Palmview single mom Esther Carreon had several goals in mind when she applied to the Valley Initiative for Development in Advancement after hearing about the nonprofit organization from a friend. Already a licensed vocational nurse and a first-generation college graduate, Carreon knew she wanted to remain in the field of nursing, but she yearned to further her education in the field. She set her sights on a Bachelor of Science…
The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a lunch-time workshop with a focus on diversifying workforces in recruiting people with disabilities. Evelyn Cano co-founded the Disability Chamber of Commerce-RGV. She serves as the nonprofit organization’s president and presented the Jan. 19 workshop. She also serves on the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities. The governor appoints all 12 members with at least seven board members being persons with disabilities.…
“I Have a Dream” is, of course, the iconic 1963 speech of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. For San Juan resident Carlos Pena, this phrase also expressed why he enrolled at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Pena, whose major is mechanical engineering, has a dream of working at Tesla as part of its design team. Tesla knows how to capture potential employees’ attention, even on its website: “Using…
Banners began appearing in late 2022 above storefronts at Sam’s Trenton Plaza Phase II in McAllen. The west side of Phase I faces Trenton and then wraps around as if highlighting the path for customers heading to Sam’s Club. Phase II rests immediately to the north of Phase I. It’s all part of the bustling growth and traffic in north McAllen. In this case, it’s the broad area of 10th…
After graduating from high school, McAllen resident Cain Ballesteros took the step many young people feel is expected of them; he enrolled in college. But after a year and a half, he realized college wasn’t for him. Ballesteros tried to find his calling through a number of career paths, including certified nursing assistant, but none felt right. His dad, Arturo Ballesteros, a master electrician for over 40 years who manages…
“All my life,” Luz Ramos says when asked if she is a daddy’s girl, a not surprising fact when seeing the name of the specialty donut bar she opened in Edinburg on May 28. Papy Donuts is named after her papy, Jaime Ramos, a master baker who learned the craft in Mexico. “I wanted to show appreciation because he actually has a gift,” Ramos said about her father. The elder…
Growing up, McAllen resident Camila Sanchez’s father always told her she could be anything she wanted to be. As her career goals developed, she realized she wanted to be a physical therapist assistant. Sanchez loves being a student because she genuinely enjoys learning and challenging herself. She enrolled in the PTA program at South Texas College in Fall 2020 but her road to what she wanted included roadblocks. In Spring…
Company lore has it that Carroll B. “Spec” Jackson opened a store in Houston in 1962 for two reasons. One, he wanted to work for himself, and second, he didn’t want his wife, Carolynn, to have to work. Investing $7,000, he opened the first Spec’s, a wine, liquor and beer store. He opened on April Fool’s Day, which fit Spec’s personality perfectly. Spec’s son-in-law, John Rydman, now owns the company…
“There is a saying, something along the lines of, ‘Society grows when men plant trees whose shade they will never be able to sit under.’ Likewise, we, as a society, need to look out for one another. Only in that way will we be able to grow and progress to a stable community.” ~ Abdiel Ramirez Back in seventh grade, Abdiel Ramirez found reading books about a variety of medical…
For many across the Rio Grande Valley and the nation, November symbolizes food, fellowship and family. The month is rife with fall festivals. We find an abundance of turkeys in local supermarkets. Gratitude takes a front-row seat. November marks an anniversary of fellowship for a group of men in McAllen. They share a commitment to broadening the definition of “family.” It all started in 2017 when former Mission Police Chief…