Category Archives: Education

South Texas College has earned the top spot in the nation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the Washington Monthly 2025 College Rankings report. Since 2005, Washington Monthly has ranked colleges based on their contributions to the country in three areas: social mobility, research and promoting public service. This year, in collaboration with Excelencia in Education, it also ranked how well Hispanic-Serving Institutions like STC, are serving this increasing population. “This ranking affirms…

Tech Center Expands TSTC’s Possibilities

September 1, 2025

Ricardo D. Cavazos, VBR content editor

Education Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments

Texas State Technical College is starting a new school year with the opening of an 84,000-square-foot Transportation Technologies Center on the western end of the Harlingen campus. The new building opens up to big spaces on the major halves of the facility. The west side of the facility will be the work and training space for students in the diesel technology field that specializes in repair and maintenance of large…

McAllen ISD Launches Adult HS Diploma Program

August 28, 2025

VBR

e-Brief Features Education News Comments

McAllen ISD is now offering the Step-up Program, a free diploma completion program for adults ages 18 to 26 who left school before graduating. The program accommodates flexible scheduling, allowing students to attend in the morning or afternoon, Monday through Friday, to match their personal commitments and to proceed at their own pace. The program is planning to launch with approximately 50 students early this fall at McAllen ISD’s Lamar…

Vaqueros Ready To Roll For ‘The 956’

August 28, 2025

Ricardo D. Cavazos, VBR content editor

Education Featured News Comments

The clock was ticking down over the summer to an Aug. 30 kickoff on the sports websites of the nascent UTRGV Vaqueros football program. A “T-minus” ticker was going until a Saturday evening kickoff under the summer lights of a converted soccer stadium in Edinburg. It was the UTRGV Vaqueros versus the Sul Ross State Lobos in the first ever college football game in Rio Grande Valley history. It was…

McAllen ISD Teacher Named Teacher of the Year

August 21, 2025

Angey Murray

e-Brief Features Education News Comments

Isidro Lerma, a theatre arts teacher from McAllen ISD’s James “Nikki” Rowe High School, has earned Regional Secondary Teacher of the Year honors by the Region One Education Service Center. In the past 35 years, McAllen ISD teachers have earned 23 Regional or State Teacher of the Year titles – the most in the South Texas Region. This year, the Region One Education Service Center celebrated 51 district teachers of…

TSTC Names New Harlingen Provost

August 21, 2025

VBR

e-Brief Features Education Moving On Up News Comments

Gina Cano-Monreal, Ph.D., is the new provost of Texas State Technical College’s Harlingen campus, effective July 29. Cano-Monreal previously served as the college’s associate vice chancellor for instructional shared services, supporting TSTC’s 12 campuses across the state. In that role, the Harlingen native oversaw curriculum quality and alignment, instructional design and support, and instructional resources and solutions. “TSTC is making significant investments to expand premier technical training in the Rio…

STC Offering Free CPR Courses

August 14, 2025

VBR

Community e-Brief Features Education Featured Healthcare News Comments

South Texas College Continuing Education is currently holding free Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Basic Life Support and first aid classes with certification from the American Heart Association. Registration is now open to anyone in the community including health care professionals, police officers and community members who seek training that can help save lives in emergency situations. The free CPR courses are funded by a grant from Texas Mutual, which has been providing…

STC Professor to Serve on National Education Committee

August 7, 2025

VBR

e-Brief Features Education Moving On Up News Comments

South Texas College Assistant Professor of Psychological Science Liza Veliz has been appointed to serve on the Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education, a national-level committee under the American Psychological Association’s Board of Educational Affairs. Veliz will officially begin her term in January 2026, representing psychology faculty at two-year colleges nationwide. Her position comes from being nominated by colleagues from across the country recognizing her leadership, advocacy and commitment to…

Teaching Program Inspires RGV Students

August 1, 2025

Chris Ardis

Education News Non-Profit Comments

Princeton University student Wendy Kopp formulated the idea of Teach For America in 1989 for her undergraduate thesis. The first participants in the nascent TFA program began their lifelong pursuit of educational excellence in 1990. Teach for America Rio Grande Valley was founded the following year. The national organization and its affiliates around the country are non-profit institutions. They recruit and train recent college graduates and professionals to teach in…

Spurring Inspiration and Motivation

June 26, 2025