Avoiding unnecessary fights between the students and teachers — when students are forced to do things — also helps maintain a healthy rapport in the classroom.

“When you don’t teach to a child’s temperament, it becomes a battle. You're battling against that child's temperament and a child that is naturally outgoing and a natural-born leader is now caused to be overbearing and a bully because you are constantly trying to tell them that their personality is not the one that you're looking for,” Wilson-Clipson said. “Or if a child is shy and you're

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Because taking the lead just comes naturally.

If you're like me, you're not a follower. Drop me a line, and I can fill you in on becoming a financial specialist with New York Life. It's a career that lets you determine your own success.

Danielle M Goslin

Partner South Texas General Office 956.412.4949 | dmgoslin@ft.newyorklife.com 222 E Van Buren, Suite 501 Harlingen, TX 78550

New York Life is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

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Arts and Humanities.

Academies exist within those schools, such as biology, computer science, business administration, automotive technology, electrician assistant, welding, education, HVAC, and more existing and in-the-works pathways.

“One of the things that we really want to leverage on our CTE department is bringing in those business partners so that we can start making connections with the kids and ensuring that the programs that we are offering are actually the programs that students will be able to find a job in the workforce,” Uribe said.

STC also focuses on having partnerships with industry leaders to take the pulse of different fields to determine where the future is for students.

A new program that STC will be offering this fall is cybersecurity, said Rebecca De Leon, dean of Dual Credit Programs and School District Partnerships. The same pattern will apply so that students can acquire certificates and college credits — stackable career opportunities.

The college works closely with school district officials to determine which courses are in-demand within the student body as well, so that they offer something the students will actually be interested in.

“Any program that is available for our traditional South Texas College students is also available for our dual credit students,” De Leon said. “That’s where the key part of the partnership with the school districts comes into play to determine student interest and the number of students seeking to go in those fields.”

Ongoing meetings to determine fields of interest are attended by district officials, college representatives and department heads, industry representatives, and those in organizations like Workforce Solutions, which has insight on workforce demand.

The new cybersecurity program went through this process.

In this case, the college is the one that will open the program as an academy where students from any district can sign up.

So far, seven districts have signed up for the first offering this upcoming school year.

“This is going to be the first time that we do this, and we are really excited because it’s exploring opportunities for students that have this interest and they know this is where they want to go,” De Leon said about it being the first class of its kind.

This is just one of the latest examples of the evolution of the careers being offered at the high school level. But school district and college officials said these careers are likely to continue growing and changing to ensure that students are actually investing their time in something that will pay off.

“We want to make sure that what we are doing is aligned with a job now and in the future,” Uribe said. “We don’t want dead-end roads for our kids.”

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In classrooms across the country today, there’s a push to not only teach curriculum, but to give students options for their future — whether that leads to college, a technical career, or maybe even both.

Career and Technical Education courses, known as CTE, are offered throughout the Rio Grande Valley as school districts engage in dual enrollment partnerships with South Texas College or the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

These dual enrollment courses are offered mostly to high school juniors and seniors and are free of charge. On the CTE side, most courses are now leading to both industry certificates for students to enter the workforce and college credit to continue their education.

STC has paved the way in dual enrollment partnerships with 24 current agreements with school districts.

“Every student is a CTE student and every CTE course is a college course,” said Linda Uribe, administrator for college readiness at Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District. “You will be able to turn around and engage in a high-wage job or you could continue your education at the college level.”

PSJA ISD’s main partner is STC, and the district’s programs have evolved over the years to create its first College and University Center, which is a campus solely dedicated to all the academies available to students from throughout the district.

The center is an addition to the CTE courses offered at the district’s independent high schools. This school year, it opened its doors to about 340 students specializing in one of the academies. Next year, that number is expected to double to about 700 students.

“With CTE, we also provide our students with industry certificates,” Uribe said. “Our goal is that when our kids walk away, they are able to compete in the workforce for highwage jobs.”

This year, the district graduated about 600 students from STC with a combination of career and technical degrees and certificates, Uribe said.

At STC, there were a total of 1,883 high school students graduating from dual-enrollment courses this spring. 1,451 received associate degrees and 432 earned certificates.

Last year, the total number of dual enrollment graduates was 1,601. The college expects this growth to continue as new programs are created.

At PSJA ISD’s new center, the courses are broken up in endorsements that the students must choose, including the School of STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics — the School of Business and Industry, the School of Public Service and Health Service, and the School of

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FROM RGV TO IVY LEAGUE

With attending Harvard as one of his primary goals, Rangel started rigorously applying for scholarships and working on the application process at the start of his senior year. By December 2018, he discovered he had been accepted into the university of his dreams. And in April, he learned he was a recipient of the Gates Scholarship, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“It was pretty exciting for me because it kind of took all the financial pressure away from going to college, because they guarantee to pay everything for five years. So that was pretty exciting,” Rangel said.

Although it was a bittersweet moment for Rangel’s family, since he would be moving far away from home, everyone was thrilled at the opportunities he would have at an Ivy League school.

Rangel aspires to continue the legacy of education and hard work in his family and attributes the inspiration of his success to his loved ones — especially his grandmother, who passed away a few years ago.

“Throughout my childhood, she made it a point to push me to educate myself more than my normal grade level would,” Rangel said.

In his Harvard entrance essay, Rangel mentioned that his grandmother moved to the United States from a small village in Mexico. Motivated toward success, she obtained a college degree with honors at 30 years old, and later became the director of the ESL Department for Texas Southmost College.

“She always told me, ‘it's never too late, you have to keep trying.’ And if she could do it, I could do it,” Rangel said. “She told me that no matter what I do, my goal should be to do better than she did because she moved her family from a village to a city. Since then, I’ve been honoring her.”

After college, Rangel hopes to pursue politics. “I would really like to correct a lot of things I think are are wrong right now in the government,” he said, attributing his organization, leadership, time management, and public speaking skills to his accomplishments in high school.

Rangel hopes to spark fervor in future graduating classes of the Valley, and encourages current students to seek their own opportunities to serve the community.

“Coming from the Valley, I don't believe that we have any disadvantages compared to other students. I think it's just about dreaming big and trying your best,” Rangel said.

He advises high school students to take advanced classes, join clubs, acquire leadership positions, and involve themselves in helping the community. “High school is only four years, but it impacts the rest of your life,” he said. “It doesn't matter what your passions are, but do something to change the community around you. There's nothing that you really cannot do, it’s just about putting in the work and doing what you have to do.”

Harvard-Bound Brownsville Student Attributes Success to Family’s Strong Work Ethic

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by So fia Ga rci a Al ema n | p h o to b y Oma r D í az

Victor Rangel is en route from Brownsville to Harvard University with a full paid scholarship awarded by the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. Rangel is a 2019 graduate from Harmony School of Innovation in Brownsville and is planning on pursuing a double major in biology and politics, hoping to one day bring to his community the change he wants to see in the world.

Rangel’s zeal for learning started in eighth grade after completing all of his high school math requirements online before he entered ninth grade. Wanting to keep the momentum in his self-led learning journey, he decided to always delve deeper into his interests, including creating opportunities for himself through leadership, volunteering, and scientific research at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley during his senior year.

“I’ve always had a deep passion for learning and exploring different things, and I’ve always had that curiosity to get involved in different things,” Rangel said.

Rangel was president of the student council at his high school and a leader in the National Honor Society. With a stellar volunteer record, his love for learning and paving the way for excellence extended far beyond the classroom. After volunteering over two years at his local hospital, he was awarded the Congressional Award Gold Medal for volunteer service, which he received in Washington, D.C., and the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

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“She always told me, ‘it’s never too late, you have to keep trying.’

And if she could do it, I could do it.”

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‘THE DOORS ARE OPEN’ what they’re accomplishing,” Lozano said. “Not just anybody can do it — you have to have the fight in you to finish your degree and find a place where you can work toward your goal in an environment that doesn’t always have the doors wide open for women.

“It’s very important to share these success stories with the community so they see what we’re able to offer the students when they come through our doors.”

Lozano went to Yale University to study architecture. “A Latina in the architecture community at Yale was rare,” she said. “I never really understood what it meant to be a woman in this career field until I was surrounded by mostly male classmates. It was then that I realized, ‘wow, there aren’t a lot of women.’ But to be honest, that never discouraged me.

In fact, it actually motivated me to stand out.”

Esmeralda Adame, assistant dean and Advanced Manufacturing Technology associate professor at STC, also remembers being among two or three women in engineering classes of 50 or 60 men. She did her dissertation on the lack of women in STEM fields, finding that the lower the economic status — or if neither parent was in a STEM-related job — neither female nor male students would pursue a STEM career path.

“I want to encourage more females into those programs because we need them,” Adame said. “Male designers may be important for some jobs, but female designers are needed as well to ensure there is diversity in the design field. Our body structure’s different.”

That gender disparity Lozano experienced at Yale followed her back to the Rio Grande Valley.

“It wasn’t really until I came back home and started to see that women aren’t actively encouraged to pursue careers such as any of these workforce programs that we have here at STC,” she said. “It’s surprising to me because when I think of the students that have been successful specifically in our architectural program, the ones that pop to mind are usually the female students.”

South Texas College’s She Persists Campaign Aims to Target Women in Nontraditional Career Fields

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by RGV isio n It was appropriate that Sara Lozano, program chair and assistant professor in the Architectural & Engineering Design Technology Program at South Texas College, was discussing the idea of persisting with her coworkers during March a couple of years back — Women’s History Month.

“That’s really what we feel these students do — they push forward despite whatever obstacles they have in their lives,” Lozano said. “They really do strive to succeed and that’s where this idea was born. We wanted to recognize female students for their persistence and encourage others to follow in their path.”

The idea was She Persists, a campaign facilitated in part by the Carl D. Perkins Basic Grant, which bolsters CTE and workforce programs. She Persists aims to highlight women in nontraditional career fields — particularly positions in architecture, manufacturing, information technology, and the automotive industry, among others.

“I’ve been teaching for like 16, 17 years and it hasn’t changed in terms of how male-dominated our classrooms are,” said Angelita Teniente, instructor and assistant program chair of the IT department at STC. “In terms of fighting that perception that it’s only males, I think in our particular case — and this was not intentional — we have a lot of female faculty in our IT program. I think when our female students see us up there and we’re discussing different concepts and showing them different things all IT related, I think that helps boost their motivation.”

That motivation is key for Lozano and her colleagues to identify as a catalyst for the She Persists campaign.

“The more we talk to the students about their potential, the more excited they get, and they feel a sense of pride for

Funding was provided through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board with Carl D. Perkins Basic funds.

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The achievements of those students and others are highlighted at the annual Women in Technology, one of STC’s biggest female-driven STEM initiatives. Next year marks the event’s 10th year.

“It’s fun, but more than that it’s an opportunity to meet students, to meet alumni, to meet the faculty,” Lozano said. “Everybody within the division is at this event.”

The event also represents a chance for students’ family, friends, and the RGV community as a whole to learn about what STC is offering.

“We just try to put it out there and make it known that females can join any career that they’re interested in,” Teniente said. “We try to celebrate whatever female students are graduating or are in the programs so that others can see, ‘hey, it’s something we can do and it’s not just for the guys.’”

Another program, Girls in Technology, is in its second year, and aims to raise awareness of STEM careers for younger female students — an important initiative, Adame found.

“If we get them in high school, college, that's really late,” she said. “I’m not saying it's zero chance they’ll change majors and pursue a STEM career, but it's late. We need to grab them as young as in elementary, junior high.”

When Adame attends career fairs, many young students aren’t aware of what’s available. This event looks to bring STEM jobs to the forefront in memorable ways, like the chance to weld and use the milling machine for advanced manufacturing.

“It’s not until you get the kids to experience handson stuff that they start to become interested in these careers,” Adame said. “That’s where they’re going to remember and that’s what will have the biggest impact on them.”

For more information about our Career and Technical Education Programs and everything South Texas College has to offer, call 1-855-GOTOSTC or visit bt.southtexascollege. edu. Funding was provided through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board with Carl D. Perkins Basic funds.

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‘TAKING YOU FURTHER, KEEPING YOU NEAR’

degree from a different school you otherwise wouldn’t have had an opportunity to,” De Leon said. “I’d highly recommend the university center to other individuals that are trying to work and be able to pursue a bachelor’s degree or a graduate degree at these different universities because it just offers a great experience.”

The University Center opened its doors in 2011 as a 38,000-square-foot facility on the Texas State Technical College campus in Harlingen. The center represents a collaborative effort among TSTC, the City of Harlingen, and the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation.

“The University Center has helped Harlingen develop a more educated workforce,” said Raudel Garza, manager and CEO of Harlingen EDC. “We have hundreds of people who have earned their bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees who would have either not gone back to school or would have moved to continue their education.”

Sometimes, traveling outside of the region to attend school can be prohibitive for Rio Grande Valley students.

That’s where the University Center — and its motto, “Taking you further, keeping you near” — comes in.

“It affords you the opportunity to attend four different universities without having to travel,” De Leon said. “You can take online courses and they even have instructors here at the facility that are willing to give classes and offer tutorial services and things of that nature for students attending the different universities.”

University Center Provides Education Boost in Harlingen

by R GVisio n | pho to by E r i k Web s ter

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Aaron De Leon, director of vocational services at the Rio Grande State Supported Living Center, earned his bachelor of applied science from Wayland Baptist University in 2017. Then he turned around and started working toward his graduate degree with Wayland, too — all without ever leaving Harlingen.

“The University Center brings all these campuses to you and it gives you the opportunity to be able to pursue a

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Ra u d e l G a r z a ,

man ager an d CE O of Harlin gen E DC

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“The University Center has helped Harlingen develop a more educated workforce.

We have hundreds of people who have earned their bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees who would have either not gone back to school or would have moved to continue their education.”

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“I just encourage everyone and anyone who wants to attend — especially our current students here at TSTC — once they’re done with their two-year degrees, if they want to transition and get a four-year college degree, this is the best place to do it,” Gonzalez said. “It’s right here locally and it’s convenient.”

Harlingen residents can use the University Center as a launch pad for their education, and the facility has spurred additional educational growth in the city.

“TSTC produces many associate-level degrees, but doesn't have baccalaureate programs or even more advanced degrees,” Garza said. “The UC has helped launch other educational facilities in the Harlingen area, including Our Lady of the Lake's campus only 10 minutes from downtown. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has also partnered with Harlingen's school district to work on a new Early College High School and more bachelor's programs at that new campus or at the existing School of Medicine.”

All those educational opportunities translate into economic advantages for Harlingen.

“The UC has helped retain employees and has helped others get better-paying job opportunities in Harlingen,” Garza said. “It has also helped us recruit more companies.”

To read more about the currently active programs at the University Center, visit tstc.edu/theuniversitycenter. For more information on the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, go to harlingenedc.com.

Currently, the University Center offers programs in partnership with Texas A&M University Kingsville, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and Wayland Baptist University.

“The majority of our students actually are working students,” said Yvette Garza-Garcia, director of the University Center. “They have families, they have lives outside of the classroom, so for a lot of them, they need the opportunity to continue their education after 5 o’clock — or after the workday is ended.”

The center was designed to accommodate nontraditional college students — anyone who falls outside the demographic of 18-year-olds who have just graduated high school.

“Most of the time you’ll see moms, dads, busy working professionals who just need the opportunity to continue their education,” Garza-Garcia said. “There are no obstacles that can’t be overcome.”

Julie Gonzalez, human resources business partner with Texas State Technical College, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree of applied science at the University Center.

“The experience has been incredible,” she said. “It’s been a seamless process. It’s exciting that here on our TSTC campus, we do have the University Center so we’re able to partake in the universities that we have partnerships with.”

Gonzalez is working toward her degree via Wayland Baptist University. She attends some of her classes at the University Center, and says she appreciates the chance to come in and chat with her adviser in person.

E D U C A T I O N

MOMENTS & MOMENTUM

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Sylvan Learning Continues to Grow in Rio Grande Valley Sylvan Learning is celebrating its 40-year anniversary this year. Over the 17 years that Sylvan has spent in the Rio Grande Valley, it has served hundreds of thousands of students and their families. From programs to prep students for the STAAR test to partnerships that provide ongoing training to teachers, Sylvan represents much more than only after-school tutoring. With locations in McAllen, Brownsville, and Harlingen — and satellites in Mission and Rio Grande City — Sylvan aims to be a resource for students, their parents, and the RGV community.

Fred Sandoval, franchisee and owner; Brenda Garza, social media marketing and program specialist; Brenda Sanchez, director of program quality; Jennifer Martinez, assistant executive director to retail; and Yuko Garcia, contract services director, spoke with RGVision about Sylvan’s mission in the Valley — and being the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce’s featured Member of the Month.

Sandoval first crossed paths with Sylvan when he was a board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Pharr.

He knew the then-franchisees, who approached him to tell him he would be a good fit as they prepared to retire.

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Sandoval already valued education, which aligned with Sylvan’s mission, too.

“They’ve got some very well put together, very highly researched programs that are very specific to each child,” he said of Sylvan’s approach to students. "Our programs are very specific to the student. You bring your child in, we evaluate them and then we tell you exactly where they sit relative to other children in that age group and then we put together a customized program to fit that need and to get them to where they need to be.”

This kind of attention to detail differs from other local and national tutoring organizations.

“Our programs are delivered through an iPad, so it’s not like some of these other places where you just get a bunch of homework and a bunch of worksheets,” Sandoval said.

Sylvan strives to be active in the RGV community, raising funds to help families with limited means to take advantage of Sylvan’s services.

“In terms of scholarships, we often do in-kind contributions,” Garcia said. “We are also working with the community organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs and also schools. They do have a limited budget, so our

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we’re here to help. I think a lot of parents don’t realize sometimes that there are other resources out there. When a child is having difficulty learning or is having difficulty in school for whatever reason, I think sometimes parents get a little frustrated.

We’re here to help.”

That help is available for students of all ages and their families.

“We have kids as young as PreK all the way to high school students getting ready for the SAT, ACT,” Martinez said. “Then we also have a lot of students who are adults already and they want to do the LSAT, they want to do the MCAT, they want to prepare for these tests, and we’re here to help them reach their goals and their dreams that they have.

“It’s really awesome when they come back and they tell you, ‘I got accepted to my dream college — thanks for the help.’”

Learn more about Sylvan Learning by calling (956) 367-1623 or visiting locations. sylvanlearning.com/us/mcallen-tx.

Learn more about the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce by calling (956) 585-2727 or visiting missionchamber.com.

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purpose is to be there for students to make sure they succeed.”

Sylvan’s programs go beyond remedial sessions. The organization’s partnerships with local school districts lead to teacher training and professional development as well as districtwide supplements.

“Ms. Yuko’s done an amazing job with her team, which is going to a school and asking for their needs,” Garza said. "Once we know what needs they have, they actually sit down and create an entire curriculum specifically for that need that they’re lacking in their school.”

Sandoval cites Sylvan’s growth as the accomplishment he’s proudest of so far — both throughout the region and specific services. And just as the Mission Chamber’s community focus, Sylvan is driven by the mission to provide superior service to its customers.

“We put a great deal of our effort and value into providing the best customer service we can for not only the child but also the parents,” Sandoval said. “If there was just one message we could get out there, is that

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CAREER

PATHS Service Industry Tops In-Demand Jobs in RGV, but Other Fields Also Seeing Growth

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by B erenice Ga r cia

The national economy is currently in an upswing, which typically leads to less difficulty for job-seekers to find employment.

But as employees are faced with more job options, some industries in the Rio Grande Valley are struggling to find workers to fill those positions because of turnover while others industries are simply growing at a high rate.

In the RGV, the top job in terms of number of positions available is personal care aide, according to lists compiled by Texas Workforce Solutions using data from EMSI — Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. — a labor market analytics firm.

It has the most openings at about 8,102 annually.

There are currently approximately more than 39,000 personal care aide jobs, which is expected to grow to 54,346 jobs by 2028.

The second-ranked job are those in the fast-food industry with about 3,387 annual openings. Currently, there are about 15,157 filled jobs with that number expected to reach 18,430 by 2028.

Up next are home health aides, with 3,137 annual openings. Currently, there are 17,265 positions filled, but by 2028, that is expected to reach 25,132.

Rounding out the top five positions are retail salespersons and cashiers, with 2,616 and 2,186 available positions, respectively.

While the number of retail salespersons is expected to grow from 17,462 to 18,104 by 2028, the number of

cashiers is projected to decrease from 11,737 to 11,561.

But those jobs likely have a large number of openings because the relatively low pay.

“As you can imagine, in a job like a home health aide — paying less than $9 an hour — there’s a lot of turnover,” said Mike Willis, senior business relations representative for Workforce Solutions. “So for a lot of jobs you’ll see a lot more annual openings that don’t jibe with the number of jobs that are being added and that’s an indication of a lot of turnover and churn in a job.”

When recommending career paths to pending college graduates, TWC looks at jobs with good growth and pay.

From those, they compile an annual list, which currently consists of 37 recommended jobs.

Among them are a slew of jobs in management, such as financial managers; education administrators; medical and health services managers; property, real estate, and community association managers; and general and operations managers.

Suggested jobs in business include compliance officers, management analysts, market research analysts and marketing specialists, and personal financial advisers.

Jobs in psychology, such as clinical, counseling, and school psychologists; and educational, guidance, school, and vocational counselors also make the list.

Also included are social workers, post-secondary teachers, kindergarten teachers, special education

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said. “And the pay for those jobs is pretty low.”

Still, he said the answer to which careers people should pursue is not that simple.

“You have to look at not just how many jobs there are, but how many people are chasing those jobs,” Willis said.

The number of engineering students enrolled at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, for example, far exceeds the number of new engineering jobs in the Rio Grande Valley.

On the flipside of that, there is a high demand for other, well-paying jobs in the medical industry that is not being met here.

“There’s a shortage of doctors and yet there’s a waiting list for all the medical schools,” Wilis said. “Even in nursing and a lot of professional medical (jobs).”

He noted the industry was a popular one with some of the most jobs, welldefined career pathways, and certifications and licensing.

“But there’s just a limit as to how many people can be put through the schools and get their clinical opportunities in the workplace and all that in order to graduate,” he said. “But there are a lot of pretty challenging jobs that people don’t go into.”

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teachers, librarians, lawyers, pharmacists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, insurance sales agents, and real estate sales agents.

Other jobs include computer systems analysts, computer programmers, software developers, and network and computer systems administrators.

Of the 37 careers, just a few also rank high in the list of annual openings. Those positions include general and operations managers, which has about 400 annual openings and a median hourly income of $40.13, and certified nursing assistants, which has 707 openings with a median hourly wage of $10.74.

A job as a sales representative — wholesale and manufacturing — for technical and scientific products was also included among the 37 potential career paths for college grads and has 318 annual openings. It also has a high median hourly salary of $21.49.

When it came down to which career paths he recommended for students, Willis pointed to professions in science, technology, engineering, and math.

“A lot of the liberal arts-type degrees, there are not a lot of jobs out there for them,” he

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With data breaches on the news more often than anyone would expect, Lone Star Shredding and Document Storage is striving to keep information secure in South Texas through decades of experience, accredited practices and proven techniques.

“We shred and recycle approximately 12 to 15 tons of documents every day,” said Maritza Esqueda of Lone Star Shredding and Document Storage. “We’re not just a shredding company, we are a full-service records management company.” Lone Star Shredding and Document Storage acquired Esqueda’s business 14 years ago. Today, she serves as COO and managing shareholder. The company serves more than 3,000 clients — and stores over 300,000 boxes of documents — among its three locations in Mercedes, Rio Grande City, and Corpus Christi.

Gone are the days of tediously feeding stacks of paper through an in-office shredder prone to jams and frustration. Lone Star Shredding and Document Storage clients deposit their documents into secure collection containers to await destruction by one of Lone Star’s innovative shredding trucks. “The document shredding industry is highly regulated,” Esqueda said. “It’s become more and

can be fined up to $250,000 for data breaches and individual civil penalties per case,” Esqueda said. “So imagine that you lose one box with 50 people’s information in it. Fines like that can bankrupt a business and do all the time.”

So how do people keep the records that they need to securely maintain and potentially access? Lone Star’s Records Management programs can securely organize and store your documents — even retrieving and delivering them to you when and if necessary. Esqueda’s staff are experts on retention and privacy laws to ensure your business stays organized and compliant.

From a periodic projects to routine needs, each business that works with Esqueda will have a tailored solution to their records management challenges.

“Document storage is great. It’s a fantastic organizational tool because we can have every single filefolder or box in our database, so if you need to request an individual file, you can simply go online to our online portal, or you can fax, call, email and just say, ‘hey, I need this particular file or box ,’” Esqueda said. “We’re able to access it by name or file number depending on how you have

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chosen to organize your records.”

It’s simple and hassle free, and in 24 hours, you’ll receive the digital image or the physical file itself, depending on your preference.

“People tend to think that document storage is more of a luxury service, but really, it’s not,” Esqueda said. For around the same cost of a storage unit — or less — clients can rest assured that their records will be protected.

Lone Star Shredding and Document Storage’s warehouse is climate controlled and under the surveillance of security cameras.

All employees are also subject to background checks, making the entire records management experience extremely secure.

All of the team’s efforts are focused on the end goal of helping companies manage all of their data efficiently, securely, and comprehensively.

“Some businesses grow quickly while others just never made records management a priority” Esqueda said. “Before you know it, you’ve got hundreds of boxes with information that you don’t even know what’s in it. We are here to help” Learn more about Lone Star Shredding and Document Service by visiting lonestarshredding.com or calling (800) 747-3318.

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more regulated due to data privacy laws. Basically, everyone, including small businesses are obligated to protect client and employee information.”

At the crux of the issue is personal identifiable information.

When a business has a document containing more than two pieces of that information — such as date of birth, the last four numbers of a credit card, an address, and other data — that document becomes personal identifiable information. By law, since it can reveal the identity of the person whose data it is, the document must be shredded. Failure to do so brings fines and penalties.

“Small businesses, a doctor’s offices, health-care providers, lawyers, accountants,” Esqueda said. “Pretty much everybody takes in personal identifiable information.”

Think receipts, job applications, sign-in sheets, and other everyday forms that businesses have on file. It’s not enough to toss them in the trash or recycling bin. They are required to be disposed of in a secure manner.

“Something as simple as an application that contains the applicant’s name and date of birth, if you throw that in the trash, just discard it and don’t destroy it it, then you can become susceptible to legal action by the attorney general — businesses

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Maritza Esqueda and Lone Star Shredding and Document Storage are experts on retention and privacy laws to ensure your business stays organized and in compliance.

B U S I N E S S ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Daniel Ramirez Director of Public Relations and Marketing South Texas College

to be ready for them because if we're not, our competitors certainly are.

HOW TO WIN MICRO-MOMENTS To earn the trust and consideration of your customers, brands need to do three things: be there, be useful, and be quick.

BRANDS HAVE TO BE THERE Being there means more than just having an online presence. Being there means understanding your current and prospective customers and their needs. You can begin by defining who your customers are, how they are searching for you and your competitors, and what is their journey to decision/purchase. This information will ultimately help you identify customer micro-moments for your brand so you are front and center when customers are searching.

WINDOWS OF WANT

BRANDS HAVE TO BE USEFUL Once discovered, brands have to act as a valuable resource for their customers. How do you do this? Start by looking at your website content. The information you're providing should be relevant to customers' needs at the moment. Provide customers with helpful and valuable information in snackable chunks that ultimately guide them in their consumer journey. This could be a how-to video explaining your product or service or providing local inventory information so they can see what's in stock nearby.

How Micro-Moments Can Help Your Marketing

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I recently had the opportunity to attend training at the Googleplex in the heart of Silicon Valley. This modern-day Willy Wonka factory was just as amazing as I dreamed it would be and was overflowing with great content about all things digital marketing. One session in particular focused on "micro-moments" and how brands should be leveraging in their on-going marketing efforts.

BRANDS HAVE TO BE QUICK If your website doesn't allow customers to accomplish their goals quickly, then they'll move on to another brand that will. This is why it's vital to optimize a website for mobile.

You'll also want to take a look at your purchase process and ensure it is simple and seamless. Today's customers also expect brands to quickly respond to inquiries, so you'll want to make sure you have a communication plan in place for when customers reach out to you.

The days of the linear consumer journey are long gone, and the brands that are there during customers' micromoments will ultimately come out ahead. While the ideal may seem daunting, you'll find these small changes can yield greater rewards.

Daniel Ramirez is director of public relations and marketing at South Texas College in McAllen. He has more than 17 years experience in various aspects of college marketing, including integrated marketing, advertising, branding, digital strategy, publications, media relations, social media, and strategic communication.

SO WHAT EXACTLY ARE MICRO-MOMENTS? Think about a time where you've reflectively turned to your device, more than likely a smartphone or tablet, to find something you needed or wanted right away. Perhaps you had a long day at work and rather than cook dinner, as you originally planned, you instead would rather pick up food from a restaurant on the way home. Maybe your favorite pair of running shoes have seen better days, and you realize it's time to buy a new pair. Perhaps you've had enough of the sweltering Texas heat and decide you want to travel somewhere cooler. These "I Want" moments (I want to eat, I want to buy, I want to go) are windows when consumers are open to influence by your brand. As marketers, we have

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Simplifying Employee Benefits and Helping Businesses Thrive.

Give us a call at (956) 971-0326 WE’RE LOCATED AT 5801 N. 10th St. Ste 400 McAllen, TX

VISIT US ONLINE AT www.davenportins.com

B U S I N E S S ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Bill Martin, CFP® Vice President, Investments 1845 Capital of Raymond James, 1400 N. McColl Road, Suite 101 | McAllen 956-331-2777

FOUR GENERATIONS. ONE WORKSPACE. A SNAPSHOT OF THE PAST. A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE.

As people are living longer and working later in life, four generations are sharing a workspace for the first time in history. With experiences and viewpoints that span seven decades, 15,500 employees that range from the Silent Generation to Generation Y were asked what, to them, is most important at work. Not surprisingly, the four disparate generations rarely agreed, but their answers did offer some insight into the ideal office of the future.

SIX METRICS THAT MATTER NOW Representing three United States-based multinational companies in 40 countries, respondents weighed in on the importance of these workplace features.

Meeting spaces

Engaging workspace

Safety and security

Acoustic privacy

Physical comfort

Casual interaction

Boomers (1946 – 1964)

Gen X (1965 – 1978)

Silent (1929 – 1945)

CHOICE

EXPERIENCE

INTEGRATED WORK

DISPERSED SPACES

The office will provide features,

The workplace will shift from

Spaces will support working in

Easily accessible, multi-use spaces

technology, and policies that

supporting function to creating an

individual and group settings. The

will be sprinkled throughout.

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WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

enhance the freedom to decide

environment that embraces the

future office will have an active

Imagine an open landscape with

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Gen Y (1979 – 1997)

how, where, and when employees

social and emotional components

feel, with a constant flow of people

some offices, as well as formal and

work. Training will center on using

of work.

in and out of the space.

informal meeting areas.

space and technology wisely.

Source: Knoll Workplace Research, “Generational Preferences: A Glimpse into the Future Office” As featured in WORTHWHILE, a quarterly periodical dedicated to serving the clients of Raymond James advisors and affiliated advisory firms. © 2018 Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC © 2018 Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC Investment products are: not deposits, not FDIC/NCUA insured, not insured by any government agency, not bank guaranteed, subject to risk and may lose value. 17-WorthWhile-0016 BS 5/18 36

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A SERVICE AND A RESOURCE CEED Building Benefits from Expertise of the Law Offices of Abiel Flores b y RGVi s i o n | p h ot os b y O m a r D í a z

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The Law Offices of Abiel Flores, PLLC, might represent one of the most unique business tenants in the Center for Education and Economic Development — or CEED building — in Mission. The firm occupies a private office inside the coworking facility, though Abiel Flores and his team frequent the CEED’s conference rooms when meeting with multiple clients throughout the workday.

“I’m enjoying it,” Flores said of his firm’s time at the CEED. “It’s quiet. I got conference room access, I have my office.”

The CEED building comprises more than 10 different business tenants that offer a wide variety of focuses and services — plus a number of freelancers and remote

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“I’m enjoying it here and I hope I stay here for a long time. I hope CEED gets more small businesses in here.”

Ab i el Fl o re s , attorn ey

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SUNDAY AUGUST 4 + RGV Wedding Fair 2019

WED-SUN AUGUST 7-11 + Texas Festivals and Event Association

SATURDAY AUGUST 17 + Fitness EXPO

SAT-SUN AUGUST 17-18 + Saxet Gun Show

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 7 + Redimi2 En Concierto

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 8 + AR Sociales Wedding & Quinceanera Expo

+ Fiesta De Palmas

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700 Convention Center B McAllen, Texas 78501 Phone: (956) 681-3800 Fax: (956) 681-3840

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SAT-SUN SEPTEMBER 21-22

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available, and I jumped on it.”

Being located in the CEED building was beneficial for both Flores and the Mission EDC. “I was looking for a space, he was looking for somebody to have available for small businesses to guide them, so I think that’s why it worked out,” Flores said.

He welcomes future interactions with others at the CEED. “I’ve had little discussions with some of the tenants and have been able to help a little bit, but I am available for the tenants for those types of things,” he said.

From his own experience at the CEED, Flores recommends the space to others who might be looking for unique opportunities beyond a traditional storefront.

“Networking with these businesses would be helpful for another type of business,” he said. “The different resources they have here would be good for any small business to start off here.

“I’m enjoying it here and I hope I stay here for a long time. I hope CEED gets more small businesses in here.”

Read more about The Law Offices of Abiel Flores, PLLC, by visiting mcallentxlawyer.com or by calling (956) 255-6626. Learn more about the CEED buiding by visiting missionceed.org or calling (956) 379-6016.

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workers. From 5x5 Brewing Company and its brewery and taproom to Sylvan Learning’s remedial services and academic summer camps, the range of entrepreneurs contributes to a rich tapestry of collaboration in one space.

One of the many advantages of operating a business inside a coworking atmosphere like the one at the CEED building is that tenants have access to shared resources like the conference rooms for meetings, the auditorium for events and speaking engagements, and diverse options for open seating. This goes along with benefits like printing services and high-speed WiFi. “I like to have my green tea, so Jitterz is here — that’s a nice perk,” Flores said.

“Having these conference rooms available, meeting with clients, and then having access to the technology they have here for me, I think that’s the biggest perk.”

Flores has practiced general law for 14 years, and enjoyed a stint as the city attorney for the City of Mission for three-and-a-half years.

“I learned a lot with the city, but it was time to move on and open my practice again,” he said. That’s when he got in contact with Mission EDC CEO Daniel Silva about the possibility of relocating his firm to the CEED building.

“I came to see it and I was impressed, obviously, with how awesome it is,” Flores said. The CEED building encompasses 55,000 square feet of refurbished, modern working spaces, including city of Missionand E-STEAM-themed murals. “So we talked a little bit and he said that he had a space

B U S I N E S S ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Leonardo F. Chang Financial Advisor Edward Jones 4500 N. 10th St., Suite 40 | McAllen 956-630-0241

FINANCIAL FOCUS

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Vacation and Retirement: Different Goals Require Different Investment Strategies To achieve any of your financial objectives, you need to save and invest — that much is clear. But just how you save and invest may differ from goal to goal. Let’s look at two common goals to see the differences in your savings and investment strategies.

The first goal we’ll consider is a dream vacation — one lasting a couple of weeks or more, possibly to an exotic locale. So, for the investments you’ve designated to fund this vacation, you need two key attributes: liquidity and low risk. The liquidity requirement is pretty self-explanatory — you want to be able to get to your vacation funds exactly when you need them, and you don’t want to be slapped with some type of early withdrawal or tax penalty.

The low-risk part of your vacation strategy means you want investments that won’t drop in value just when you need to sell them to use the proceeds for your trip. However, you need to be aware that those types of stable-value investment vehicles likely will not offer much growth potential. As you may know, the investments with the greatest possible rewards are also those that carry the highest degrees of risk.

Yet, by starting to invest early enough in more conservative investments, and putting away money regularly, you may be able to compensate for the lack of growth opportunities.

Now, let’s turn to your other goal — retirement. When you are saving for retirement, your primary objective is pretty simple: to accumulate as much money as you can.

Consequently, you will need a reasonable percentage of your portfolio devoted to growth-oriented investments. But what’s a reasonable percentage? There’s no one-size-fits-

all solution — the amount of growth investments in your portfolio should be based on several factors, including your age, risk tolerance, and projected retirement lifestyle.

Furthermore, this percentage may need to change over time. When you’re just starting out in your career, you may be able to afford to take on the greater risk that comes with having a higher percentage of your portfolio in growth investments. But as you get closer to retirement, you might want to begin shifting some dollars toward more conservative vehicles — you don’t want to be over-exposed to the volatility of the financial markets just when you need to start selling investments to help fund your retirement.

Nonetheless, you won’t want to give up all growth investments, even during your retirement years. You could spend two or three decades as a retiree, and over that time, inflation could take a big toll on your purchasing power. To counter this effect, you will need to own some investments that have the potential to at least equal, and ideally outpace, the cost of living.

The examples of taking that extensive vacation and enjoying a long retirement illustrate the importance of recognizing that you will have many goals in life — and you’ll need to prioritize and plan for them, sometimes following significantly different investment strategies. When you do, you’ll give yourself a better chance of reaching your destinations.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

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Tijerina Legal Group, PC tlegalgroup.com 956-777-777

• UM: uninsured motorists • UIM: underinsured motorists • PIP: personal injury protection

LEGAL CORNER

AM I COVERED?

Individuals will need to confirm with their insurance adjuster that they have these coverages.

“If you can afford it, it’s the best deal that you can get when you’re buying insurance for you and your family because that’s what’s going to take care of you when somebody else here is driving around without the proper coverages,” Tijerina said.

After a car crash, it’s essential to get in contact with your insurance company as soon as possible. But when insurance companies make you jump through hoops to get compensation — or refuse to compensate you at all — that’s another issue.

“What’s typical is for you to call the insurance company and they’re going to roll out the red carpet initially — they should,” Tijerina said. “And if they don’t, you know you’re already in trouble. You’re already dealing with somebody where you’re just going to get the runaround.”

Many times, insurance companies will encourage people to seek medical treatment and get their vehicles repaired, then submit the receipts to be reimbursed. But many people don’t have the money it takes to cover hospital bills or expensive mechanics. Even if they do, insurance companies might refuse to reimburse them on the grounds that they consider the medical tests or services to be unnecessary. Many of those same companies that people pay every month to keep them protected are more interested in holding on to that money — or finding fault with the driver to chip away at the amount they’ll pay out.

“If somebody’s having trouble getting the insurance to respond, that’s even more of a reason why somebody needs to go to an attorney right away,” Tijerina said.

Learn more about the services Tijerina Legal Group provides by visiting tlegalgroup.com or by liking or following Humberto Tijerina on Facebook, @ TijerinaLegalGroupPC and Instagram, @ TijerinaLegalGroup.

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Tijerina Legal Group Offers Advice on Insurance Coverages, Situations A client contacted attorney Humberto Tijerina after another driver totaled his car and put his wife in the hospital for three days. As the medical bills mounted, the police report and claim revealed that the other driver had no insurance coverage — and no assets to help cover the consequences of the crash.

Tijerina had worked with this client before, advising him to add coverages to his existing insurance policy after a previous accident. But the client hadn’t gotten around to it, and those protections would’ve helped tremendously this time around.

“These are basic things that all of us should be paying attention to because somebody out there could completely wreck a life if we’re not ready for it,” Tijerina said. “And that’s the whole goal: for us to be ready, for us to be prepared in case anything happens.”

By law, all Texas drivers must have at least liability coverage. However, this basic coverage might not cover all the costs if a car is totaled, someone is seriously injured, or multiple vehicles are involved. And even though the coverage is mandatory, some drivers still choose to get behind the wheel without it.

“You don’t get to pick who you end up crashing against or who ends up crashing into you,” Tijerina said.

Many times, clients come to Tijerina Legal Group after a car crash confident that they have the proper insurance coverage. However, when they start processing their claim, they discover that while repairs to their car might be covered, medical care for their passengers, lost wages, or other expenses are not. And when it comes to going up against underinsured or uninsured drivers who caused the crash, the clients’ own insurance will cover damages to a certain extent. However, clients will have to pay the deductible — sometimes, up to $2,000 for damages that aren’t their fault.

Tijerina recommends making sure you have the following coverages for such situations:

COMING UP In the next issue of RGVision, Humberto Tijerina will describe the critical steps to take — and avoid — after an accident.

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B U S I N E S S ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Sergio Contreras President/CEO RGV Partnership

CRUCIAL COMMERCE Cross-Border Trade Impacts Both Rio Grande Valley and U.S. Economic Health

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The U.S. trading relationship with Mexico is essential to the Rio Grande Valley and the country’s economic health, which is put at great peril if new tariffs are imposed on Mexican imports and if the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is not ratified.

A new analysis by the U.S. International Trade Commission makes a persuasive case for the USMCA’s speedy adoption, which will lead to job growth and greater prosperity.

According to the ITC report, the USMCA is poised to raise U.S. real GDP by $68.2 billion, or .35 percent, and it will result in an estimated 176,000 new U.S. jobs.

The new USMCA makes major and important upgrades over NAFTA, from e-commerce, to intellectual property protections, to enhanced agricultural access. The USMCA positions the U.S. economy for further growth.

Members of Congress from both parties have the opportunity to implement policies in the USMA that will impact trade and commerce in the Rio Grande Valley.

Mexico: The United States’ Largest Trade Partner U.S. goods and services trade with Mexico totaled an estimated $671 billion in 2018.

• U.S. exports to Mexico in 2018: $299.1 billion • Mexican imports to the U.S.: $371.9 billion

U.S. Census data released in April 2019 reflects that Mexico’s trade with the United States rose to $97.4 billion for the first two months of the year, making Mexico the U.S.’s top trading partner.

Tariffs: Taxes on U.S. Consumers, Manufacturers — and a Drag on the U.S. Economy Tariffs are borne by the importer and passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices. A 5 percent tariff on imported goods from Mexico, which last year totaled $346.5 billion, would result in a potential tax increase of $17 billion on American businesses and consumers. That

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number would eclipse $86 billion should the tariffs reach the president’s threatened cap of 25 percent.

Goods imported from Mexico are varied, affecting all aspects of the U.S. economy.

Leading U.S. merchandise imports from Mexico in 2018 included:

• Motor vehicles: $64.5 billion or 19 percent of imports from Mexico; • Motor vehicle parts: $49.8 billion or 14 percent of imports; • Computer equipment: $26.6 billion or 8 percent of imports; • Oil and gas: $14.5 billion or 4 percent of imports; and • Electrical equipment: $11.9 billion or 3 percent of imports.

The U.S. is also Mexico’s top agricultural trade partner, a major source of imported fresh fruits and vegetables.

Border states are especially susceptible to economic disruption from tariffs.

40 percent of Arizona imports

• In total, Arizona imported $9 billion worth of

goods from Mexico in 2018. A 5 percent tariff would threaten $452.1 million of state imports while a 25 percent tariff would threaten $2.26 billion.

38 percent of Michigan imports

• In total, Michigan imported $56 billion worth of goods from Mexico in 2018. A 5 percent tariff would threaten $2.8 billion of state imports while a 25 percent tariff would threaten $14 billion.

The U.S. and Mexican economies are inextricably linked. The U.S. is the destination for nearly 80 percent of Mexican exports. The inputs help keep costs down for U.S. manufacturers and drive greater price competition on store shelves.

It’s a trade relationship that has delivered decades of bilateral stability, allowing both countries to prosper.

The USMCA represents a needed modernization of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trading relationship for the 21st century. Our energy should be directed toward ensuring its implementation, not on driving up costs and hurting U.S. consumers and manufacturers.

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would threaten $26.75 billion of state imports.

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• In total, Texas imported $107 billion worth of goods from Mexico in 2018. A 5 percent tariff would threaten $5.35 billion of state imports while a 25 percent tariff

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35 percent of Texas imports

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ASK RGVISION

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CRUNCHING THE CRITICISM Analyzing Data and Growing from Failure Is Essential to Digital Marketing Success

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of previous strategies.

“Accountability is really important,” Puente said. “We want to make sure what we’re doing is truly working.

At the end of the quarter, we like to measure it and communicate with the client in coming up with some new ideas.”

But what happens when you don’t see the engagement — or growth — that you’re expecting?

Don’t shy away from criticism — whether it’s from the numbers or from a client who is dissatisfied with the campaign.

“I think you have to love criticism in order to be successful in this area,” Puente said. “Nobody ever wants to hear that you’re doing a horrible job, but it’s the only way we can work. It’s the only way we can know how we can improve. If we have this echo chamber of just a bunch of cheerleaders within our organization, then we’re doing something wrong.”

Leaning in to criticism might not feel good at first, but it’s essential in addressing the issue — and growing stronger and more versatile because of it.

“That’s something that’s really hard for a young organization in the digital media world, because then they take it as rejection, or that they could be fired, or they could not be doing a job,” Puente said. “Ultimately, that’s the only way we will know whether or not we’re moving in the right direction is to truly hear from the clients. That goes for any organization.”

Businesses need both positive and negative feedback from their clients — from banks’ customers to hospitals’ patients to politicians’ constituents.

“They’re going to give us the brutal facts, the honest truth to help us shape the organization, which in turn will help us progress,” Puente said. #JoinTheConversation at rgvisionmedia.com.

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In digital marketing, failures can be just as important as successes. But how can you know whether a digital strategy is successful?

“If you know something that’s getting a lot of traction, people are truly engaging, and it’s happening organically, that’s a big success — and it’s happening in real time,” said RGVision Media CEO Gabriel Puente.

Engaging — liking, commenting, clicking, and sharing a post — shows that people are paying attention to your organization.

“We want to give our clients we serve on a social media platform a reason for their clients to follow them,” Puente said. This can include informative posts that act as resources to followers — what to do if you’re injured while at work, for example, or tips on educational summer activities for children. People recognize the value in liking a page and seeing its content on a regular basis if that content helps them in some way.

A common — if perhaps misplaced — measurement of social media marketing success is the number of likes or followers that an account has.

“If you have 20,000, man, that’s a lot, but how many are actually engaged? Who actually cares?” Puente asked. “So that’s a question that needs to be answered and getting down to the truth of it is really interesting.

It’s something I like to do as a marketing professional — understanding what the truth is behind the numbers.”

The hard truth? Likes and followers don’t necessarily denote a successful social media page.

“Keeping it fresh is really difficult,” Puente said. “One of the things we’ve done as a marketing firm to help keep it fresh is to continue to have conversations with our clients on a quarterly basis.”

This includes proposing and discussing strategies for each month of the quarter — and measuring the success

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b y R GV i s i on

H E A L T H

COMMUNITY CARE Valley Baptist Medical Center Offers Seamless Trauma Center Service

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b y Amy Ca s e b i e r | p h ot o b y O m a r Dí a z The ambulance bay doors at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen opened. A team wheeled in a gurney, EMS performing chest compressions on the way to the trauma bay. The man had been ejected from his convertible in a rollover wreck — a Level I Trauma case.

The trauma team and trauma surgeon met the gurney, ready to move through a series of lifesaving steps and maneuvers as efficiently as possible. In trauma, there is a “golden hour” — 60 critical minutes where quick, comprehensive care is key to survival. During this time, multidisciplinary teams at the hospital mobilize, operating seamlessly to deliver the necessary treatment that doesn’t end at the trauma bay door.

Before the patient arrived, though, everyone in the trauma center knew what was coming, briefed by EMS en route and alerted by an overhead announcement. Everyone

had their roles — all in all, about 15 highly trained medical professionals poised to respond to anything.

“That comes from practice, practice, practice,” said Dr. Hillary Chollet, Valley Baptist’s trauma medical director. “We have an army of specialists along with our administrative team, which is very important for us to be a successful trauma center.”

Some days, there are no Level I Trauma cases. Others days, there are as many as 10. But the team is always ready — a point of pride for the people who make such a level of care possible at Valley Baptist.

“All the work starts before the patient gets here,” said Archie Drake, Valley Baptist COO. “Additionally, we go back and look retrospectively to see that we met all of the standards. There are always opportunities to improve and we learn from every experience that we have so we can be

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the best for this community.”

The trauma center at Valley Baptist, which has a Level II Trauma designation, serves as the cornerstone of the hospital’s efforts in the community, Drake added. From offering every level of care from admission to outpatient rehabilitation, Valley Baptist also provides trauma prevention resources to Cameron County.

“If I had my way, we’d have no trauma victims,” Drake said.

Chollet agreed.

“Our goal is to put ourselves out of a job so that we’ve prevented car accidents, we’ve made people wear seatbelts, we’ve made people not drink and drive, we’ve made people use little carseats for their babies,” he said. “Our goal is zero percent preventable deaths.”

This sense of community is present in the work every team member performs at Valley Baptist.

“This is the place that treats my family, this is the place that treats my friends, and this is the community we love to serve,” said Jennifer Bartnesky-Smith, chief strategy officer for Valley Baptist. “Our trauma program has truly been a passion area for us. This has been a multiyear journey for us to get to this point. We did that because we knew this was an area that the community needed.”

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Valley Baptist’s trauma center is fully equipped to handle nearly every situation — an important advantage during that golden hour. The only cases that must be transported out are patients with significant burns or significant limb replantations.

“It means our community gets to stay in our community,” Drake said.

Stephen Hill, chief nursing officer at Valley Baptist, has witnessed the growth of trauma care in the Rio Grande Valley throughout his 19-year tenure at the hospital.

“It really is truly a team effort,” he said. “Dr. Chollet has done phenomenal, the physicians, nurses it really is a team effort and I’m seeing it come together more and more. The Valley is doing a good job taking care of its own.”

When people go to Valley Baptist, they know that they can expect compassion along with the best medicine has to offer.

“We talk about the fact that we’re a community built on care. We’re a name that folks know and trust here in the community,” Bartnesky-Smith said. “We take great pride in that. We don’t take that for granted one second of any day.

We know that everything that we do we’re doing with a heart to serve our community. This is a network of people that are truly driven in our mission to serve every single day.”

Learn more about Valley Baptist Health System, its locations, and all the services offered by visiting valleybaptist.net.

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SPECIAL DELIVERY Passion for Births, Patient Care Drives Valley Care Clinics OB/GYN

b y RGVi s ion | p h ot o b y O m a r D í a z

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The first time Dr. Kristy Morales saw a baby being born, she knew it was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

"I really do love taking care of my obstetric population and the delivery, but I also enjoy all aspects of my job in caring for women,” she said.

That defining moment took place during medical school at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. Originally from Manhattan, Kansas, Morales completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Saint Louis University.

“Right after I finished my residency, from 2012 to 2016, I was in the military serving in the Air Force,” she said.

During that time, she provided OB/GYN services to the military population.

Now, she is an OB/GYN physician with Valley Care Clinics in Edinburg.

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“My goal in taking care of patients is really to provide a good patient experience, give patients autonomy, and really try to help patients get the most that they can out of their health care.”

Dr. Kr i s t y M or a l e s , Valley Care Clin ics OB/GYN ph ysic ia n

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they’re pregnant is to start or hopefully continue their prenatal vitamins,” she said. “The next thing would be to connect with their provider and try to optimize their health care so that they can get on top of any of their co-morbidities, like high blood pressure,diabetes, or other medical problems.”

Even if patients aren’t pregnant, Morales recommends an annual well woman exam.

“That's a time where we can go over things like their pap smear history, mammograms, and a general medical check up,” she said. "Things like making sure they are up to date on their colonoscopies and bone scans, for example.”

Morales serves women at every stage of their lives, including women facing symptoms of menopause.

“A lot of the challenges I see are things like interrupted sleep due to hot flashes, decreased libido, mood changes, and all those things can be affected by menopause,” she said. “A lot of times, we do talk to our patients about starting hormone replacement therapy as well as any other therapies they might need to help those issues.”

Some additional services that Morales offers at her practice include:

• Annual physicals and wellness screenings • Adolescent and adult gynecology • Family planning • Prenatal care (normal and high risk pregnancy) • Infertility • Minimally invasive surgery • Pelvic organ prolapse repairs • Ultrasounds • Colposcopy • Menopause/hormone replacement therapy

Morales moved to the region when her husband got a job in the Rio Grande Valley. When she was searching for careers in the area, she interviewed with Valley Care Clinics. Meeting the staff members and interacting with families and the hospital sealed the deal for Morales.

“I really knew that’s where I wanted to be,” she said.

Morales, who has been practicing for about 11 years, noted similarities between the patients she started serving here in the region and the ones she served in the Air Force.

“A group of our population is transient, which is something I did see also in the military,” she said. “A lot of them are coming from their homes due to their husband’s work or their work, and they don’t have a lot of support.”

The Valley’s high rates of diabetes and high blood pressure also present a challenge for Morales’ patients — especially those who are pregnant.

“The first thing they should do when they find out

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“We do the full spectrum of women's health care — from the initial visit that may be at a young age, prenatal care, well woman care, and geriatric care,” Morales said.

“We deal with all kinds of different problems that our female population might face.”

It all comes down to being a health resource while serving her patients.

“My goal in taking care of patients is really to provide a good patient experience, give patients autonomy, and really try to help patients get the most that they can out of their health care,” Morales said.

Dr. Kristy Morales practices at Valley Care Clinics Sugar Road OB/GYN, 4302 S. Sugar Road, Suite 206, in Edinburg.

Learn more about her practice at valleycareclinics.com/ find-a-doctor/kristy-morales, or by calling (956) 682-6146.

Patients can make appointments online or by phone.

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CRANBERRYCHIPOTLE SWEET POTATO SALAD pho to by Oma r D í a z

INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries 1/4 cup water 2 teaspoons honey 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Heat oven to 450 degrees °F. 2. Place sweet potatoes on a large jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with

3. Place remaining 1 tablespoon oil, cranberries, water, and honey in a saucepan. Remove 1 or 2 chiles from can; finely chop to equal 1 tablespoon. Add chopped chipotle and 1 teaspoon adobo sauce to pan (reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use). Place pan over medium-low heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Mash with a potato masher or fork until chunky.

4. Combine potatoes, and cilantro in a bowl. Add cranberry mixture to bowl; mix gently to coat.

Yield: Serves 5

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2 tablespoons oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Bake at 450 degrees °F for 30 minutes or until tender, turning after 15 minutes.

RECIPE PROVIDED BY

Ana Karen Torres Bachelor of Science (BS): Nutrition More recipes can be found on Facebook: @anakarentorresonlinenutrition

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THE REALITY OF ASYLUM SEEKERS WHO IS CONSIDERED AN ASYLEE? The National Immigration Forum defines an asylee as a person who has sought and obtained protection from persecution, war, or violence from inside the United States or at its border regions. An important distinction to acknowledge is that a refugee is a person who applies for protection from outside the United States.

The Rio Grande Valley is a very unique place that is not only a popular destination for hundreds of birds migrating north, but also a migratory path for countless of humans fleeing violence, poverty, and persecution across the globe and predominantly in the northern triangle. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), many people enter the United States to seek protection as they have suffered persecution or because of a wellfounded fear that they will suffer persecution due to their:

APPLICATIONS FOR ASYLUM IN THE U.S. An individual may apply for asylum through an affirmative asylum process or a defensive asylum process. Applying for asylum is a humanitarian and legal right. Candidates begin with a Credible Fear Screening Interview. Based on the credible fear screening interview facilitated by a USCIS asylum officer, it will be

• Race • Religion • Nationality • Membership in a particular social group • Political opinion

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determined whether the interviewed individual has a “significant possibility” of being eligible for asylum as per federal guidelines.

This interview provides the applicant with the opportunity to elucidate how they were persecuted in their host country and/or lets them explain their wellfounded fear of persecution if returned to their country.

of PTSD among the children population are currently in the works.

• Gender differences in self-reported overall and mental health are under investigation.

• Efforts for psychoeducation and to bring awareness on the immigration crisis at the South Texas border are implemented by the MMHL. Bringing awareness of the crucial mental health status of the arriving immigrants is paramount to having a full picture of the current situation.

THE STATISTICS & RESEARCH The recent high numbers of Central American immigrants increase the necessity of adequate mental health services for this population. Given that many mothers and fathers flee war-torn countries, this exposes them to violence and trauma, which can lead to the poor mental health of their children and themselves. Most experience pre-migratory trauma, trauma during their migration journey, and some encounter continued traumatic events in U.S. soil, such as family separations.

• The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s 2018 Annual Flow Report showed that an estimated 20,455 of individuals were granted asylum to the United States in 2016, in which the three leading countries of nationality of asylum-seeking persons were from China, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

• An analysis report by the WHO revealed that rates of PTSD among refugees and asylum seekers are higher when compared to host nations.

Additionally, political persecutions, witnessing traumatic events, torture, and overall traumatic events are identified as pre-immigration risk factors for poor mental health (WHO, 2016).

• Similar reports find the uncertainty about the asylum application, detention experience, length of detention, and limited social integration can negatively affect the overall well-being.

• The Multicultural Clinical Lab at UTRGV lead by Dr. Alfonso Mercado and his students have conducted local research on health, trauma, and PTSD among incoming refugees and asylum-seeking immigrant families.

The results noted high rates of trauma and PTSD, demonstrating the need for screening and proactive measures. The trauma rates in the youth and parents far exceeded trauma cut off scores in the measures used and the rates were similar to trauma rates in countries that are at war.

• Measures to investigate the levels of trauma and rates

FOR THE PUBLIC Although the process for asylum seekers can be a long and complex one, several different organizations and support groups exist. The organizations and support groups include: • The Asylum Seeker Assistance Project • Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) • Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) • Human Rights First • Probar and legal assistance agencies across the country References Available Upon Request (Co-authors include Dr. Mercado’s Mental Health Lab at UTRGV:

ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Alfonso Mercado PH.D., Licensed Psychologist Valley Psychological Services - Assistant Professor Department of Psychology at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | www.utpa.edu/psychology

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Stephanie Arellano, Andy Torres, and Jose Garcia)

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Upon being granted asylum, families are given court documents and information on seeing an immigration judge in their respective communities where they will live with their sponsor, who most likely is a family member they have not seen in years. The majority, approximately 94 percent of them, show up to their hearing and continue their asylum process. Those who are not processed and released are taken to family detention centers like in Dilley, Texas, which is the largest detention facility in the country, housing over 5,000 mothers and their children, or taken to tent cities across the U.S. It is the hope of many that the current humanitarian crisis will be attended to in order to effectively manage the system in a humane and legal manner.

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CBD OIL RGV Retailer Touts Benefits of Cannabinoids as Legislator Pushes for More Access

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b y S of i a G a r ci a A l e m a n Derived from the hemp plant, CBD’s reputation has spread as a healing agent and solution to many people’s health problems.

CBD stands for cannabinoids, a compound we naturally produce in our body as part of the endocannabinoid system. This system is found throughout all areas of the body, including the brain, organs, glands, and connective tissue. In each area of our body, the endocannabinoid system performs different tasks, but maintaining internal stability and keeping the body at equilibrium is the main function. Because of lifestyle choices, poor diet, a surplus amount of toxins, or naturally occurring illnesses, we generally do not produce enough cannabinoids. CBD oil aims at replenishing in a natural way what the body already produces to help it maintain homeostasis. For this reason, the list of ailments that CBD oil benefits are seemingly endless.

“Our endocannabinoid system, which is known to be one of the largest systems in our body, binds with every other system that we have,” said Flavio Padron, co-owner and general manager for Your CBD Store. “When you've got more cannabinoids flowing through your body, it will help you, for example, lose inflammation, and with inflammation goes pain. It helps with the production of melatonin, which will help you sleep, serotonin and dopamine for mood, or insulin, which will help you regulate diabetes, which is big down here in the Valley.”

But the list doesn’t end there. Padron recounted how he has personally journeyed with customers ranging from 2 to 90 years old through a host of varying illnesses, including neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, and dementia. Other ailments he’s seen addressed are

Parkinson’s, cancer, autism, depression, anxiety, insomnia and other sleep disorders, general pain, and even psoriasis and eczema. According to Padron, his clients enjoy his products because they are non-habit forming with no side effects.

“On a daily basis I’m moved by what I'm doing,” he said.

“More than 20 times I’ve cried with people because they're looking for an answer for their pain and then the other set of tears is the better one because they found the answer.”

One story in particular resonated with Padron. A man stood crying in the store seeking a last resort for his 2-year-old daughter, who was struggling with epileptic seizures on a weekly basis. But after three weeks using the oil, the man returned to the store ecstatic that his daughter’s seizures had ceased.

“That's what really fills my heart. You have no idea how good I feel waking up every day wanting to come and help,” Padron said.

Padron co-owns the first CBD oil franchise in the Valley, and currently only carries products with a labeled 0 percent THC content. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the psychoactive compound found in marijuana. While the marijuana plant carries high contents of THC and little content of CBD, the hemp plant has a high content of CBD and a low content of THC. While in other states, high THC found in CBD oil, and medical and recreational marijuana is allowed, in Texas only a low THC level of .03 is legal without the use of the Compassionate Use Act, started by Texas state Rep. Stephanie Klick in 2015. The act allows patients with epilepsy to use CBD oil products with a higher content of THC of .05.

The Texas House recently advanced a bill that aims to

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expand the list of people able to use products with a higher THC content. Bill 1365, authored by state Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, would extend the use of products to patients with Alzheimer's, Crohn’s disease, muscular dystrophy, post traumatic stress disorder, and autism, among others, that Klick’s bill is also still fighting for. The House passed the bill, which is currently engrossed in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee.

Lucio described how veterans came before the Legislature to testify about their personal experience with being prescribed highly addictive prescription opioid medication for their PTSD. Many of them lost functionality because of the onslaught of side effects like suicidal thoughts, losing control of emotions, and a terrible inability to stay focused stemming from the drug and causing them problems with family and work. Similar medication was prescribed to children with autism, Tourette syndrome, and spasticity, which caused some families to become medical refugees who sought more holistic solutions from medical cannabis in other states.

“I think that people don't even realize this is an option for them or of the benefits they could derive from its use,” Lucio said. “It is an entirely new world for a number of patients who suffer from opioid addiction, pain symptoms, or from a disease that research and experience has shown will overwhelmingly benefit from the use of cannabinoids in cannabis — I think it is the future of holistic medicine and an alternative to opioids, which have cost our state and county hundreds of millions of dollars in addiction services or rehab treatment for people that get addicted to prescription drugs. It's significantly important for the Valley and a huge breakthrough in medicine and pain

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treatment for Texas.”

The confusion that surrounds the issue about THC in CBD oil, along with its relation to marijuana, is one of the biggest stigmas for people not wanting to try it. Still, people who do try it experience its many benefits.

“So we're just going to keep fighting the good fight session after session so as many patients in the state of Texas can have access to this medication,” Lucio said.

Eric Linares, a customer of Padron’s, decided to try CBD oil for anxiety and depression symptoms he suffers from a hormonal disorder called hypothyroidism after his prescription painkiller medication stopped working,. He also suffers from inflammation and pain from arthritis in his knees and hands. After two weeks of consuming CBD through edible gummies, he reported his joint pain had severely decreased and his mood drastically improved.

“I was like, there's no way this actually works!” Linares said. “I was in a very good mood. I was very hyper, and I hadn’t been hyper in a couple of years. To think back that I was so skeptical about it is really funny. I'm glad I took a chance on it. It's a safe product, actually, and it can really do a lot of good for a lot of people.”

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H E A L T H ARTICLE PROVIDED BY

Roxanne Pacheco rpachecolcsw@gmail.com 956.446.0236

HEALING EMOTIONAL WOUNDS

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RGV Psychotherapist Uses Tailored Treatments to Promote Healing in Survivors of Trauma and Complicated Grief Hello, my name is Roxanne, and I am your friendly community psychotherapist! Would you believe that the most common reaction I get to that sentence is fear and anxiety?

So, what is a psychotherapist, and why does the name, in and of itself, cause many to shy away from seeking services? I have studied the connection of the brain and the body and dedicate myself to guiding individuals, couples, and families through the process of healing their emotional wounds. I have chosen to focus my expertise on working with survivors of trauma and complicated grief and have incorporated integrative medicine and faith-based practice in order to treat symptoms in a holistic way.

You see, each individual has encountered different experiences that shape them into the person they have become. Many times, the experiences cause a direct impact in the way our brain is wired and this creates lifelong patterns of emotional instability, broken relationships, lack of trust, low self-esteem, fear, anxiety, depression, trauma, and many other symptoms. Perhaps you were the child who was neglected by your parents or maybe abused physically, sexually, or emotionally. (If this is your case, let me say I am sorry you went through this, and that it was never your fault.) Perhaps this caused for you to learn that nobody could be trusted and this has directly impacted every relationship you have encountered.

Maybe your parents divorced when you were young, and you

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were never able to process the trauma that may arise due to having to adjust to a new way of life. Perhaps you lost a child and have not given yourself the opportunity to grieve in a way that will bring healing to your heart. Maybe you are or have been in an abusive relationship and think that something is wrong with you and that’s why you are mistreated. Perhaps you or your child have been bullied and you find that you’re constantly on edge, hyper-vigilant and expecting the worst. Perhaps you see the anxiety your children face every time there they have to take a test, and you don’t know how to help them. Or, maybe you’re about to go off to college, get married, or have a child and have many insecurities about how this will impact your life.

Whatever the root, many times we will develop symptoms as a method of coping with the stressor the best way we can.

The coping mechanisms that I have commonly observed include anxiety, panic attacks, nail biting, frequent crying spells, emotional eating, which can lead to an eating disorder, isolation, hyper-vigilant behavior, depression, substance use, compulsive shopping, gambling, cutting, dissociative behaviors, anger, irritability, low self-esteem, feelings of guilt or shame, and others.

Now, here is where I come in. My job is to guide you through removing the first two layers that usually involve shame and guilt — the shame of seeking help and the guilt of the destructive coping mechanisms that have led to not experiencing a vibrant life. Shame dies when vulnerability and transparency show up. My goal is to provide you with a safe space to be able to share your journey with me and receive my utmost respect and appreciation for the courage that you have shown by sharing your story. Then we begin to work in collaboration on those things that you have identified to be areas that need improvement. I often tell my clients, “you will get out of treatment what you put in.” This is very similar to going to the gym! You won’t build muscle by simply sitting at the weight station. You have to feel the pain, work through it, and find relief in knowing you were able to accomplish what you set your mind to do.

I will provide you with a tailored treatment to fit your needs.

Nobody hurts or heals the same, and there is no cookie-cutter treatment to this process. If you allow yourself, you will learn to say goodbye to the coping skills that without you knowing ended up causing more harm than good, and you will reprogram your brain to embrace new, healthy ways of coping. You will discover who you were meant to be and you will embrace that strong and courageous self! It’s going to hurt in the beginning, but it’s going to be worth it when you look back.

Roxanne Pacheco is a licensed clinical social worker, certified clinical trauma specialist, and certified mental health integrative medicine provider. Contact her at The Counseling Center, 1009 S. Utah Ave., Suite A, Weslaco, TX 78596, call (956) 520-8700, or email rpachecolcsw@gmail.com.

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H E A L T H

ADULT

Disorder Presents Challenges in Workplace, Relationships

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b y G e or g e C ox

Running late again and going too fast, the driver gets pulled over by police for a speeding violation. It’s a common occurrence, but that speeding ticket just may be the result of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

“Chronic inability to estimate time is considered an ADHD thing,” said Melissa Reskof, a board member with the Attention Deficit Disorder Association.

Adults with ADHD are five times more likely to speed, according to research by Russell Barkley, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and internationally recognized authority on ADHD. His findings also indicate adults with ADHD are almost 50 percent more likely to be in a serious car crash.

Often viewed as a mental health disorder affecting children, Barkley’s research found that 4.4 percent of the adult population in the United States suffers from ADHD. More than 41 percent of adult cases are considered severe. Anxiety disorders also appear in 50 percent of adults with ADHD. “Kids get more attention because parents want the best for their children,” Reskof said. “Then a lot of adults get their diagnosis because of what they learn when their kids get the diagnosis.”

The American Psychological Association defines ADHD as a lifelong, persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity that interferes with functioning or development. It is a genetic, brain-based syndrome that

affects brain functions and related behaviors. There is no cure and the majority do not outgrow it.

Barkley’s research found that out of the approximately 11 million adults in the United States suffering from ADHD, fewer than 20 percent seek professional help.

Adults coping with ADHD may face significant issues in the workplace and personal relationships, Reskof said. “When it comes to relationships, people can face big challenges,” she said. “If you are never on time your partner could take it personally. Sometimes within a couple one spouse will nag the other, so there’s some communication issues.”

And ADHD comes at a high cost. According to one study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and co-authored by several experts, the overall annual economic impact of ADHD ranges from $143 billion to $266 billion. For adults, the largest cost category identified was annual productivity and income losses ranging from $87 billion to $138 billion.

Adult ADHD is recognized as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Texas Workforce Commission offers a Vocational Rehabilitation Program that can be tailored to meet the needs of adults with ADHD in the workplace.

“The services we can provide to assist individuals with disabilities, including ADHD, vary and are individualized based on their employment goals,” said Lorissa Luna,

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TWC business relations coordinator for San Antonio and South Texas who is based in Harlingen. “We focus on their strengths and abilities, but we recognize their limitations so we can best support them in their future independence and employment settings.”

Luna stressed the importance of awareness of disabilities like ADHD in the workplace. “It’s important we continue to educate our community and the businesses we work with that individuals with disabilities can work,” she said. “We provide disability awareness and sensitivity training to debunk some of the common myths.”

The Attention Deficit Disorder Association also recognizes the need for on-the-job awareness. “We have developed a workplace presentation that we can present at no cost to HR folks to explain the kinds of things you can do as a manager,” Reskof said. Strategies include simple accommodations for employees to cope with inattention, impulsivity, time management, and procrastination, among other symptoms.

Formal treatment for ADHD commonly includes a combination of medication and therapy. While medication serves to manage brain-based functions, therapy addresses daily thoughts, behaviors, and coping strategies.

Reskof said individuals seeking behavioral counseling should look for therapists accredited as certified ADHD coaches through organizations like the Professional Association for ADHD Coaches and the International Coach Foundation.

“I would not go to a coach who does not have accreditation,” she said. “These coaches have more in their toolbox that other therapists. I think coaches can definitely help people create habits to help cope with ADHD.” Without professional help, life with ADHD can be daunting.

“It’s like playing cards and you have dropped a few of them and you can’t figure out why you are not winning,” Reskof said.

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Repairing Perceptions, Practices of Health Care in the Rio Grande Valley

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by Da nya Per ez

When Celeste Samudio opened her eyes on Oct. 29, 2014, she had much to learn that she couldn't yet ask.

Tubes snaked down her throat, machines sounded out her vitals, and her family surrounded her in the Intensive Care Unit of Doctors Hospital at Renaissance.

“They let them know that I had died on the 28th right after surgery and was dead for a whole minute,” Samudio recalled. “The doctors couldn’t explain to me what had happened.”

The outcome didn’t make sense after what her doctor had told her the day before — that she was getting a simple tubal ligation that would take a couple of hours of her time. Then, she would be on her way home.

After consulting with the doctor about the procedure and being cleared for it, she recalls getting to the hospital the morning of Oct. 28 and being put under general anesthesia. There was nothing that seemed out of the ordinary and no warnings from the doctor of something

like this happening.

“All of these different doctors kept seeing me after that and they would tell me, ‘You are fine. There is nothing wrong with your heart, there is nothing wrong with your lungs,’” she said. “They could not explain to me what went wrong.”

Samudio said she made a quick recovery and was sent home Oct. 30. She felt normal, she said, until a followup visit to the pulmonologist. He told her she would need to start using an oxygen tank — again, with very little explanation.

“He said no more running, no more working out … he said it was long term. For life,” she said. “But I stopped using the tanks slowly … I went to a different doctor after that, and he told me that everything was fine and saw nothing wrong with me.”

Samudio’s trust of the hospital and the healthcare system here eroded after these two encounters. Not

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getting any explanation as to why the simple procedure went so wrong — plus a misdiagnosis that would have chained her to an oxygen tank for the rest of her life — made her extremely wary.

Similar stories of distrust are not hard to find in the Rio Grande Valley amid a push to improve services by area hospitals.

In May, DHR announced it is now functioning as a Level 1 Trauma Center despite a pending visit by the American College of Surgeons to approve the designation.

This designation meant that the hospital pledged to have trauma surgeons on staff 24/7, as well as prompt access to specialty care for patients, a training and education component for future trauma doctors, and a network of other Level 1 facilities to rely on.

But how do you sell such promises to a perhaps jaded public who will need to buy into the idea of making this hospital their go-to in the first place?

“That’s the market down here, and it’s unfortunate DHR runs the market,” said a local surgeon, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“They own 80 to 85 percent of the primary care physicians who only refer to themselves and only send to DHR.” But that does not mean that

“HE SAID NO MORE RUNNING, NO MORE WORKING OUT …

HE SAID IT WAS LONG TERM. FOR LIFE.”

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DHR is the be-all and end-all facility for medical care in the region.

“I think that the most important thing to express to the patients in the Valley is for them to realize that you can get extremely high-quality, specialized care outside of DHR,” the surgeon said. “The care truly is becoming top notch and more sophisticated. There’s options.”

Bradley Gamboa’s visit to DHR’s emergency room with strong back pain and stomach discomfort turned into a five-hour wait. Only about 15 minutes of that visit actually involved a doctor, he said. But Gamboa was the one who convinced the doctor not to send him home with a diagnosis of food poisoning.

“When I told him I thought it was something else, he said, ‘Well, you didn’t tell me you had pain in your back,’” Gamboa remembered. “Even though I had told that to everyone I had talked to before him.”

The doctor agreed to run some scans, which found kidney stones. Gamboa said the doctor simply walked in briefly, said something along the lines of, “I guess you were right,” and “We’ll get you the right medicine,” and walked out.

With no further feedback after five hours, Gamboa expressed disappointment in the service and even some disbelief — he recalled a nurse telling him it was a good

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Celeste Samudio

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BRADLEY GAMBOA’S VISIT TO DHR’S EMERGENCY ROOM WITH STRONG BACK PAIN AND STOMACH DISCOMFORT TURNED INTO A FIVE-HOUR WAIT. ONLY ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF THAT VISIT ACTUALLY INVOLVED A DOCTOR, HE SAID.

thing that he stood up for himself.

Addressing some of these bad experiences and regaining patient trust is made even more difficult by the internet — and its myriad outlets to express strong feelings and experiences.

One area doctor, Dr. Turner Wright, staffs a physician liaison in his office. Jenny Hull serves this role at Wright Sinus Choice, along with being the director of marketing.

A big part of her role, Hull said, is keeping in touch with patients to ensure they received the answers or information they needed.

The doctor has a personal hotline that goes directly to her in case he is in surgery or consultation. She also reads and replies to all online ratings — and calls reviewers to go over any negative issues.

“I think we should all focus on doing the right thing for the patient.”

D r. H a i s s a m E l z a i m ,

a n o r th opedic su rgeon at the Orth opedic I n stitu te at Ren aissan ce

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“The negative review part, we are 100 percent on that because when people do name searches or category searches, that’s the way it pulls up on Google so when there is something that is erroneous, or negative it will affect [us],” Hull said. “Every single one we address … we call it reputation management.”

Most complaints are the usual issues — long wait times, or paperwork, she said — so her approach includes putting herself in patients’ shoes to understand how they might be interpreting these waits or requests.

“Most of the time, all you have to do is explain the procedures realistically and most of the time, patients will calm down,” Hull said. “When people come in and see us, they don’t feel good. They are sick of being sick.”

However, other complaints stem

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them to do that — maybe 1 patient would do it — but if you have somebody who’s unhappy, they’re going to go immediately online and leave a bad review.”

While this approach might work at the individual practice level, a hospital troubleshooting every complaint, online or otherwise, could prove to be too great of a challenge — or not enough to stem the flow of poor public perception. But the reputation dangers remain.

“We need to educate the public and the community about what we do and who we are,” Elzaim said. “I think we’re doing a good job with that. DHR, they have a very good marketing and community relation, public relation department.”

The hospital organizes awareness and fundraising campaigns in the community, Elzaim said. It also brings in high school students to volunteer and experience firsthand the care that DHR doctors give to their patients.

“They are young people who are soon going to be adults,” he said. “That perception is going to stick in their mind — ‘these are good doctors who are well trained well educated, liked by their patients, doing good care.’”

And the biggest challenge facing the perception of health care in this region?

“I think it’s us competing with each other — you see all these hospitals here competing with each other,” Elzaim said. “Unfortunately, these hospitals, all they care about is the bottom line and their shares and how much their CEOs are going to take home at the end of the day and the end of the year.

“I think we should all focus on doing the right thing for the patient.”

Amy Casebier contributed to this story.

“EVERY SINGLE ONE WE ADDRESS WE CALL IT REPUTATION MANAGEMENT.”

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Jenny Hul l , di r e ctor of m a r ke tin g Wrigh t Sin u s Ch oice

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from experiences with Wright himself. One Google reviewer came in complaining of vertigo and said Wright suggested an unnecessary rhinoplasty. A Facebook review recounted the scar tissue received during a procedure that necessitated a second surgery. Another Facebook reviewer complained of pain during surgery — and that the conditions the procedure was supposed to have solved had since multiplied.

Hull responds to a majority of these complaints by apologizing and offering her contact information to further discuss the details of the experience.

“If anybody has a problem with my doctor, I make sure that he is protected in the case that he didn’t do anything wrong. And if he has, we corrected and we apologize,” she said. “The patient is always right, that’s how we walk into it, but if the patient is not right, then we just present the facts.”

Dr. Haissam Elzaim, an orthopedic surgeon at the Orthopedic Institute at Renaissance — a DHR property — also takes the direct approach when responding to negative reviews online.

“It’s bad for us, it’s bad for business,” he said. “We just have to be able to also work the internet and be able to respond to these complaints and explain.”

He cited a poor review from a patient who was more frustrated with her injury than with his care, he said.

That interaction was a blip in what Elzaim described as positive in-person patient feedback and satisfaction.

“They love me and thank me all the time and appreciate what I do,” he said. “I tell them, ‘please go online and give me a review because it’s very important for people to know about me.’ Probably 100 patients I tell

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GivingThanks Practicing Gratitude Can Offer Important Benefits

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In a busy world where our days are filled with work or balance the body out.” school obligations, we often forget to stop to smell the And with the physical strengthening comes the roses. In the Valley, these “roses” can include the beautiful mental strengthening. butterflies and cacti that decorate the border region. And Hope Family Health Center is a nonprofit organization these figurative roses are simply taking notice of your that provides medical, counseling, and case management surroundings, taking a breath, and giving appreciation for services in the Rio Grande Valley. Gratitude is something that the present moment. factors in to some treatments, said Nabi De Angulo, LMSW. For Luis Zepeda, a licensed massage therapist, gratitude “Overall, gratitude is being able to be thankful for the is “being thankful for what you have.” His conscious practice experience that you’re having, and allow it to influence you includes verbalizing his gratitude. “Things become more the way that it should,” she said. powerful when you vocalize them,” he said. He begins his Much of the time, we are grateful for the good things in our lives, but there are still meaningful lessons to be learned morning with thanks and gratitude for life, which he says from the bad. When De Angulo was a child, she experienced sets the tone for the day. In his own experience, he has the lesson of the cycle of life — and her place within it — learned that the positive power of thought can help in when some of her family’s chicks difficult times and is valuable as an died. Having a positive outlook even everyday practice. when seemingly negative things Zepeda encourages people to happen is key, she says. start their day with 10 minutes “Gratitude is how I of meditation. “It’s a big game For clients with depression, De live my life day to day, changer,” he said. “How you wake up Angulo recommends a gratitude everyday. I practice is how the rest of the day is going journal as a means to heal. Writing to follow.” He practices Shamatha down things that we are grateful for being grateful for meditation, explaining that it’s a very can help the brain recognize patterns everything that accessible form of meditation that of good things happening and focus happens in my life.” people shouldn’t be intimidated by. on the positive rather than things Shamatha comes with a core set of that cannot be changed, she says.

Ma tth e w M or a l e s of Qu iet specific instructions: Min d Yoga In her therapy sessions, she also 1. Posture — how you hold yourself uses the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant 2. Breath — object to initially focus on me the serenity to accept the things 3. Thoughts — regarded I cannot change, courage to change as distractions. the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

Luis says that while there are “so many floating concepts She invites clients to keep the prayer in their wallet or on about what meditation is, to me, there has to be those three their refrigerator as a daily reminder. “When clients bring up things involved.” something that causes them trouble, they read the Serenity Meditation is often a component of yoga, which also Prayer to work though what they need to change and how to factors into practicing gratitude. cope with what’s going on,” De Angulo said.

“Gratitude is how I live my life day to day, everyday,” said As part of the center’s holistic approach, there is a garden Matthew Morales of Quiet Mind Yoga. “I practice being for its clients — with plenty of “roses” to stop and smell. grateful for everything that happens in my life.” Through “We have everything we need to know how to live his work as a yoga instructor he creates “a space for you to peacefully and joyfully and with harmony in person and with come and utilize yoga for what you need. I don’t try to tell nature, ” De Angulo said. “We worry about insurance, and people what yoga is or should be to you.” work, and jobs, and bills that are distractions, but there is Morales encourages people to practice yoga as a tool to something about nature that has everything in synchronicity live more from the heart, and suggests that more people give with each other — a continuous cycle. That is a beautiful back to the community through volunteering or being more lesson from nature that teaches us about the cycle, mindful of other people’s needs. and how we are part of the cycle. ... Nature forces you to “Yoga is a physically amazing way to stretch and be present.” strengthen the body,” he said. “Yoga is a great way to level or

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Iconic Valley Tamale Restaurant Continues to Grow Its Legacy

b y Ka r i n a The beloved tamale can be traced back in time to 7000 B.C. Aztec women traveled along with soldiers as military cooks and needed to prepare portable, yet sustainable, food. Tamales could easily be made in advance and reheated as needed, thus proving themselves to be a food for the ages.

After learning cooking techniques from Spanish conquistadors, Aztecs changed the way they made tamales from burying them in hot ashes, which made them darker and toastier, to steaming them in underground pits.

The tamale varied in size, shape, color, and filling depending on the region and resources that were

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readily available.

Today, the most common type of tamale is made from nixtamalized corn called masa, which is spread on corn husks or plantain leaves and is often filled with shredded, seasoned, and cooked meats like chicken, pork, or beef.

The dish is then rolled and steamed before it is ready to be enjoyed.

While the process is simple enough to learn, tamale preparation is indeed time and labor intensive, which is perhaps the reason why they are associated with Christmas, holidays, and special occasions. At these events, family and friends unite and can work together as an assembly line to carry out each step of the tamalemaking process. Tamale-making parties, referred to as

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Sofi Treviño, originally from the Valley and now a student at the University of Texas San Antonio, agrees.

“My siblings and I grew up eating Delia’s,” she said. “It just tastes like home to me. To now be able to have it in my current city is going to be awesome!”

The newest location is scheduled to open near loop 1604 at 13527 Hausman Pass.

According to documents registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the building project will cost an estimated $1.1 million. The restaurant will be built on 5,000 square feet of space. Like other locations, it will have both dining and drive-thru service options to suit those who want the full restaurant experience and quick to-go service for customers in a hurry. Delia’s Tamales announced June 22 on Facebook that the new location will open in spring 2020.

While starting from humble beginnings, the familyowned restaurant is proving that the combination of family values, hard work, and good food is a recipe for success.

For more information on Delia’s Tamales, visit their official website at deliastamales.com or check out their social media pages on Facebook: @deliastamales, and Instagram: @deliastamales.

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I n ou r N ov/Dec 20 15 issu e we explored wh ere Delia’s Tamales came from.

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tamaladas in Spanish, are social gatherings where friends can come together and bond over cooking together.

While making tamales holds lots of fond memories for some, for many people, the process just isn’t feasible and certainly isn’t something they can do on a regular basis.

For these reasons, many Valley residents choose to buy their freshly made tamales and save themselves the work.

Ask anybody from the RGV where to buy the best tamales and they will most likely answer “Delia’s.” The Valley original has remained a household name since its namesake, Delia Lubin, opened her first location in south McAllen in 1998. At the time, it was the only tamale restaurant of its kind.

Lubin began her business nearly 30 years ago with her sister. The two women would begin making tamales each morning, pack them into coolers, and then travel door-todoor and business-to-business to sell them. Popularity and demand for their products grew so much that Delia’s kitchen could no longer meet their needs. This helped launch their first restaurant, which has since expanded into six locations throughout McAllen, Mission, Edinburg, Pharr, and San Juan.

Delia’s menu boasts 18 different types of tamales, from simple classics like chicken, beef, or pork, to more creative specialty recipes like sweet cream cheese or bean, cheese, and jalapeño. Customers can purchase their picks by the dozen or half dozen. Menudo is available every Saturday and Sunday.

This year, the famous tamale restaurant will be branching outside of the Valley for the first time to its newest location in northwest San Antonio.

Valley native and current San Antonio resident Lessly Garza said the new location will be a cure for nostalgia for RGV transplants like her.

“I’m very excited because I feel like a lot of people from the Valley are up here and we don’t have too many tamale places here,” Garza said. “Other people I know that aren’t from the Valley don’t know what Delia’s is, so they’ll get to see what the hype is about. I think it’s going to do very well.”

Hannah Welch, fellow Valley native and San Antonio resident, said the proximity will be convenient for her family.

“My mom is super excited because that’s sort of like our family tradition for Christmas Eve — we always eat tamales,” Welch said. “And since my parents moved up here, my mom goes down to the Valley every December just to get tamales for us. I think it’ll be super successful here.”

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URBAN WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS Residents Should Share Space, Avoid Handling Animals, Experts Say

Young birds are especially common abductees.

As urban areas expand, more and more people will find themselves face to face with a wild animal.

Two of the most common encounters are hurt and orphaned creatures. What should you do when those encounters happen?

First, it’s important to know if the animal is actually injured or orphaned. If an animal is obviously injured — with bleeding wounds, or broken limbs — contact a wildlife rehabilitator. There are very few licensed rehabilitators in the Rio Grande Valley. However, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department does provide a list by county on its website, tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/ rehab. It is never advisable to try to rehabilitate an animal on one’s own. Many animals are protected by law from possession, including all native bird species, and may bite or otherwise harm you if handled.

Unfortunately, many young animals are inadvertently “kidnapped” by well-intentioned passers-by, thinking they’re abandoned. In reality, the young animals often still are receiving parental care. Animal parents are stealthy by nature, taking care not to attract predators — including humans — to their young. They may also be away for lengthy periods of time depending on the species and their offspring’s age.

Fledglings — young birds grown enough to leave the nest — have shorter tail and wing feathers than adults, but are still capable of weak flight. They do not need assistance, except to get them away from immediate danger like a car or domestic dog or cat.

Nestlings are young birds not yet capable of leaving the nest. They usually have developing feathers, or pin feathers, and exposed patches of skin. Fallen nests and nestlings should be returned to their nest tree, if possible. If not, contact a wildlife rehabilitator.

Another common sight is a turtle crossing a road. The most one should do is move the turtle off the road in the direction it was going. They should only be handled by their shell, never their limbs.

Never handle an animal without knowing what it is.

When in doubt, call your local nature center or wildlife agency for advice. In general, it’s best to leave the animal alone. They have been here long before towns and cities — people should make every effort to safely share the space with them.

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st o r y a nd pho t o s b y Qui nta Ma z a tl á n Wo r l d B i r d i n g C e n t e r

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SUMMER IN NATURE Visit Quinta Mazatlรกn this summer for Tuesday Flashlight Nights, Thursday Nature Nuggets, Thursday Family Nights, Photo Fun Fridays, Saturday Morning Nature Detective Walks, Saturday Afternoon Feature Creatures, and so much more.

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Staycation RGV Offers Summer Vacation Opportunities Through Several Parks, Museums b y B e r e n i ce G a r ci a

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peacocks and peahens, emus, as well as the ranch’s 6-foot boa constrictor.

These parks and nature centers charge for admission with prices ranging from $5 to $10 per adult, though discounts are available for children, students, and seniors.

For educational experiences, check out the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, the International Museum of Art & Science in McAllen, the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art, and the attractions dedicated to cultural heritage in San Benito. Those include the Freddy Fender Museum, the San Benito History Museum, and the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

There are also plenty of landmarks scattered throughout the Valley, including the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle. The minor basilica — designated as such by Pope John Paul II in 1999 — was also designated a national shrine in 1998.

Harlingen also has plenty to see with their downtown murals — of which there are 20 depicting RGV history and culture — and the Iwo Jima Memorial and Museum.

Another, more recent, memorial is the Veteran's War Memorial, located in McAllen as part of the McAllen Convention Center.

The McAllen Convention Center also includes the McAllen Performing Arts Center, which hosts various concerts and Broadway shows throughout the year.

There’s a lot of variety among the 30 featured destinations put together by Explore RGV, said Ron Garza, LRGVDC executive director.

Those destinations were selected with input from the chambers of commerce throughout the region, surveys, and data from travel sites.

“It was kind of neat to see that and what’s really cool about those destinations is that they don’t all fall under one category,” he said.

With the many areas available to bird watchers, it’s clear the Rio Grande Valley is a prime area for eco tourism.

“The Valley also is a prime interest group destination, so those people that come here for things like ecotourism, obviously birding — birding is the largest one — birding, butterfly watching, bay fishing, all the coastal other amenities, like people who come for surfing or paddling or that kind of thing,” Garza said.

He added that there was a wide variety of things available for people to explore, including recreational and

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Temperatures are again reaching three-digit figures and children are out of school — both signs that summer has arrived and people start thinking about going on vacation. However, while most Rio Grande Valley residents might look to travel out of town, there are several vacation opportunities right here at home.

To highlight all the places to see and visit in the region, the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council launched Explore RGV. The top destinations featured by Explore RGV include various nature centers, museums, and shopping destinations.

If you're looking to spend time outdoors, consider exploring the nature centers and hiking trails. BentsenRio Grande Valley State Park, located in Mission, is popular for bird watching, boasting more than 358 species that have been spotted there.

The South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center has 3,300 feet of boardwalk, five bird blinds, a five-story viewing tower, and an alligator sanctuary. The center also offers guided bird walks and crafts and games for kids.

The Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge in Alamo is considered “the jewel” of the national wildlife refuge system. The 2,088-acre area gives visitors the opportunity to see various bird species and enjoy a hike through 14 miles of trails.

There’s also Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen, an adobe mansion that serves as a sanctuary for birds and plants.

The center offers tours as well as several programs for children and adults.

Other destinations include the Valley Nature Center, a 6-acre park in Weslaco where visitors can spot butterflies, chachalacas, kiskadees, hummingbirds, tortoises, rabbits, and several amphibian species, according to the park’s website.

The Old Hidalgo Pumphouse, located in the city of Hidalgo, is also a bird-watching spot, as it is a wing of the World Birding Center. The location has a 4.5-mile roundtrip bike trail on the levee. Bicycle rentals are available.

Grace Heritage Ranch in Lyford offers “the rare opportunity to experience a simpler life,” according to the ranch’s official website.

Visitors can have the opportunity to milk goats and learn about various other animals, such as Jerusalem donkeys, horses, ponies, sheep, pot-bellied pigs, turkeys,

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The Rio Grande Valley is an extremely family friendly and welcoming environment so people are very comfortable here.”

the Valley.

“Sometimes you do hear that same phrase that there’s nothing to do here,” he said. “What we did is we just reframe that to show them how many things there are to do.”

Two notable things make the Valley a good vacation spot, Garza said, are cost-effectiveness and a familyfriendly environment.

“There’s extremely reasonable hotel costs,” he said. “A lot of the attractions to visit are very low cost — they’re nominal or sometimes even free.”

He added that the three international airports servicing the Valley make traveling to the area very efficient.

As for the family-friendly environment, Garza credited that to the region’s cultural ties.

“The Rio Grande Valley is an extremely familyfriendly and welcoming environment so people are very comfortable here,” he said. “It’s an extremely costeffective vacation destination especially for those people that mainly live in the state and just want a short threeor four-day getaway — they can come to the Valley for very cheap.

“And then obviously with South Padre Island being that crown jewel of the Texas Gulf Coast, it definitely has a lot to offer.”

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t h e exe c u t iv e d i r e cto r o f the Lo w e r R i o Gr a n d e Val l e y D e v e l o p m e nt Co unci l

cultural activities.

More well-known activities include visiting Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, taking a beach day at South Padre Island, or partaking in the retail shopping opportunities — the three main anchors of the Rio Grande Valley, according to Garza.

“When we look at people that come from outside the Valley to the Valley, usually it’s one of those anchors that are primarily drawing them here,” Garza said. “I think everything else is kind of a springboard from that.”

Garza noted that even many locals are unaware of the various places to see and activities to do here in

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FACES IN THE VALLEY:

JASON RAY PEREZ Local Valley Artist Speaks Volumes Through His Art

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b y Ka r i na Va r g a s | p h ot o b y O m a r D í a z

McAllen’s famed arts district is known for its vast array of entertainment and presentation options for both artists and art admirers alike. The area is home to the Art Village, a 30,000-square-foot Tuscan-style retail structure that spans across four buildings containing art galleries, studios, creative firms, and restaurants.

Art Walk also is held in the area monthly from September to May the first Friday of every month. The Creative Incubator is another key element in the arts district, which was designed to help support and provide a home for local artists.

One Valley artist making a name for himself amid this artistic atmosphere is Jason Ray Perez. Born in Weslaco, Perez has always been an artist at heart, but didn’t start to pursue it professionally until 2007 after visiting a friend’s art exhibit.

“I met the people and liked the energy that they had going on. I got really, really inspired,” Perez said. “So I started doing it more and more often. Then when the first Art Walk started in McAllen, I started getting involved there at the table. And that’s pretty much how I started off.”

Perez said the owner of Roosevelt’s at 7 asked him to begin displaying his art inside the restaurant, which in

turn led to sales, helping launch his success.

In addition to being an artist, Perez is also the art curator for the Phoenix Art Gallery, as well as art director for both The Centennial Speakeasy Club and Roosevelt’s at 7. Being an art curator or director essentially means that he is the individual who chooses the art that gets displayed as well as the person organizing and hosting art shows.

Perez uses both mixed media and pyrography to carry out his art works. Pyrography is an art technique that involves burning a design onto a surface using a heated metallic point.

“It’s sort of like a pencil that you connect to an electric source and it generates heat,” Perez said. “So the tip burns when you place it against the wood and you’re able to make the image out of the burned lines.”

Perez has had several of his artworks recognized by Texas state Rep. Terry Canales, and they are currently on display in the Texas State Capitol in Austin.

This April, he was asked to join world-renowned artist Ron English at the National Butterfly Center in Mission at the nature preserve’s Welcome Wall event.

“I was one of the lucky eight artists from the entire state of Texas who was chosen to go into the loft. It was

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painted canvases.

His next art collection draws some fresh inspiration from some familiar confections.

“Right now I’m working on a new series called Dulces,” Perez said. “It’ll be a mixed media project consisting of spray paint and Mexican candy wrappers. Each piece will depict the faces of revolutionaries with Mexican roots and current events such as the border wall and immigration. I think they’re going to be pretty amazing.”

Perez said although he doesn’t have a deadline for his Dulces collection, he expects to have it finished before the end of this year.

Of the arts district, Perez said he’ll continue doing his part to nurture it and keep growing the Valley art culture.

“It’s a beautiful area,” Perez said. “It’s called the art district for a reason. We want to keep it going as much as we possibly can.”

To find out more about Jason Ray Perez’s art and upcoming events, check out his social media pages on Facebook: facebook.com/ jason.perez.7311 and Instagram: jperez_art.

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really cool,” Perez said. “Pretty much what it is, is a Welcome Wall. Where Donald Trump’s border wall is meant to keep out, we’re doing this to welcome people in. So it actually has doors on it and a lot of [English’s] art.”

The 360-foot mural encourages community activism opposed to border wall construction. Perez explained that aside from cutting through people’s land, the border wall is expected to cause other issues like flash flooding and wildlife endangerment.

Among these concerns, the wall’s construction will also put the 900-year-old Moctezuma Bald Cypress, one of the oldest trees left in South Texas, on the Mexico side of the wall.

Perez’s most recent art collection, Laconism, was a mixed media pop art collection. The series was inspired by art styles of some of his favorite American pop artists. Perez used an image printing technique he calls “ghost image transfer” to print images of movie stars and religious icons over vibrant, intricately

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‘REAL TREASURE’ Historic Buildings Among RGV’s Many Gems b y S of i a G a r ci a A l e m a n p h ot os b y B a r b a r a De l g a d o Sprinkled from Starr County to Cameron County are charismatic historical landmarks that inspire nostalgia and carry prolific cultural roots. Stories of strength and character are still nestled between the walls, and amazement still abounds in visitors who immerse themselves in the atmosphere of generations past.

These gems, long forgotten by some, are structures that make the Rio Grande Valley awesome, and require a visit.

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CASA DEL RIO, ROMA Currently functioning as a banquet hall for special events, Casa Del Rio was originally constructed in 1846 as the first commercial property in Roma. The building, which still features its original frame, started as a general store. Eight generations later, it is still family owned. This beautifully renovated and colorful building sits in the middle of Roma’s historical plaza, and is only a few feet away from the Rio Grande. The prime view from the property frames the bridge that connects the United States and Mexico. It’s also what makes Casa Del Rio beloved in the community and brings in visitors and photographers.

Noel Benavides, owner of Casa Del Rio, chuckled with pride as he described his dad offering unofficial historical tours to visitors when he has time — purely because he finds gratification in talking about the city he loves.

This historical gem is currently battling for rights against the government acquiring land for surveillance purposes. Using the property for any government purpose, including building a border wall, would destroy a landmark that has stood for over 150 years.

“I know that the media portrays our area like ground zero for what’s going on with immigration, but it's really a tranquil and beautiful place,” Benavides said. “You can sit down and take in the beauty of nature and the history

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Port I sabel Li g h t h o u s e

T h e Ch arles Ch ampion Bu ildin g in Port I sa b el

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T h e view at Casa Del Rio in Ro ma

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Ins i de M i s s i on’s Border T h eater

Inside C h a m pi o n B u ild in g

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Ro m a ’s C asa Del Rio, th en an d n ow

around it. Roma has really good businesses and I feel that if people would come and visit and see what we have to offer, they would be very impressed.”

the public. Originally built in 1852, the lighthouse aided the heavy maritime traffic through Brazos Santiago Pass to Port Isabel — at the time called Point Isabel.

The lighthouse played a big role in making sure that

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BORDER THEATER, MISSION-RECORDED TEXAS HISTORICAL LANDMARK

ships coming from the northern parts of the Texas coast

Originally built in 1942, the Border Theater was the fifth cinema to be constructed by Valley theater pioneers.

Still functioning as what it was originally built for, owner Joseph Ramientos says his favorite thing about the movie theater is hearing guests reminiscing about the times they first visited the theater. When they visit, they say, “‘Wow, the last time I was here was when I was a kid.’ They’ll just start telling about the good ol’ days,” Ramientos said.

The theater also operates as a center for group meetings and is available for rental, including hosting independent movie premieres. It currently shows free movies to the public. “We love doing this for free,” Ramientos said. “Unfortunately, we can’t go back to old time prices. Popcorn before was 25 cents!” Winter Texans use it every Tuesday from October to April for their popular Big Band Jam event.

Ramientos suggested that visitors also visit the Mission Historical Museum, which conducts tours at the theater to raise awareness of the original murals inside the building. Tourists are also impressed with the detailed paintings of the ranch lands of South Texas that are painted on the original beams in the theater’s foyer.

and Mexico could find their way into the bay safely. The

PORT ISABEL LIGHTHOUSE, PORT ISABEL-STATE ANTIQUITIES LANDMARK

treasure to us — we’re a little town with lots to say.”

Set atop a grassy hilltop is the only lighthouse constructed along the Texas Coast that is still open to

generations past has never made for a better day

lighthouse was finally decommissioned in 1905, and later renovated in 1970 to better accommodate visitors. Still standing strong in its original structure, the lighthouse continues to be a staple of tourism for people all over Texas. With a perch 50 feet above the ground, it offers spectacular views to every visitor.

“It's a really nice 360-degree view in a 16-mile range,” said Valerie Bates, marketing director for the City of Port Isabel. “You can see South Padre Island, the Laguna Madre Bay, Gulf of Mexico, and the Brownsville ship channel — the view’s spectacular.”

Still hosting many local events, the lighthouse is currently holding a free summer movie night at 9:30 p.m. every Friday in June and July. Guests are also encouraged to visit the Charles Champion Building while in town. Built in 1899 and known for its unique and colorful fish murals, it currently operates as a museum and is also one of the town’s prized historical landmarks.

“We are hurricane prone, unfortunately, so anything of significant age is very valuable to us,” Bates said about the town’s treasured historical landmarks. “We've lost buildings over the decades, so these buildings are a real Having

fun

while exploring

adventure in the Valley.

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the antiquities

of

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L I F E

PINT NIGHT Glassware Giveaways Sweeten Beer Sampling in Rio Grande Valley

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Search “pint night” on Facebook and these days, you’re

make sure they have a variety of different beers for guests to

likely to get multiple hits from events at bars and restaurants

try. Some of the most popular pint nights feature local beers

across the Rio Grande Valley. For the uninitiated, these

from 5x5 Brewing Company and Big River Brewery.

events generally feature a brewery or particular beer.

“They love it. We have a real good turnout,” Galvan said of

Customers who attend and purchase the beer on tap receive

guests’ response to pint nights. “They like to get familiarized.

a branded piece of glassware in a range of different shapes

Sometimes they don’t always agree with the beer, sometimes

and designs that they can take with them — usually for free

they love the beer, but they get to know exactly more along

with the first pour.

the lines of where their palate’s at.”

“We do a combination of flagship beers to spotlight pint

The ideal event for Galvan includes the opportunity to

nights and sometimes we do the off-the-wall, funky, weird

meet first-time guests to the Quarter while helping them

beers,” said Genesis Moreno, general manager at Grain

experience new things.

to Glass in McAllen. Those unique brews can

“Down here in the Valley, they stick to a lot of

include co-fermented or barrel-aged beers.

their basics, so this gets them to kind of branch

“The idea is to introduce people to craft beer

out,” he said.

by allowing them to not only try the beer, but

Developing the RGV’s taste for craft beer

remember the experience. By letting a guest

has been Roosevelt’s at 7’s goal for more than

leave with a glass, they take the experience

a decade.

back home with them.”

“If you’ve never had craft beer before, you

Response from the community has been

come in here and we’ll find something just

overwhelmingly positive, Moreno said, and

like you drink at home just to get you started

pint nights are among the busiest nights at

— but a little bit better as far as more flavor,”

Grain to Glass.

said Steven “Opie” Schwoerer, Roosevelt’s

“It’s kind of cool to be able to have people

general manager. “If you want to get wild,

leave and still be connected with Grain to

we’ll just go higher and higher — all the way up.”

Glass or a brewery,” he said. “It’s just a way of

Pint nights have been a part of that mission

introducing new breweries and recipes to people.”

since the beginning. Now, though, with the prevalence

He added that customers can also use the pint nights

of pint nights at establishments throughout the region,

as a way to identify styles and brands of beers they like

Roosevelt’s and Schwoerer look to offer more at

so they can purchase those same brews later at the

the events.

grocery store.

“It’s not just glasses anymore,” he said. “We try to just

Typically, pint nights at Grain to Glass take place each

step it up a little bit, do other stuff.”

Wednesday, but recently, the restaurant and ale house

This includes tap takeovers, where Roosevelt’s

has expanded the experience.

features multiple beers from the same brewery

“We did a super pint night last year where

Moreno said.

have if they visited the brewery in person — something

Patrons can pick and choose from the glassware that Grain

that they might not be able to do, Schwoerer says.

to Glass has collected over the course of their pint nights.

Some of the most popular pint nights in his experience

“I think it’s a really great way for people from different

have been people who are a fan of the brand or brew, such

walks of life to be able to come in together and have a

as Karbach Brewing Co.’s collaboration with the Houston

common interest,” Moreno said, emphasizing that Grain to

Astros on Crawford Bock. Other draws are unique glassware

Glass is a family-owned establishment that opens its doors

shapes from tulips to tekus.

to families. “We just really do our best to provide that service

However, in Schwoerer’s opinion, “I think the beer’s

to where it allows people to connect. It’s just making craft

more important than the glass,” said Victor Galvan,

beer accessible.”

general manager.

The Quarter New Orleans Kitchen and Tap Room usually

Use Facebook to stay up to date with pint nights at

schedules weekly pint nights at 8 p.m. on Thursdays. The

Roosevelt’s at 7: @Rooseveltsat7pm; Grain to Glass: @

Quarter is a Louisiana-themed restaurant, so Abita beer

graintoglass; and The Quarter New Orleans Kitchen and Tap

promotions are common. Otherwise, the team there tries to

Room: @thequartermcallen.

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.

offer an experience that people could only

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swag packages, or raffles. The vision is to

just said, ‘you know what, pick a brewery,’”

JUL/AUG 2019

to offer visitors an immersive experience,

we just put all our pint back stock and

L I F E

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE Local Coffee Shops Add RGV Flair to Menus b y R GV i s i on We asked and you answered! Locally owned coffee shops are thriving across the Rio Grande Valley, enabling aficionados to enjoy handcrafted masterpieces. Here are some of our readers’ favorite coffee hotspots:

RESERVA COFFEE ROASTERS

JITTERZ COFFEE BAR

THE EXPERIENCE: Luna Coffee House is: Local

THE EXPERIENCE: Reserva Coffee Roasters

THE EXPERIENCE: Jitterz is a coffee roaster and

art & culture, cozy atmosphere, mouthwatering

offers guests an elevated coffee experience with

craft coffee shop with a diverse menu that aims

creative frappes and specialty coffee.

handcrafted coffee and freshly baked pastries

to please all sorts of coffee and tea lovers.

THE SIGNATURE DRINK: Galactic Oreo Frappe, a

and desserts.

THE SIGNATURE DRINK: Latte Del Rey, a prepared

blended creme drink made of cocoa powder and

THE SIGNATURE DRINK: Almendra Mocha, made

Americano that comes with espresso, cream, and

Oreo cookies, topped with chocolate syrup and an

with espresso and steamed milk sweetened with

house Sugar In The Raw syrup.

Oreo on top.

dark chocolate and toasted almond.

BANDERA COFFEE CO.

SEMILLA COFFEE LAB

7TH & PARK

THE EXPERIENCE: Bandera Coffee Co. celebrates

THE EXPERIENCE: A new concept bringing new

THE EXPERIENCE: 7th & Park is a cute,

culture & community through specialty crafted

and unique drinks and ideas to South Texas.

welcoming coffee shop/bike shop which offers

coffee drinks.

THE SIGNATURE DRINK: The Gibraltar, a charcoal

beautiful and delicious coffee drinks (and

THE SIGNATURE DRINK: Salimanzana, part apple

latte.

atmosphere).

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JUL/AUG 2019

LUNA COFFEE HOUSE

rhubarb soda with a single origin cold brew, rim

THE SIGNATURE DRINK: The Mexican Mocha,

dressed with trechas and a fresh apple slice.

a combination of espresso, milk, and spiced Mexican chocolate.

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• Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Welding • Architectural and Engineering Design Technology • Automotive and Diesel Technology • Computer and Advanced Technologies • Construction Supervision •Electrician Technology • Fire Science and Law Enforcement • Heating, Ventilation, A/C & Refrigeration • Information Technology and More!

There is nothing wrong with women going after a “maledominated” career. In fact, all jobs can be performed by any gender. Women should follow their passion and look for professional opportunity and personal growth while breaking traditional gender stereotypes in the workplace.

Dr. Adame is a first-generation college student. She’s a mother and has English as a second language, just like many of our students. She persists in her field and is a proud South Texas College Graduate.

“Set your goals and work hard to achieve them. Set your priorities straight and you will get where you want to go. Being a mother and working full time while trying to obtain Master’s and doctorate degrees isn’t easy. It takes hard work, dedication, and ganas! Being a Hispanic female in a non-traditional world may bring obstacles but, by being prepared and with the right attitude, anyone can overcome them.”

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Funding was provided through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board with Carl D. Perkins Basic funds.

L I F E

Recipe for

In May, the top culinary and restaurant management teams from around the country gathered in Washington, D.C., to cook the best three-course meal and design the best eatery, respectively. This wasn’t a Food Network reality show. It was the National ProStart Invitational, a competition for high school students, and McAllen restaurateur Jessica Delgado was there.

Delgado, who opened house. wine. & bistro., SALT — New American Table, and Salomé on Main with her husband, Chef Larry Delgado, is chairwoman of the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation.

“It’s a really great program,” Delgado said. “I had the privilege and honor of going to all three state competitions this year and then to nationals.”

Nationals represents the culmination of a two-year culinary education program that can be offered to juniors and seniors in high school. Eight Rio Grande Valley school districts teach the curriculum, and more than 250 districts participate in Texas ProStart.

Success RGV Restaurateur Promotes Local Culinary Education, Activism Through Chairwomanship

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JUL/AUG 2019

over 10 years for the Texas Restaurant Education Foundation. Maddox says he believes they’ll have the money in less than half that time based on the success of local fundraising. One particularly popular event is Dine Around, where 150 people board three buses to eat and drink their way through three different restaurants. The next event will be in September, Maddox says.

The proceeds from a Cinco de Mayo party at Salomé also went toward the foundation — an event that honored Delgado’s contributions at the helm of the foundation.

“Jessica’s just done a phenomenal job,” Maddox said.

Other ways to give back is through Friends of the Foundation, where anyone can donate any dollar amount, and the President’s Circle, an endowment fund. Delgado says they are also always looking for individuals involved in or passionate about the restaurant world to join the local chapter.

“We just want to show that it’s a wonderful career for young people and then a wonderful career for professionals to grow in,” she said.

“My husband and I have had this beautiful career our entire lives. We both started when we were 16 and we’ve literally been in the industry ever since.”

Learn more about the Texas Restaurant Association by visiting txrestaurant.org/ education-foundation. Learn more about Texas ProStart at texasprostart.com.

1009 S. Utah Ave., Suite A, Weslaco, TX 78596

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It’s the crème de la crème who competes at nationals — students doing work that wows renowned chefs and restaurant executives.

“They’re so impressed some of the judges have even said, ‘I would literally buy this concept for you, let’s chat later on — you all are on to something,’” Delgado said. “It’s really neat to see that progress.”

Students who participate in Texas ProStart learn everything from sanitation to sautéing to restaurant business administration.

“Going back 10 years, there was really not a program that really gets students prepared for joining the restaurant industry,” said Jerry Maddox, owner of Fazoli’s in Pharr and the Rio Grande Valley chapter president of the Texas Restaurant Association. “Really, that’s the staple of our industry, making sure that we have people that are coming out of high school that are ready to move forward in the restaurant industry.”

Texas ProStart alumni are getting a leg up in the restaurant industry because of the curriculum.

“These students that are coming out are just blowing people away with their knowledge,” Maddox said. With their advanced knowledge of the restaurant industry, they can enter the workforce after earning their high school diploma and expect to immediately earn healthy salaries. “We’ve been able to take from home economics to students coming out and making GM two or three years removed out of high school — these kids that don’t go to college and are making over $100,000 a year. I think that would be what I’m most proud of.”

Delgado says she’s also impressed with Texas ProStart’s curriculum.

“It’s really considered the premier high school curriculum,” she said. “It’s very sophisticated, yet approachable to new people in the industry.”

The Rio Grande Valley Restaurant Association committed to raising $50,000

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