Motivation can be derived from a variety of sources. Maritza Hernandez didn’t need to look far to find hers. A single mother, she merely looked at her daughter to gain motivation, determined to provide her with a better future. Already earning a steady income as a private-duty nurse, Hernandez knew that she needed to further her education to open the doors of opportunity in her field. “I first heard about…
McAllen is a leader – not a follower – is how McAllen City Commissioner Seby Haddad welcomed guests to the 2025 MXLAN International Economic Summit. The May 9 summit at the McAllen Convention Center kicked off the annual three-day cultural arts and music festival. Hosting the conference were the City of McAllen, the McAllen Economic Development Corporation and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. The Summit welcomed leaders in higher education,…
Pharr resident Maria “Mily” Moreno found herself at a crossroads in life. Divorced and the mother of two sons — ages 25 and 15 — she knew she needed to find a new path. Moreno resigned from her dead-end job and accepted a position as a part-time contract employee for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. This move cut her income by $20,000 a year. One day, Moreno encountered a South…
The McAllen Chamber of Commerce on May 2 will host a special event honoring women who have played prominent roles in business and in their communities. The event is titled Legendary McAllen Woman: Celebration of Women in Business. A luncheon will take place at the McAllen Convention Center in conjunction with the celebration. It will be the fifth such event the chamber has hosted. “The Legendary McAllen Woman initiative celebrates…
April is Second Chance Month, and Harlingen resident Miguel Martinez III knows all about second chances. Dec. 5, 2024 is a day he will never forget. Martinez was released from prison after serving three years for burglary of habitation and theft of a motor vehicle. According to cleanslataeinitiative.org, Second Chance Month is “a nationally recognized celebration of second chances, fresh starts and breaking barriers for people who have been impacted…
The McAllen school district in 2001 became the first school district in the Rio Grande Valley to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The city’s business community and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce played a pivotal role in the process. They recognized it as a way to attract businesses and families to the region. The district’s IB students have a home campus where they participate in UIL activities. In 2021,…
This month’s VIDA spotlight is written by Chris Ardis and VIDA Staff For years, Mission resident Maria Garcia had juggled the responsibilities of being a wife and mother to three energetic children, now ages 4, 8, and 12. Yet, despite her best efforts, Garcia found herself facing unemployment, her dreams of a stable career dimmed by the weight of financial burdens and uncertainty. Garcia’s dreams came back to life while…
McAllen’s commercial corridor did not stretch much further north than Dove Avenue in the early 1980s. Flash forward to the present and the city’s north-bound landscape has been transformed. What was once far north McAllen is now a restaurant and shopping mecca. Developer Shavi Mahtani’s plans will add to making the area north of 10th Street and Trenton Road a place where families and friends will meet to shop and…
San Juan resident Rosa I. Diaz describes life as a single mother with four children as both challenging and rewarding. Working full time as a provider, she earned above minimum wage; however, stretching her $11-per-hour earnings proved to be no small task. “While I was grateful for my job, I knew I wanted more for myself and my family,” Diaz said. She saw an advertisement for the Valley Initiative for…
It was the second week in January and the first day for second graders at St. John’s Episcopal School in McAllen to visit the school’s new SmartLab. A second grader, Lily, said she wasn’t sure she wanted to return after the first half hour of instruction. “It’s kind of confusing,” she said. “This is your left, but it’s not the robot’s left.” Lily’s SmartLab partner for the day, Juliet, saw…