In 2006, Daniel Sanchez was an aspiring student working his way through South Texas College’s emerging electrician technology program. There were only about 20 students in the program back then with eight courses and two instructors. Flash forward to the present where Sanchez today is an instructor and program coordinator with more than 100 students enrolled at the McAllen tech campus and branches in Weslaco and Rio Grande City. The…
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…
Four years ago, Brownsville resident Rogelio Garcia depended on government assistance to feed himself, his wife and their five children. Today, thanks to the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement, that’s no longer the case. In early August of 2013, Garcia had a near-fatal accident that resulted in him going on disability. During his recovery, a friend told him about VIDA and its Commercial Electrician Program, focused on increasing the…