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Spring 2018 Issue 1 • Volume 2

Fl wer Power Jennifer Wilson’s journey to find her passion

Calm, Cool & Organized ER nurse details path to ‘new’ perfect job

Brownsville native tackling littering in Valley

RGV BANDIDAS

Derby girls taking Rio Grande Valley by storm

AT A MOMENT’S

NOTICE Brownsville’s Claudia Garcia lives her calling as OB/GYN Spring 2018 • Inspire

They’re bright, talented and motivated

Editor

Lisa Seiser

Content

TEAM

Writer

Alexis Aguirre

Photographer

Maricela Rodriguez

During the first year of Valley Women Inspire Magazine, we talked to some of the most accomplished and successful women in the area. But, I have to tell you, the women we talk about in this first edition of the 2018 year are right up there. We certainly can’t take anything from the grit and determination of Jo Rae Wagner, the perseverance and fight of Bertha Garza, the creativity and work ethic of Andrea Bernes, the heart and soul of LaHuan Guthrie or the professionalism and giving nature of Betty Ramirez-Lara. All of these women were featured in the first year of the magazine. This time around, we have doctors, one who even has become a pastor. We have entrepreneurs, a longtime school administrator and an environmentalist. However, it’s not what they do that makes them unique. It’s their path to where they are now. They each have an inspiring story to tell and that’s why they are in this magazine. Jennifer Wilson was a teacher for years before truly pursuing her passion for flowers. Now she is a successful business owner of Wild August Nursery and Flower Farm in Harlingen. Lori Thompson simply had a goal for her family to live a more healthy life. Now she and her husband own

Thompson Dairy Farms in Bayview. Their business has thrived to the point where their goat cheese can be purchased in HEB and she hopes for great things with her goat soaps and lotions. Next, we have Jennifer Heffernan Miner. A longtime emergency room nurse who now is the director of a pair of privately-owned emergency facilities in Harlingen and Brownsville. Let’s not forget Graciela Gutierrez. A longtime educator in the Harlingen School District who is the principal in the same building she once attended as a teen. There’s so much more to tell. How did they reach their goals? What does their future look like? What do they love about what they do? What keeps them motivated? How can they help you reach your own goals and dreams? You’ll just have to start reading to find out the answers to all those questions. So, once again, thank you for picking up Valley Women Inspire. It is our second year of publishing this women’s magazine aimed at educating, informing, entertaining and motivating you to be a better version of yourself through the stories of these great local women.

in·spire verb

1. fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

Find us on : https://www.facebook.com/ Inspire-Magazine-250727555359202/ @InspireRGV

Lisa Seiser Editor

Graphic Designer

Victor Cerda

Brownsville Sales

TEAM

Have a great story idea?

lseiser@valleystar.com 956.430.6215

Graphic Designer

Ana Villaurrutia

Want to advertise in Inspire?

lmedrano@brownsvilleherald.com 956.542.6651

Writer Steve Clark

Ad Director

Representative

Linda Medrano

Leroy Gomez

Orlando Gutierrez

Abraham Hernandez

Beth Daniels

Spring 2018 • Inspire

What’s inside? 32

The Power of Flowers

An unlikely route takes Gutierrez to success

RGV Bandidas

Jennifer Wilson has battled fear and the unknown to follow her passion.

Graciela Gutierrez says farewell to a lifetime in education.

It’s time for some roller derby. Bet most of you have never seen these talented women on the track, banging, swinging and hitting ... whatever it takes to win. But there’s more to it than that. Find out about the bond that comes from this sport.

Celebrating women in medicine We honor wonderful, giving and helpful women in medicine.

Farm fresh Goal of healthy eating leads to family starting Thompson Dairy Farms.

H.E.E.L.S.Conference june 2018

The Raymondville Chamber of Commerce “Serving Willacy County” HA-30079404

Call or Email for Details

956.689.1864 | chamber@grandriver.net

r e ow of F lowers

The

Women returns to her passion at nursery flower farm Story by LISA SEISER Photos by MARICELA RODRIGUEZ Beautiful fresh roses, marigolds and ranunculus flowers relax in several separated baskets and buckets on the floor and countertops in the large, farmhouse kitchen in Harlingen. They were likely cut the previous afternoon or even earlier this morning and are ready for their next life. The day is still young and it’s obvious there’s a lot of work to do. Jennifer Wilson casually and comfortably sits at the large, wooden kitchen table just feet away, keeping a close eye on the flowers she will soon transform. It’s almost as if she’s picturing in her mind what she will be doing with them. For now, she talks openly and honestly about how she made it to this point in her life – her struggles to battle fear and the unknown to pursue her passion. But, a few hours from now, she will do what she loves more than anything else. The bright and warm South Texas sun will shine through the windows of her kitchen and Jennifer will be hard at work picking, plucking and arranging to create perfect bouquets for all occasions. It’s a quiet, peaceful and happy time for Jennifer. But, deeper than that, it’s her dream come true.

“

It is not lost on me at all that I get to do what I love. I think because I spent 15 years being afraid to follow that dream, I have a very real appreciation that not everybody gets to this place. Maybe they are afraid, maybe they can’t afford it, or maybe they have to take care of someone else in their life and it precludes them from chasing their dream. I get it. This is not an opportunity afforded to everybody.”

Life hasn’t always been that easy or obvious for Jennifer, the owner of Wild August Nursery and Flower Farm on Garrett Road. It’s been a winding road, one that involved tragedy, followed by safe choices, which didn’t take her on the road to her dreams. But now her life is beaming with sunlight. And that’s not just in her kitchen when she’s working on her gorgeous bouquets. Like everybody’s life, there are ups and downs. Circumstances guide you in directions you never expected. That’s what happened to Jennifer. Spring 2018 • Inspire

Nearly 20 years ago, she was on her path, at least she thought she had found it in horticulture. She had taken a class at Abilene Christian and decided she no longer was interested in landscape architecture. Horticulture would be it and she planned to resume her master’s program in that field at the start of the next semester. That summer, Jennifer’s life was filled with tragedy and her dreams “took a left turn.” Up to that point, nobody close to her had ever died. But, she says during the span of the next 18 months, she attended eight funerals. The most impactful was her cousin, who was like a brother. He died of a heroin overdose. Then, a neighbor who was like another grandfather to her died of lung cancer. “I remember getting that call in the middle of the night and my dad told me that he was gone,” Jennifer recalls about her cousin. “I said I just talked to him and I had known he was struggling with his addiction keeping sober, but he was doing well. I just kept saying that I had just talked to him and I am sure that it can’t be true.” It was 3 a.m. and his cousin’s mother called Jennifer to ask her to move in with her in Austin. Although she’s not typically impulsive, Jennifer knew she had to go. “I jumped in my car and drove,” she says. “I remember saying that I didn’t know how to keep going,” Jennifer says. “How do I go back to school and act like everything is the same when nothing is the same?” She was afraid after facing the tragedies that summer. “I knew if I went back to A&M to finish the horticulture degree, I didn’t know what it would be like,” she says. “Nobody had done anything like this in my family. I knew I loved it, but I was so afraid.” Quickly, there became an answer, but it took her further from her passion for flowers and horticulture. It was seemingly the comfortable option. “I ended up becoming a teacher, which is very ironic, 6

Spring 2018 • Inspire

because I said I would never become a teacher,” she says. “But, my mom is a teacher, my sisters are teachers, my girl cousins are teachers and my aunts are teachers.” It was her father who suggested the path. “I needed a safe place – something predictable and very safe,” she says. “I was rudderless. I had no sense of direction.” She immediately went back to Abilene Christian to obtain her masters in education and started teaching after returning to the Valley, which is where she grew up. While teaching was safe, enjoyable and provided a consistent paycheck for her and her family, it was not her dream. So, by the time she reached her 14th year in teaching, she had become restless. “All those years I worked hard to be a good teacher and I think I was,” Jennifer says. “I am such a fearful person, I was so afraid of the unknown and failure. I had felt for so long I was wearing shoes that were too small. They got the job done, but they weren’t comfortable. I never felt it was a good fit.”

Extra space, more fun Wild August Nursery and Flower Farm in Harlingen has existed for some time, but only in the past couple years has it made its mark behind the efforts of Jennifer Wilson and her husband, Jimmy. Now, it appears, they are full steam ahead. It all came together when Jennifer started to cut roses out of the demonstration garden and make bouquets. When she took them to the farmer’s market, something happened she didn’t expect. “I thought the bouquets would be like business cards,” she says. “They will want to come buy our roses. But, that is not what happened at all.” Instead, she received calls asking her to make bouquets for girlfriends, parents, wives and mothers and for all occasions. She and Jimmy started to plant more flowers, with the intent to cut them and

create bouquets. “We ended up having so many flowers I didn’t know what to do with them,” Jennifer says. “We had flowers everywhere, so I made some bouquets and put it on my Facebook page.” It was the first time Jennifer actually asked people to buy. “Within 15 minutes, all of them were sold,” Jennifer says. “Others were calling and wanting them. That was the turning point. It’s when I thought this could actually work. You can do this.” Since then, Jennifer has started a Farmer’s Market at the farm on Garrett Road and offers cut and create a bouquet classes for children and those of all ages. The farm will soon be the location of a wedding and other events. Jennifer says who knows what’s next.

Texan by Nature Jennifer Wilson has created thousands of beautiful bouquets and table settings over the past couple of years. But, no job was bigger for Jennifer than the Texan by Nature event in McAllen this past November. Former First Lady Laura Bush was in the Valley to celebrate the newest conservation initiatives. Weeks earlier, Jennifer received a call from a woman in McAllen who wanted her to provide the flowers for the event. “I was just thunderstruck,” Jennifer said. “I couldn’t believe my flowers were going to be on the table with Laura Bush. It was so exciting.” So, she followed the longing feeling she had and go where her heart really was.

Looking back at her youth, Jennifer says her passions and talents were obvious. “How did I not know?” she still questions. All the signs appeared to be there. Growing up in Harlingen’s Treasure Hills, Jennifer recalls a time when her mother grew rose bushes. “I remember trying to peel back the buds and open them,” Jennifer says. “She would say – only God can open flowers, you have to wait for God to do it.” Jennifer admits there was something fascinating about horticulture and the process of plant growth. She also later lived across the street from a nursery in Harlingen. “I love how it smells and the dirt, the rows of seedlings,” she says. “It was just magical to me. I was inspired by it.” Enough that as a child, Jennifer begged her parents to have her own flowerbed. “I remember planting and I loved it,” she says. But, admittedly, it took a long time to connect dots to translate that passion into a career.

“After the 14th year of teaching, I felt like I was supposed to be doing something different,” she says. “I felt like all these things were leading me to the place and I was going to get the thing I love, but I was too afraid.” During her career as a teacher, Jennifer and her husband had started a small nursery on the side. It was mainly to show his landscape customers what

some plants would look like fully grown. In that 15th year of teaching, Jennifer’s life changed. “I was just struggling so much to find the emotional energy to be good at it,” she says about teaching. “I was working so hard to be good at it. I just continued to sense I was letting people down. My heart wasn’t in it anymore. I was so conflicted.” So, she started to spend more time in the nursery. But, that made it even more difficult for Jennifer. “I was more divided than ever,” she says. “I was coming home from school and working on the flowers. We would be out there, after putting the kids to bed, with flashlights between our knees cutting flowers in the dark and then putting bouquets together in the kitchen.”

The hard work paid off. Sales, mostly via word of mouth and social media, grew. Jennifer admits by the end of the school year, the flower sales were outpacing her teacher’s salary. “So, I had the full support of friends and they said, go do it, follow your passion,” she says. Looking back, Jennifer says, outside help was required for her to take the leap to follow her calling. “God said if you are not going to do it, I am going to do it for you and make the decision for you. So, I got to this place where I had no choice than to follow his lead into this place.” Every day, that place is in her nursery and then in her kitchen, making bouquets that bring smiles and happiness to people. Spring 2018 • Inspire

â€œ

We really can make or break kids. Just knowing that, we are trying to encourage students to do the right thing. It is not just about being a fantastic math student or reading student. It is about being a person of good character. How are you going to contribute to this world in the future? What do you want to do? What are your goals? Graciela Gutierrez on the importance of educating youth 8

Spring 2018 â€˘ Inspire

SUCCESS An unlikely route takes Gutierrez to

Story by LISA SEISER Photos by MARICELA RODRIGUEZ

raciela Gutierrez meanders the halls of Vernon Middle School in Harlingen, pointing out interesting facts about its history. Without missing a beat, she smiles and greets by name one of her 660 students as he exits a classroom. A few minutes later, she says the bright yellow paint in the hallways above the lockers was her idea, because she didn’t want it to be plain white. Then, a few steps later, she looks at the avocado tree in the school’s courtyard and mentions the revitalization the area will soon see. On the second floor of the school, she looks up and points out the skylights and talks about the old uses of certain parts of the campus. This school hasn’t just been her home since 1995, when she came here as an assistant principal. It’s in her blood. Her father attended the school when it was Harlingen High. Graciela, herself, attended as a teenager. But, come fall, Vernon Middle School won’t be a part of her daily life anymore. After 38 years in education, Graciela, the longtime principal, is retiring. It’s easy to see in her expression, either retirement hasn’t fully hit her, or she is at peace with the decision that took her a long time to make. “I have been preparing myself all year so it won’t be a total shock,” Graciela says smiling while sitting at her desk. The computer behind her is lined with neon-colored sticky notes. It’s her way of staying organized and on task. “Honestly, it kind of hit me at the start of the year,” she continues about her retirement. “The school district does a fantastic kickoff and just realizing this would be my last time I would be seeing this wonderful start off, it will be bittersweet.” That’s understandable. A significant por-

tion of her life has been spent teaching and leading in the local schools. But, early on, teaching and education weren’t necessarily on her radar as a career. “I can honestly say I never set out to be a teacher,” she says. A biology major and chemistry minor, Graciela was focused on the medical field or potentially becoming a pharmacist. She loved math and science and those were her strengths. She describes herself as analytical. Obviously, it’s a skill that would have served her well in medicine, but it also has helped her in her education career. After graduating from college and becoming a single parent, Graciela tried substitute teaching. It was the early 1980s. “I got hooked,” she says. “That was just the route to take.” For Graciela, her story starts well before that. And in some ways, her past led her on the path she eventually found. A member of the Harlingen pioneer Gutierrez family, Graciela says her parents were key to her success. “So our parents instilled in us that the best way to get out of a situation is through education,” she says. “So, of five siblings, four of us are college graduates.” Education wasn’t the only characteristic Graciela learned from her parents – work ethic and never giving up were two others. “My sister told me she was struggling with coursework and my father didn’t allow her to drop that course,” Graciela remembers. “Instead, he said they were going to take the same course together. That is really how deep the importance was of getting an education and completing what you start.” Graciela has definitely finished what she started – 38 total years in education. After starting out as a teacher, mainly unplanned, her road to administration also happened by chance. Spring 2018 • Inspire

She was a science teacher at Gay Middle School, which has since become Memorial Middle School, and had taken on some leadership roles, including as a department head. “That is where it all began,” she says about her administrative road. “I found I was organized. I was able to go back to school for my masters, able to raise kids and able to do it all.” She had originally gone back to school because of her interest in being able to do more for gifted and talented students. When an opening came up as a counselor, her principal at the time asked if she was interested, even though it would require taking more classes for certification. She did it and her career started to roll from there. “Once you cross that transition to the dark side, then everything snowballs,” Graciela says jokingly about administration as she laughs. “That was the logical next step.” In 1995, she became an assistant principal at Vernon Middle School before taking on the principal’s role several years later. While education in the classroom and on the administrative side has changed greatly over the years, Graciela makes sure to keep her eyes on what’s important. There are more tests and accountability. She admits teaching is more difficult than it ever has been. Graciela even cites math work students are now doing in middle school that in the past they hadn’t done until high school. Kids also are different, she admits. “You have to stay on your toes and always a step ahead,” she says. Schools also have to compete with technology and entertainment. “We have to be innovative and compete with the phone or video games,” Graciela says. “They have to be entertained and that is not like it used to be.” But, no matter what has changed – the requirements, students and teachers – one thing is obvious, she’s passionate about the kids. She walks the hallways and greets them as they pass 10

Spring 2018 • Inspire

between classes. She watches an activity in another class, a wide smile enjoying the interaction. “It’s not about me,” she says simply while back in her office. “It’s not about the teachers. It’s about the kids. So, when we make decisions, we need to keep that in mind. We need to ensure we have their best interests in mind.” Although she has 660 kids in her school, there are three always on her mind. “One of the coolest things is having my three grandkids in the school at all three grades,” she says, beaming with pride. “After school, they come in and chat about the day or I sit in my office and see them out there.” She admits, it is a perfect way to end her tenure. That wasn’t all she was waiting for. “I wanted to leave on a positive note,” she says. “It’s a challenging campus.” Graciela provides specifics about the high percentages of low income families and children whose first language is not English. “It has been a lot of work,” she admits. “We are at a place where staff knows what they are doing and they are on the same page.” So, come fall, Graciela, the product of Harlingen public schools who went from substitute teacher to the first female middle school principal in the district, will not return to Vernon as its principal. She admits, she’s excited not to have to go “back to school” shopping. Also, her sister has some plans for her. “We are going to take some vacation trips we haven’t been able to take,” she says. “I have a five-year-old grandchild and I want to spend more time there.” But, Graciela also admits she won’t completely disappear from the only career she has ever known and one that she feels so passionately about here in Harlingen. “I have told them I am going to sign up for public comments at board meetings,” she says with a grin, adding she might show up in shorts. “You will still hear my voice. I will definitely be involved. But, everything I sacrificed, it has come full circle, and it is time to enjoy it all now.”

Overcoming what hinders us Graciela Gutierrez knows what it takes to be a success. The first female middle school principal in Harlingen knows what can be a major roadblock for many women – a lack of self confidence. But, how do you find that confidence? Graciela has an answer. “You just keep doing it until you get it,” Graciela says. “You can’t give up. It’s that work ethic. Just move forward.” Other suggestions include asking for help when needed and finding a mentor who can help guide you. “Find someone you can look up to, who you know will help you,” she says. “It is important for women to do that. We need to help one another.” Networking and reaching out is equally important. For those current teachers now who want to follow in Graciela’s footsteps into administration, she has some thoughts for them as well. “If you want a leadership position, make sure you are volunteering,” she says. “Make sure your name is out there and people know you and think about you for the right reasons – that you are a go-getter. If that is something you aspire to be, make sure everyone knows that is what you aspire to be.”

I am a Gutierrez Graciela is from a pioneer family in Harlingen. Her father is originally from Harlingen and she, too, has lived her life here. But, that’s not all. Graciela’s older brother George was a civil engineer who was killed in a helicopter crash in Vietnam. He earned numerous military honors and his name is on Gutierrez Park and Gutierrez Middle School. She is proud of her brother, who she called “a wonderful man” and “loving brother,” who was the only boy along with four girls. Graciela admits she doesn’t feel pressure to live up the Gutierrez name. “We take pride in being Gutierrez,” Graciela says. “Within our Gutierrez group, there are doctors, teachers and attorneys.” In the past, family reunions held about every five years often brought more than 2,000 people.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

HA-30078724

In 2008, Graciela Gutierrez was named the Principal of the Year for the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Region 1, which ranges from Laredo to Brownsville.

XO O O O

Pivot Line

Pack is here

10 feet

“YO

EG SH T D T N O E I F R F I D N

FINDING FRIENDSHIP THROUGH THE HIGH CONTACT SPORT OF ROLLER DERBY

AND TRU

Spring 2018 • Inspire

ST AND THE STRENGTH TO

Jammer Line

10 feet

Story by ALEXIS AGUIRRE Photos by MARICELA RODRIGUEZ On the streets, they are mothers, students, waitresses and professionals. But on the track they go by I-Ram, Shockira, Metallica Breath and Pandamonium Doll. The only thing bolder than their names and lipstick they wear are the girls themselves. Zooming across the track in tights and colorful gear, the women of the RGV Bandidas are fearless, strong and tough. The female RGV flat track roller derby team has been skating strong for the past couple of years. Made up of two different teams, the MacTown Roller Rebels and the South Texas Rolleristas, the teams came together when they both realized they were stronger that way, a message that all the women would soon find out.

TO BE YOURSELF.

â€? Spring 2018 â€˘ Inspire

THE HISTORY OF DERBY

Roller Derby dates back to the 1920s, often referring to roller skate races. It evolved into a touring competition and grew in popularity after being televised in the 1940s. The Roller Derby organization shut down in 1973. Several short-lived attempts to revive the sport

sprouted up in the 1980s and 1990s. In the early 2000s, modern women’s roller derby began to form in Austin. The leagues were created as businesses and run by athletes. The flat track version spread like wildfire. By 2010, there were more than 450 derby leagues worldwide including the RGV Bandidas.

WHAT’S WITH THE NAMES? Unlike most sports, on the back of their jerseys aren’t their last names. Nicknames have been a long staple for derby. Often a play on words or a new spin to well-known phrases and celebrity’s names, the nicknames

None of them were born with skates on their feet, but one-by-one they found their way to the sport which feels like home. For a high contact, physical sport that results in a lot of bruises, the women have found a sisterhood they can count on and a game that has taught them valuable life skills. Seven years ago, Anazette Cano, also known as Azzy on the track, had just gotten out of the military and was trying to learn how to adjust to civilian life. One day, she was hanging out in a bar when a few derby girls rolled in looking to recruit for the team. There were many positions open for players or people wanting to help run the organization. Anazette signed up to help as a photographer. She thought she would just take photos of the girls during their bouts. But during a Derby 101 session, the women encouraged Anazette to try on a pair of skates. “I never thought I’d be on skates and I put them on and I haven’t taken them off since,” she says. While Derby is a growing 14

Spring 2018 • Inspire

have turned into a sort of alter ego for the players. The new persona helps them go into the game tougher and stronger with a new passion for competition.

“THIS IS A LITTLE GLIMPSE THAT LIFE COULD BE GOOD IF WOMEN WORK TOGETHER,” - ITZI ORTEGA

Spring 2018 • Inspire

RULES OF THE BOUT If its one thing the women of Roller Derby wish the outside world understood, it’s this – the game is very technical. To the untrained eye, it can look like just a group of girls

slamming their bodies into each other while on roller skates. But in order to even be allowed to play an official game, the girls must pass a written rules test and a preliminary physical test.

THE BOUT BEGINS WITH TWO TEAMS ON A TRACK. JAMMERS BEHIND THE JAMMER LINE AND BLOCKERS IN FRONT. JAMMERS HAVE A STAR ON THEIR HELEMTS.

Jammers

Blockers

H H

XXXX OOOO

JAMMERS ARE THE ONLY SKATERS ABLE TO SCORE POINTS. JAMMERS RECEIVE POINTS FOR EVERY OPPOSING TEAM MEMBER’S HIP THEY PASS.

OOOO

Purple jammer scores 4 points for passing 4 blockers BEFORE THE JAMMERS CAN BEGIN RECEIVING POINTS, THEY MUST FIRST GET PAST THE PACK OR THE GROUP OF BLOCKERS AND CIRCLE THE TRACK ONE FULL TIME.

Celebrating 1 Year!!!

Come celebrate with us! HA-30076688

Brownsville Mon-Thur 10am-10pm • Fri-Sat 10am-11pm • Sunday 12pm-11pm 450 E. Alton Gloor Blvd., Ste. 6 956-295-3877 (Visit our other 5 location)

sport, it is still very much unknown. For most of the women on the team, growing up they never knew the sport even existed. It was just something they stumbled into. But for Itzi Ortega, derby has been on her mind for quite some time. “When I was a little girl, I would skate a lot by myself,” Itzi says. Growing up in a small town in Mexico, she always wanted to be a part of a roller derby team. Derby teams were limited to the bigger cities. She had heard of the sport and wanted to be a part of it, but there were no teams around she could join. When she moved, Ortega finally found a place with the women’s contact sport. She was quick to join. Itzi hasn’t been with the team long, but she has fallen in love with the sport. “This is a little glimpse that life could be good if women work together,” Itzi says. Yet to play in a game, she is working on her skills. Player, Airam Alvarado also known as I-Ram, said the common misconception about the sport is that it is just a bunch of women skating into each other. In reality, the sport is rather technical. In fact, in order to participate in a game, girls must first pass a series of tests. One is a mini-

mum skills requirement where girls are put through a physical exam to gauge their balance, agility and endurance. The second is a written exam that tests girls on the rules and regulations of the sport to make sure they have a fundamental understanding of what is going on. Like many of the women, Airam was recruited at a club fair at STC. She came from a quiet background with experience in tennis and violin. Ramming into other girls at full force while wearing skates is a far cry from what she was used to. “I’ve gotten a lot of experience on how to get out of my comfort zone,” Airam says. “My endurance is at an all-time high.” The team is an equal mix of new girls and veterans. Oneby-one, the girls found their way to the sport. They each have dedicated time and money and have built a family within the rink. “The hardest thing about the sport is when you can’t be there and being away from the people that bring you up and cheer you up,” Anazette says about being out due to an injury. “You get to find friendship and trust and the strength to be yourself. You’re not weird when you’re in derby.”

LOOKING FOR NEW SKATERS PRACTICE TIMES WEDNESDAYS

THURSDAYS

SATURDAYS

WHERE: De Leon Soccer Complex, 4101 N. 29th Ln, McAllen TIME: 7:30 9:30 p.m.

WHERE: Hot Skating Roller Rink, 1320 N. 28th St., Harlingen TIME: 7:30 9:30 p.m.

WHERE: Hot Skating Roller Rink, 1320 N. 28th St., Harlingen TIME: 9:30 a.m. 1 p.m.

CONTACT: (956) 320-9946 FACEBOOK: facebook.com/rgvbandidas/

LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, STATE FARM IS THERE.Â® WITH... Christina Palomo, Agent 2312 S. Expressway 83, Suite D Harlingen, TX 78552

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Any female over the age of 18 can participate in an RGV Bandidas practice. The team will teach you how to skate and play a roller derby bout. No experience necessary. You can also volunteer to help organize a bout as a Non Skating Official (NSO).

Dream Home

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To be in the next edition of Valley Women Inspire, please contact Kristin Appell at 956.421.9873

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SCENES FROM THE 2018

MS. SOUTH TEXAS It

was a day filled with excitement, beauty, bling, maturity, dignity and elegance. The 5th annual South Texas Senior American Pageant drew hundreds to watch and a total of 10 lovely contestants. Held on Feb. 25 in Harlingen, the contestants used their abilities and talents as they were recognized for their personal life, family, education, career and community efforts. In the end, Linda Mancillas of Mercedes was crowned the winner and couldnâ€™t hold back the tears as she donned her winning crown.

Linda Mancillas Mercedes

Paula Henken Harlingen

Gloria Garcia Brownsville 20

Spring 2018 â€˘ Inspire

PAGEANT C.J. Johnson Corpus Christi

Lydia Flores Harlingen Joie Quick Harlingen

Marthaymelda Garcia Ybarra Corpus Christi

Melody Serrato Combes Spring 2018 â€¢ Inspire

Spring 2018 â€¢ Inspire

Women in Celebrating

MED CINE

There will be a time in all our lives when we will need a doctor – someone we trust and believe will help us. It may happen in an emergency room following an accident. Or, it could be in a doctor’s office where we are told the words we never want to hear. Regardless of the circumstances, doctors and nurses will be at our sides as we heal or as we fight a battle to stay alive. Here in the Rio Grande Valley, there are some great doctors. During the past several weeks, we have been able to meet some of these wonderful, giving and helpful people in medicine. We heard their stories and in turn, in the following pages, we will try to tell you who they are. Some will get deep about how they became who they are. In the meantime, we hope they inspire you to become the best version of yourself, whether in medicine or not. So, in this edition, we honor these four women in medicine, but please remember there are hundreds more out there who all have great stories to tell. We not only celebrate these female doctors, we celebrate all doctors. And, most importantly, we thank them for what they do.

“

For years I had convinced myself that, as a doctor, I sacrificed moments with friends, family, and my husband for the greater good. The call to heal the sick and tend the injured superseded all else. The Lord heaped blessings upon me, and I hurled them back in the name of “service” to him.

- Kathryn Butler Clinical Surgeon in the Boston area

YOU SHOULD KNOW

• In 1970 – only 9.7 percent of physicians were women • In 2010 – 32.4 percent of physicians were women • As of 2016, 35 percent of physicians were women • About 46 percent of all physicians in training are women • Nearly half of all medical students are women • 60 percent of trainees in dermatology are women • The percentage of female general surgery trainees is now 38 percent • As of 2014, 19 percent of all surgeons were women

National Doctors’ Day March 30 is known as National Doctors’ Day and it is a time to be grateful to primary care physicians. It was started in 1933 by a doctor’s wife, Eudora Brown Almond, who led the charge to set aside a special day for doctors. March 30 commemorates the day in 1842 when anesthesia was

first used in surgery. It was in 1990, when President George H.W. Bush signed legislation establishing the national day. Doctors’ Day is celebrated in other countries around the world as well. Most of the time, they are on different dates commemorating a special day for a physician from that country.

Spring 2018 • Inspire

A BALANC 24

Spring 2018 â€¢ Inspire

Brownsville doctor finds her place as

OB/GYN Story by NADIA TAMEZ-ROBLEDO Photo by MIGUEL ROBERTS

Claudia Garcia was at a recent family barbecue when she got the call. A patient was going into labor. It’s a familiar routine for her children by now. Garcia called a babysitter to meet her at the hospital, and everyone piled into the car. The children have a snack in the doctors’ lounge while Claudia gets to work. She has spent 13 years as an obstetrician and gynecologist in Brownsville. Working as a physician, especially one who can be called on at a moment’s notice, requires an elaborate juggling act with all of life’s other demands. “As a female, they tell you (that) you can do anything,” the 43-year-old says. “But what they don’t tell you is if you want to do it right, you can’t do it all at the same time. I think the trick is find-

ing the balance, and medicine has to be the priority.” While Claudia was born in Brownsville, she grew up in Matamoros as the oldest of three children. She graduated from high school and became a student at the University of Texas at Brownsville at 16. Claudia was the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree and first to become a doctor.

CING ACT Courtesy Photo

Spring 2018 • Inspire

“I’m the first crazy one,” she says, laughing. “They were very supportive, but I think we got into it without knowing what the long-term was going to be.” It’s possible, Claudia says, she wouldn’t have pursued medicine had she known how much sacrifice it would require. There’s an overall shortage of physicians in the Valley, she says, but also of women in medicine. “I never felt pushed aside or anything, but you definitely need to have your thick skin,” Claudia admits. She sees the field making progress when it comes to bolstering its number of women. Women made up nearly 35 percent of practicing U.S. physicians in 2016, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges most recent workforce data. The following year, the number of women entering medical schools throughout the country was slightly higher than men at 50.7 percent. Women made up about 54 percent of obstetricians and gynecologists practicing last year in Texas, but Claudia says she can count on one hand the number of Brownsville women in that specialty. As a doctor, there’s a lot on her plate. Claudia is a physician, business owner and boss. She’s also a wife and mom to 6-year-old twins and a 4-year-old. Claudia says her children know, “On Saturday, we’re going to the hospital to see babies.” That’s her way of explaining she needs to be at the hospital to tend to her patients in labor. “You’re following a lady who is pregnant for nine months. When the baby is born, she wants to see you,” Claudia says. “It’s part of your family’s routine, too.” After Claudia completed her undergraduate degree, she went to medical school in Galveston. She completed her residency in Oklahoma City but knew she wanted to return to South Texas. “Once you have tasted the water in the Valley, you always come back,” she says. Claudia also knew she wanted to work with Dr. Juan Mancillas, who bought Brownsville Womens Health Center in 1989. She had worked as an assistant to Mancillas’ sister during college. Mancillas said he recalled Claudia as a dedicated and hard-working student during her college days, though technically he didn’t hire her. His wife, also the practice’s office manager, decided 26

Spring 2018 • Inspire

to bring Claudia on board. “I knew she would be an asset to the practice,” he says. “What makes her an excellent physician is the same thing that worked in college. She’s down-toearth, very compassionate and very knowledgeable.” Mancillas lauded Claudia’s skills as a surgeon, particularly her ability to perform surgery using robotics. She has taken on all of his obstetrics patients as Mancillas moves closer to retirement. He echoed her observation that the ratio between women and men in medicine is slowly reaching a balance. “To be a woman and to be in medicine, especially obstetrics, which takes you out at all hours of the night, it’s hard on your family,” Mancillas says. “You miss out on a lot.” Bulletin boards at their medical office are lined with photos of hundreds of newborns, children who came into the world with help from doctors there. There’s a lot of joy that comes with a specialization that includes caring for pregnant women. To see the results of Claudia‘s work, look around any place in Brownsville where family congregate. “When we’re at the mall or walking around H-E-B, I’m telling my husband, ‘That baby’s mine, that baby’s mine,’” she said, “or they’re even classmates of my own kids.” But the news she delivers isn’t always good. She has consoled patients who have had miscarriages, are diagnosed with cancer, struggling with postpartum depression or who have been raped. Patient deaths feel unexpected. “You have to be human, and you have to be strong at the same time,” she said. “You have to find a way to cope with the stress because you can’t take it home, either.” Claudia says she has grown with her patients. Through marriages and divorces, pregnancies to menopause. “It’s a very rewarding field. People share their lives, people share their most intimate moments with you, their fears,” she says. “The minute I stop caring, I’m in the wrong field.” She also teaches at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s medical school. Listening to her students talk about their aspirations keeps her young and buoys her spirit when things get tough. She doesn’t plan on leaving the Valley or medicine any time soon. “Oh, I’ll be here, honey,” she says. “Unless something huge happens, I don’t see myself going anywhere. This is home.”

“

Once you have tasted the water in the Valley, you always come back” Claudia Garcia

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LLOWING

HER CALLINGS Espinoza heals sick, now preaches the gospel Story by LISA SEISER Photos by MARICELA RODRIGUEZ

ispanic girls don’t grow up to be doctors. At least that’s what Erica Espinoza once thought. A pharmacist, a nurse, a physician’s assistant … yes, certainly. But the thought of being a doctor appeared out of reach for a woman who looked like her. Erica became interested in a health care career path at a summer program in Edinburg, where she grew up. She also is quick to admit, while now wearing her white coat and stethoscope, she didn’t think she could become a doctor. “I was going to be a PA (physician’s assistant) because that is what girls do,” Erica says. “But, someone said, you don’t want to be a PA, you want to be a doctor. I can’t remember who said that, maybe one of the guys in the program. But, that statement stuck in my head for so long. And so, I decided to go to medical school.” That decision has more than paid off. The Harlingen resident easily summarizes her early life as a means to quicker reach the present and talk about what she’s doing now. But, before we can get to her new calling and how the two are intertwined, we must find out her path. Erica wanted to be a veterinarian when she was a child. Her parents were not highly edu-

cated people. Her father was a successful businessman who Erica says worked hard for everything he earned. In high school, she excelled in academics and athletics. She admits she’s been able to do whatever she has ever wanted to do. “My parents were always supportive,” she says. “They just thought I could do whatever. You know, the sky’s the limit.” After attending the University of Texas Pan American and earning a bachelors degree in chemistry, Erica headed out of the Valley to Houston. She worked at the Baylor College of Medicine, including a few years on the human genome project. In 2004, she was admitted to medical school and graduated in 2007 from the University of Texas Medical Department in Galveston. That’s where she met her husband, who later became a urologist. Along the way, she decided family practice was most appealing because of its broad nature. “I see kids, adults, teens, and the elderly,” she says. “I love the variety of general medicine. You see the common things, but the variety is amazing. The day is never the same. And that is fun.” She had considered other options, but because she knew she wanted a family and her husband was a doctor, she chose the position Spring 2018 • Inspire

with more consistent hours. She returned to the Valley and applied for a family residency. She went straight to work. In 2010, she graduated from the Valley Baptist Residency program. She spent the next several years at Sesame Family Clinic.

Hard work But her path didn’t come without bumps and potholes. Some of them she didn’t realize until recently. Erica says her daughter’s recent diagnosis of dyslexia brought her to tears. It wasn’t just for her daughter, Erica realized it was something she has been battling for years. “When we found out, I literally cried,” she says. “It was such an eye opener.” Erica says she believes she made it through medical school and had dyslexia all along. “I think I have always had it, I was just never diagnosed,” she says. “I just overcame it.” She believes her father, who wanted to be an attorney, but didn’t feel confident in his reading skills, also was dyslexic. “I thought it was normal to read the way I did,” she says. She has done a good amount of research on the topic and says the Hispanic culture has more people with dyslexia than other groups. It has nothing to do with IQ and is not necessarily seeing the letters reversed. “People with dyslexia hate to read and my thing was I had to read,” she says. Medical school was no joke to Erica. She admits she believes because of her troubles reading as well as an issue with her eyes, it is a miracle she actually made it through. “I just worked harder than everybody else,” she says. “Perseverance and dedication – those words played a huge roll in how I got here.”

New path About a year ago, the family doctor hung up her white coat and left the medical field. Erica says she doesn’t see it that way. “There were rumors I was retiring,” she says with a grin. “Other rumors were I was pregnant. Those were not the case.” In reality, she moved toward a different type of healing. “God called me,” she says. Her husband had been a pastor with 30

Spring 2018 • Inspire

If you think you can’t … think again Erica Espinoza has been told she can’t more than once. But she doesn’t put much stock in those opinions. Erica, instead, knows a person can do anything they put their mind to. Afterall, she’s proof of that. “Believe in yourself,” Erica says confidently as though she is talking to someone who is questioning themselves. “Sometimes they need someone to believe in them before they believe in themselves.” She has some suggestions for

a local church for a few years. Recently, the couple attended a conference in Oregon. “It was called One Church and we left there completely changed,” Erica says. “I asked God what church he wanted us at. He said he wanted us to start our home church.” Erica says it has been one of the most amazing experiences. “We are transforming people’s hearts and their lives are being restored. It is something you don’t do in medicine. It is really rewarding.” Now, she and her husband are leading The Collective Church RGV right here in Harlingen.

Does she miss medicine? She is quick to respond. “I feel like I never left,” she says. “It is just switched a little bit.” She doesn’t see herself as a full-time physician again. She plans to return to the field via telecommunication. “As a physician you treat people with medication,” Erica says. “As a pastor, you treat people with prayer and you also use fasting. You see supernatural healing with your own eyes. My mind is blown away each time. You know medication isn’t doing it.” Even in her work with the church, Erica uses her medical training and knowledge to help people. “You know the physiology of the body and you think this is impossible,” she says about some of the healing she sees as a pastor, not a doctor.

those who think they can’t. “Find a mentor,” she says. “I am always encouraging. Some have lost themselves in motherhood or working. It’s tough to wear so many hats.” She urges her fellow women to be flexible and stay away from the negativity. “The ski’s the limit,” she says. “There’s nothing you can’t do. Find a purpose. Keep your eyes focused on that. Everything that is good you will have to jump over obstacles. Keep going. It is worth it. Run your race.”

“

I think if someone feels lost, they really need to take some time and organize their thoughts. Relax and meditate. Figure out who you are and what you like. So often we forget to dream once we get older. And those dreams they once had as child, they get buried and you never reach them. My advice – take time, relax, believe in yourself and think about the dreams you had as a child.” Erica Espinoza

“

I am happy. It is crazy. When you just get to do everything you have wanted and you are in that moment. You are living in the moment – not worried about yesterday or what happened years ago – it is so freeing.” Erica Espinoza

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“

Our job is to be strong. You become strong. You have to in order to help the people who are hurting.” Jennifer Heffernan Miner

Spring 2018 • Inspire

Emergency room work in her blood Story by LISA SEISER Photos by MARICELA RODRIGUEZ

anyone was born to be an emergency room nurse, it was Jennifer Heffernan Miner. She’s calm, cool, organized and confident. Her meticulous attention to detail about how things are supposed to run exposes her desired goal for perfection. Those qualities shine through whether she is sitting at her desk or walking around showing off the bright and shiny stateof-the-art equipment at the Neighbors Emergency Center facilities she now runs in Harlingen and Brownsville.

For 20 years, Jennifer thrived in the chaos that is an emergency room. She went from nurse to charge nurse, the one who manages the entire floor during a shift. “My goal was always to become an RN and work in an emergency room,” she says. In order to know why Jennifer chose her path and is where she is now, you need to know her history. It starts as early as how she and her family ended up in the Valley.

Born in and raised in Ontario, Canada, Jennifer moved to the Valley when she was 15 years old. Her mother was a nurse and there was a nursing shortage in the United States. Her mother was recruited to come to Harlingen to work at a local hospital in the ER.

In the meantime Jennifer attended high school in Harlingen. She remembers the stories and experiences her mother talked about while working long, rough hours in the ER. Jennifer didn’t look at it that way. “She would come home from work and talk about all the stuff they did,” Jennifer says with an excitement still on her face as though she still remembered the stories vividly. “For me, I was like that sounds so awesome and so fun. It was just a natural progression for me to do that.” After high school, Jennifer worked as a pharmacy tech. But, she never let her eyes off her goal. She was newly married and had a child. So, she worked and attended school to become a licensed vocational nurse. “I did feel like following in her footsteps,” Jennifer says. “I was a young mother and I needed stability. Nurses always have a job and the pay is good with benefits. That was a consideration. I became an adult

So what TV show is the closest to reality?

They are often bloody, fast paced and quick to add in physical relationships between doctors and nurses. Some of the most popular dramas over the years on all of television take place in hospitals and emergency rooms. But, according to Jennifer Heffernan Miner, a 20-year ER nurse, only one has ever fit the bill as realistically depicting life in the emergency room. “The TV show ER was the closest I have ever seen,” she says about how it compared to the real life ER. However, she was quick to point out those were the early shows before it became more of a soap opera.

Spring 2018 • Inspire

early and I had to think of my family. I had to do it quick. It helped me focus where I needed to be.” Once she became an LVN, she worked for a year and went to RN school. “That was my goal,” she says. “It was hard to go back to school and have a young child. I had to go to night school and I worked at the time and was doing home health. But you have to push through.” However, even after finishing her schooling to become a registered nurse, it still wasn’t time for her to enter the ER. What stood in the way? Actually, it was who stood in the way? Her mother. The same person who had led her into the profession. With Jennifer’s mother already a manager in the ER at the local hospital, she had to wait. Jennifer couldn’t work in that same department. “So, I was in the cath lab until my mother moved up and I wouldn’t be under her supervision directly,” Jennifer remembers. “Immediately (after her mother moved), I went down to the ER.” She had reached her goal and planned to never leave. Jennifer experienced horrific traumas and all the while kept her focus clearly on ensuring she was helping people. She doesn’t hesitate when asked about her most memorable experience in the ER. It was in the 1990s and a trailer with illegal immigrants was being pulled. The vehicle crashed in Willacy County and nine of the immigrants were thrown from the trailer. They were all brought to Jennifer’s ER. It was the biggest trauma she had ever or would ever deal with in her career. It’s also easy for her to point out the most difficult situations. 34

Spring 2018 • Inspire

The future of Emergency Rooms? It’s called a freestanding ER. It’s privately owned and operated. For those who need to go there, it only accepts insurance and cash for payments. No Medicare or Medicaid. It’s a relatively new concept and one that has locations in Harlingen and Brownsville. Jennifer Heffernan Miner, the facility director at both Neighbors Emergency Center facilities, firmly believes in the concept. The 20-year emergency room nurse says the quality services provided are helping the concept gain steam. “We provide you the same as you would get in the emergency room of a hospital,” she says. “The service is stellar. That is the expectation. The care we provide is the difference.”

Jennifer believes it has to be, mainly because people have choices. Directly across the street from the Neighbors facility in Harlingen is Valley Baptist Medical Center. This new facility in Harlingen is clean, state-of-the-art and has a relaxing non-hospital type of feel. It’s clear Jennifer is proud of her facility and the experienced staff she has put together since its opening in early 2016. The facility sees people who have heart attacks, broken bones, strokes. The personnel there treat emergencies and it is open 24 hours a day. Another aspect that is no different from a hospital emergency room – the intent to help and make a difference in someone’s life and help them through a tough time.

“

You never feel like you have learned everything. Every single shift I would learn something. It never ended. I learned something every day.” Jennifer Heffernan Miner on working in an emergency room

“The worst thing to deal with is sick and dying children,” she says softly. Because of the stress those scenarios cause, Jennifer says it was key for her to keep her hours down. That came from having excellent time management skills. She says when her shift ended, she made sure her work was done in time so she was able to leave. “A reason I was able to stay for so long, I didn’t do a ton of overtime,” she says. “You can’t mentally do it. Burnout is huge in emergency medicine. The patients never end. They are piled everywhere.” Jennifer worked 36 hours a week and the rest of the time, was for her family and her kids. “That is the only way,” she says. However, even those efforts weren’t a complete success. She, like others, became frustrated and burned out by the increasing amounts of paperwork and overall changes in health care. “I loved it until the last five years,” Jennifer admits. “There were a lot of changes and it became harder to get things done. Sometimes you felt like you were doing more paperwork than helping patients.” Then came what Jennifer calls divine intervention. It was 2015 when she saw an advertisement about the free standing ER in Harlingen, now known as Neighbors Emergency Center. Jennifer admits she has always seen herself as more of the worker

and didn’t feel she was “management material.” “I didn’t even put an application in,” she says. “They called me and were interested in an interview.” It turned out, she had worked with the medical director. She was in and has never looked back. “I am very satisfied and I love this concept,” she says about the freestanding ER. “As an ER nurse, this is an excellent option and I hope it is the future. We can provide care in these facilities we want to give.” Jennifer says she works more hours now than she ever did as a nurse. She was so successful starting up the Harlingen facility, she was asked to take over as the facilities director in Brownsville, too. Now she shares time between the two. “I work way more now,” she says. “But it is different. My kids are older and the stress is not the same. My stress now is about operations. Before it was, I have 16 patients in the hallway and someone is coming in being given CPR and where do I put them. It was an immediate and heavy stress.” Jennifer is just a short distance from where she started. Now it is clear, her experience, knowledge and understanding of her profession have led her to where she is. She may not be an emergency room nurse anymore, but it is obvious, that will always be in her blood.

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What it takes to be an ER nurse “It’s a young person’s game,” says longtime emergency room nurse Jennifer Heffernan Miner. “It takes a toll on you.” But, it’s a satisfying job where you can help people on a daily basis. That’s what makes the stress, pressure and chaos all worth it. “Working in the ER is about immediate gratification,” Jennifer says. “We immediately make a difference in someone’s life. You can change someone’s life.” Jennifer admits being an ER nurse is an adrenaline rush, as well as fast-paced and changing all the time. An ability to work with chaos surrounding you is key to being good at the job. “You can have 25 different things going on at the same time and you need to know how to handle all of them,” Jennifer says about her years as a nurse and charge nurse in the ER of a local Harlingen hospital. “It’s all the specialties wrapped into one. I know a little bit about a lot of things. I can’t say I specialize in anything, but I know a little about a lot.” However, the stress, pressure and hours can impact an ER nurse’s family. “Burnout is a huge problem in emergency medicine,” Jennifer admits. She also says it is important to do all you can to not take work home with you. “You can’t,” she says to future nurses. “You have to get over it and through it. There is a lot of decompressing among the team. It is the only way to get through some of it.” Jennifer also stresses not becoming emotionally involved in cases. “You become harder to it because you see it every day,” she says. “It is part of the job and you can’t take it too emotionally.” But, you also have to care. “You have to want to make a difference,” Jennifer says. “A good nurse wants to make a difference in someone’s life. And we do make differences.”

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30 years Reflecting on

in medicine

Story and Photos by ALEXIS AGUIRRE

he earliest memory Dr. Susan Redmond has is of nurses sneaking her up into her mother’s hospital room. Her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer and in order to visit, a person had to be at least 16 years old. But Redmond was only three. Throughout her childhood, her mother stayed sick. After breast cancer, she contracted ovarian cancer and eventually succumbed to the disease. This is what led Redmond down the path to medicine. “I didn’t have a plan B or a plan C if I didn’t get into medical school,” Susan says.

Q&A WITH DR. SUSAN REDMOND ANY ADVICE FOR WOMEN WANTING TO GET INTO MEDICINE?

I would encourage them to do that but look at all their options. Now with mid-levels there are a lot of other choices to come into medicine without having to do as much education because we have four years of college, four years of medical school and for OB/GYN its four years of residency. So that’s 12 years of education. Some of the mid-levels don’t have to do a lot of those things.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Have confidence in themselves. Know they can do the job. We listen a little better than the males do, I think, to what patients are telling us and what they are actually coming into the office for than what they said.

IF YOU WEREN’T A DOCTOR, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?

I can’t imagine not being a doctor. That’s the thing. I enjoy what I’m doing. A lot of people at my age at OBGYN retire but I enjoy what I am doing and so I can’t imagine doing anything else. Maybe a history teacher. Maybe a botanist. But this is really what I want to do. Retirement is off right now, but those all nighters are getting to the point that they’re kind of hard.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?

History. I really like history. I watch the history channel all the time. I look at some of those things. I like watching history, reading history, trying to figure out what motivated people from a long time ago.

WHAT TRAITS MAKE A GOOD DOCTOR?

I think you need to be very determined. I’m saying that instead of stubborn. You need to listen to people. Listen to what they say. Don’t discount when someone says ‘I think this is going on,’ and there is no way for them to know because there are no symptoms of it. Listen to hunches about what is going on. Listening is a big one.

Spring 2018 • Inspire

This is interesting ... Susan Redmond is originally from Illinois and was a resident in Michigan when one night she was putting oil in her car to keep it from freezing up. She looked over to a bank across the street that showed the temperature of negative 50 degrees and had an epiphany, â€œThere are places that arenâ€™t this stinking cold.â€? Soon enough, she moved down to a place with palm trees and sunshine.

And there has never been a doubt in her mind that being a doctor is what she was meant to do. She likes solving problems and helping her patients. Throughout her career, Susan has seen families grow up and has tended to the different generations. She loves learning and continues to as she serves her patients. Every aspect of her job holds a special place in her heart. While Susan’s peers are beginning to retire, she cannot imagine a life outside of medicine. When asked what she would do if she wasn’t a doctor, she sat back and contemplated a life without a white coat. It was hard. She likes history, so maybe a career in that. But nothing would come close to the joy she receives from

helping out patients. The most defining moment in Redmond’s medical career happened more than 30 years ago. She remembers it vividly. She was working on her residency in Lansing, Michigan. It was June, there was a full moon and a long night ahead of her and her colleagues. It was right before she became chief resident. Every possible pregnancy complication that a person could have happened that shift. “We were up all night dealing with a lot of issues but at the end of the day when we finished the call, it was like, ‘we didn’t have anybody die,’” she says. “We had a lot of complications but we didn’t have anybody die.” Susan finished her residency and

decided it was time to leave the cold behind. She soon found herself in the Valley where the weather was warm and she was one of the few young female doctors. Initially it took some time for her to prove that she deserved respect. According to Susan, the nurses had a sort of pecking order with the older nurses at the top. Not only was she new, but she was young and she needed to show the nurses she would be giving the orders. Redmond has been in the Valley ever since doing what she loves. “I very much enjoy being able to put a healthy baby in a mom’s arms when she hasn’t been able to hold her baby before,” Redmond said.

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BOOK REVIEW

“The Grumpy Gardener” By Terri Schlichenmeyer The Bookworm Sez

Normally, you’d never allow it. Holes in your yard? No way! Trenches near your garage? Nuh-uh, except in the spring, when you start thinking about hostas in those holes, tomatoes in the trenches, daisies in the divots. Oh, how you love a garden, and with “The Grumpy Gardener” by Steve Bender, you’ll get a shovelful of ideas. Larry, Mary, Geri, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? If you’re frowning now, remember that even the most dedicated, experienced gardener has a dud now and then but there are ways to minimize that. Steve Bender has ideas. The first thing you’ll want to know is your zone, which is not at all new-agey. Growing zones are delineated areas that indicate average low winter temperatures; you’ll need to know your zone to know where a plant might thrive or die. On that last note, you’ll find the “Grumpy” in “Grumpy Gardener.” There are many garden and landscape plants that Bender wishes would just die. Here, find a list of the Five Most Awful Plants; reasons why you don’t want a river birch, cottonwood, or weeping willow in your yard; and why you should never move next door to someone who adores bamboo. If you hate critters in your garden, learn what bulbs they won’t eat, what they like, and how to get rid of pests altogether. Read how to use a chainsaw the Grumpy way, and how to get your plants ready for winter. Find a way to love dandelions and know what not to plant if you have pets. Teach your teens to grow kale, and then send them to college with plants that thrive on neglect. Scratch the surface on poison ivy mythology; see why sycamore

trees are good if you’re a kid; and learn why kudzu could become more than just a weed someday. Get useful lawn ideas, tips on fertilizer use, mulches to avoid, and organic methods to embrace. And finally, relax: says Bender, a dying plant is God’s way of telling you to try again … Will silver bells or cockle shells grace your yard this year – or do you struggle to keep the lawn green? Either way, you can’t help but laugh about it when you put “The Grumpy Gardener” between those greenish-brown thumbs. And yet – don’t be thinking this is all fun and geraniums. There’s humor inside this book, but author Steve Bender is serious about gardening, planting, and caring for greenery. The advice you’ll get is sound and useful, including sidebars in a Q-and-A format and chapters on things that may seem only barely garden-related until you need to know them. Also helpful is when Bender recommends alternatives – what to grow, for instance, if your Minnesota rhubarb hates Texas climate – and better ideas to make your garden glow. Though much of this book is set in Zone 8 (the South), there’s still plenty of advice and a few challenges for Northern, Central, and Western gardeners. If that’s you and you’re itching to plant, get “The Grumpy Gardener.” You’ll really dig it.

“The Grumpy Gardener” by Steve Bender c.2017, Oxmoor House $25.99 / $31.99 Canada 256 pages

“

There’s humor inside this book, but author Steve Bender is serious about gardening, planting, and caring f o r g r e e n e r y. ”

Spring 2018 • Inspire

FRESH

Family sees healthy growth with local dairy Story by LISA SEISER Photos by MARICELA RODRIGUEZ

ne baby goat chews the bottom of her black tank top from behind. Another moves in front of her, his feet up on a the pen’s railing and puts his face near hers for added attention, which he receives. The barn is full of hungry, playful 2-month old goats all different colors. Another barn, just steps away, is home to the older milking goats and a friendly donkey. On the other side of the house, a new endeavor - cows. Several dogs of all sizes and types run freely around the yard and farm area following the humans and animals. A few years ago, these scenes would have appeared unlikely for Lori Thompson. Living in the Rancho Viejo area, she and her husband worked in the health care industry. Now, they live in Bayview on a

Spring 2018 • Inspire

5-acre working farm with a vegetable garden, cows, chickens, pigs, goats and of course some dogs. They have goat milk and make goat cheese, soaps and lotions that are reaching the shelves of grocery stores and are sold at farmer’s markets and boutiques all across the state of Texas. It all started with a simple desire for her family – to live a more healthy lifestyle. “My daughter as an infant had difficulty digesting formulas, so we had a hard time after I stopped breastfeeding to find the right formula,” Lori says about her now 8-year-old daughter Taylor Rose. “She would spit up and we kind of narrowed it down to the formula. When she turned one, we decided to go the goat milk route.” After reading about the benefits of goat milk and going to a local farmer to try it out, they were sold on the idea. That was in 2010. “We moved out to a farm to raise animals and have a garden to grow our own food,” Lori says.

“

I try to be super mom, but I know n o t h i n g i s p e r fe c t . E v e r y d ay I t r y t o b e t h e r e fo r m y k i d s a n d d o w e l l i n e v e r y d ay life as far as the business goes.”

Spring 2018 • Inspire

It was part of creating a healthy lifestyle with fresh vegetables and being around like-minded people who believe in the healthy food movement. The goat milk is filled with vitamins and nutrients that are different than cow milk. Lori explains those who are lactose intolerant can have the protein that is in goat’s milk. “We were also already moving toward a healthier lifestyle with better eating habits,” she says. “The children were still young. We wanted to eat healthier and avoid the fast food, which is in your face every day no matter where you go. It is difficult, but if you adapt to that lifestyle it gets easier.” It all started with three goats. Now, the farm is home to about 100, the Thompsons announce proudly. An area that allows several goats to be milked at the same time is proof of the growth and success the Dairy Farm has seen over the years. They don’t just milk goats for the family. The milk is used to create cheese and other products as well. The farm’s goat feta cheese and marinated feta is at HEB. The farm became licensed to make cheese in 2014. It’s something Lori is very proud of. “One day we were at a market,” Lori says with tears welling in her eyes. “A woman told us that our cheese was life-changing for her father. I questioned it. But she told me he had just gone through surgery, hadn’t eaten any-

Spring 2018 • Inspire

thing in six weeks and our cheese was the first solid he could consume and keep down. From then on, she was buying it weekly.” Lori describes another time when a man traveled seven miles on his bike in the rain to reach the Brownsville market for some of the soap she makes. “Times like that help us realize we are doing the right thing and making others happy,” she says. “Producing products people enjoy and need in their life - it feels good to be able to do that.” But, it also has been a long road, which started by going to area farmer’s markets like the ones in Brownsville and South Padre Island. “Nobody knew who we were,” Lori says. “We promoted through handshakes and meeting people, word of mouth, giving out free samples of cheese.” It’s not just about the goats, even though they seem to be the top draw at the farm. On the property, there’s a small garden with vegetables, an area with a few pigs and then some chickens nearby. Cows have been added and hopes are for continued expansion and to bring more school children and groups to the farm so they can experience what it is like to live a life on the farm. Who better than the Thompsons to show the students the workings of a farm. The pride Lori and husband Adam have in their property is obvious. They want you to see it all.

BENEFITS OF GOAT MILK Lori and Adam Thompson know first-hand the benefits of goat milk. That’s why they now have 100 goats, create goat milk, goat cheese and goat soap. Among the goat milk benefits are • Easier to digest • Fewer allergenic proteins and causes less inflammation • High in calcium and fatty acids, but low in cholesterol • Keeps skin looking good • Absorbs nutrients and minerals better than cows’ milk That’s not all. As the Thompsons have found, goat’s milk is also good for your skin. “It is not only good for you internally, but also externally,” Lori says while sitting with her LaRose natural goats milk soap in front of her. It contains precious skin minerals like selenium and is packed with vitamins, including Vitamin A, the most important for the skin. It also contains lactic acid. It also has anti-aging capabilities and helps dry and sensitive skin. Lori says she gave the kids goat milk baths. Her son’s eczema was kept in control. That’s when the idea to use the goat’s milk to make soap was born.

Lori admits she’s even invited strangers out to the farm. “I was picking up a protein shake and I started talking to the guy about the farm and the goats,” she says. “He was 26 and said he had never been to a farm. I invited him out. I do that a lot. We welcome people to the farm. I want people to have this experience.” That has led to the farm being host and going on the road for local school groups. “Sharing with the kids is a huge deal for us, especially for those who haven’t been exposed to farm animals or farm life before. It brings us joy to see others see this.” There’s little doubt, this is a labor of love for Lori, Adam and the three children. It’s their business and they spend most of their time working and the sacrifices often have been great. “It has been a lot of hard work,” she says. “Sometimes it is so stressful. Just the long hours and the sacrifices of not spending enough time with the kids.” Lori admits there are some days she spends much of her day concentrating on bigger orders. But Lori is proud the kids pitch in, too. “They tell us they are proud of us and that we are hardworking and that is re-assuring to know we are doing the right thing,” Lori says. It is long hours and all day. Running a business is on your mind all the time. There have been a lot of sacrifices - missing award ceremonies and special events at the school. But, in the end, I know they are proud of us.”

The kids also do their part. They all put their own time in on the farm. It’s a work ethic they can’t get away from. Hunter Scott, the 13-year-old can run a shift on his own. Ryder James, 11, is learning the ropes of what to do. Taylor Rose mostly likes to feed the goats. Lori learned her own work ethic from her parents, both were migrants. While her father was long involved in farming, Lori didn’t grow up on the farm. Lori says her parents are still nonstop. But it was education her parents, who now live in Harlingen, pushed so she could create a better life for herself. Her father attended college, but did not finish. Her mother is a high school graduate. “Education was always important,” Lori remembers. “I always tried to be good in school. But I

didn’t know what I wanted to do.” She became a young mother at 22. Education still remained part of her life. Although it took her longer than most, Lori earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2014. It had taken her almost 15 years to finish, which she says is embarrassing. “It was important for me to set an example for my kids,” she says about earning her degree no matter how long it took. It just proves when Lori puts her mind to something, she will accomplish it. Right now, farming is her passion, second only to her children. Lori remains heavily focused on continuing the work at the farm as it grows. As Adam carries the load in most cases, Lori is involved in many aspects, specifically quality control, working with HEB and her specialty items. She

admits, she doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty, including shoveling out the animal pens when it needs to be done. Looking forward, she has some definite goals. Lori would love nothing more than to keep expanding the farm by adding acreage along with animals and employees. “I want to grow big enough to provide jobs,” she says. “I think that is a big deal for our community. It is rewarding to have a young man working and provide employment for him. If we can do that for others, that is what is important. We are just trying to get there.” However, at the top of the list remains - to keep living healthy as a family and spread that to the community at large. “I try to give 100 percent,” Lori says about all she does. “But I know it won’t be perfect. I accept that.”

TIPS FOR WOMEN CHASING THEIR DREAMS Lori Thompson pauses for a few moments, thinking about her long journey to make the soap she’s now so proud of. Then, the words flow. “Just go for it,” Lori says with a smile. Admitting she was somewhat afraid to battle the nuances of making goat soap, she persevered. “One day I just went for it,” she says. “I overcame the fear and went for it.” Yes, it took a lot of trial and error … at least a year in the making … as well as a significant monetary investment. “Some didn’t work out, but you just

have to keep trying,” she says. Lori talks about attaining the right amount of lather as well as ensuring the bar is all natural, uses raw goat milk and hardens correctly for the best product. It takes the perfect formula. Now, after all that work, she has something great to show for it – the LaRose Soap Co. And, the name – it means something too. Lori’s mother’s name is Rosa and her daughter’s name is Taylor Rose. “It is a tribute to two strong women I

love,” she says, her smile broad. That isn’t the only tough project Lori has been instrumental in creating. It also took a year to develop some lotions with a local lab in Bayview. The lab creates cosmetics worldwide, including lotions, soaps and shampoos. “We worked with them to create something that was all natural with plantbased preservatives that would work well with the milk,” she says. “It took us about a year, but we finally got the lotions going.” It’s all been accomplished because Lori just went for it and never gave up.

Winter 2017 â€¢ Inspire

It’s N T

easy being

GREEN

Brownsville’s Timmer champions environment Story by STEVE CLARK Photos by MIGUEL ROBERTS

f everyone worried about trash as much as Rose Timmer, we’d probably have a lot less of it. The Brownsville native and executive director of the nonprofit Healthy Communities of Brownsville Inc. said she can’t get through a day without thinking about the environmental impact of the trash she’s generating and the water she’s using, for instance. “Water is a very precious commodity and I don’t think we could get very far without it,” Rose says. “I take three-minute showers or less. I turn my water off when I brush my teeth. I recycle everything that I can.” She’s not shy about telling others they should recycle, or challenging someone she sees drinking water from a disposable plastic bottle. “I just can’t believe people pay money to drink water out of a plastic bottle,” Rose says. Needless to say, littering bugs her. “If everybody put litter in the trash cans we wouldn’t have a litter problem, but we do,” she says. “Straws are a big deal too. Plastic bags are a big deal.” That’s thanks to Timmer’s persistence in pushing for a Brownsville plastic bag ordinance. However, plastic bags aren’t the deal they used to be. “Lots of people say to me, ‘How did you ever do that?’ We just did it,” she says. Before the ordinance went into effect in 2010, flimsy, single-use plastic sacks were a common site in the city, blowing across

parking lots and stuck in trees and along fence lines. Not anymore. Getting the ordinance passed was about a yearlong fight, Timmer said. “It was a battle,” she says. “I had the city on my side, the health department, because they had run into some problems with flooding. Bags were stopping up our drains, so they were aware of that.” Now customers who wanted single-use bags at the point of sale were charged $1 per bag. It didn’t cause the meltdown some predicted, though there was grumbling, she admits. “I was even threatened,” Rose says. “It was kind of scary. A gentleman threatened me. He said, ‘You can’t do this. I have a right to a plastic bag.’ And I said, ‘Where in the Constitution does it say you’re supposed to get a plastic bag?’ And he did not like that answer. He was upset with me. “But I think it’s worked out well. ... Everybody talks about our culture and this is the way we do things, and we live on the frontera and it’s going to be dirty, and it’s going to be this and it’s going to be that. We changed something. The impact was tremendous. Here we are seven years later, and we’ve changed that culture.” State Attorney General Ken Paxton last year filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming the $1 bag fee was an illegal sales tax. Rather than fight it, Brownsville got rid of the fee and Paxton dropped the lawsuit. Rose says losing the fee money was a shame, since it was being put to good use, like buying equipment for the city’s landfill, shared by Los Fresnos, Port Isabel and South Padre Island. Spring 2018 • Inspire

“The fee was being used by the commission for a lot of good projects, I felt,” she says. “I was involved in how that fee was used, as an environmentalist and as the director for Healthy Communities. So it didn’t go in anybody’s pocket. It didn’t get wasted.” Rose says she hasn’t given up on establishing curbside recycling citywide, though it failed in the past to get enough backing from city commissioners despite what she felt were two promising pilot projects. While she concedes it’s “pretty close to impossible” to totally avoid products made from and/or packaged in plastic, she says there are still things people can do things to ease pressure on the environment — like just being more conscious of one’s choices. And recycling. Rose points out U.S. residents generate 4.4 pounds of trash a day on average. “We are not at the point in our society where you can walk in with your container and have things put in there for you,” she says. “They do that at some stores in Chicago, New York, California. You walk in with your jars and they fill them up with grains or this and that. “But people need to be aware of the waste that they’re creating, from the time they open their eyes to the time they close them,” Rose says. “It’s a lot.”

YOU SHOULD KNOW Special environment dates and what they mean

WORLD WATER DAY – MARCH 22

EARTH DAY – APRIL 22

This annual event focuses attention on the importance of universal access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities in developing countries. It also is a day for advocating the sustainable management of freshwater resources. This special day is supported by people all across the world. The first international World Water Day was designated by the United Nations in 1993.

Perhaps the most known of all special environmental days, there are Earth Day events in nearly 200 countries and coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network. Earth Day was started in 1970 and was celebrated in March. Here in America, it was first held a month later and led by United States Sen. Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teaching opportunity. There are numerous activities to celebrate Earth Day, but the focus is on the environmental issues the world faces.

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INSPIRE MAGAZINE

EMPOWERING, ENLIGHTENING AND ENTERTAINING

Spring 2018 Issue 1 • Volume 2

HARLINGEN’S

ERICA ESPINOZA

BELIEVES IN MIRACLES

Fl wer Power Jennifer Wilson’s journey to find her passion

taking Rio Derby girls lley by Grande Va

STORM

Spring 2018 • Inspire

They’re bright, talented and motivated

Editor

Lisa Seiser

Content

TEAM

Writer Alexis Aguirre

Photographer Maricela Rodriguez

Graphic Designer

Victor Cerda

During the first year of Valley Women Inspire Magazine, we talked to some of the most accomplished and successful women in the area. But, I have to tell you, the women we talk about in this first edition of the 2018 year are right up there. We certainly can’t take anything from the grit and determination of Jo Rae Wagner, the perseverance and fight of Bertha Garza, the creativity and work ethic of Andrea Bernes, the heart and soul of LaHuan Guthrie or the professionalism and giving nature of Betty Ramirez-Lara. All of these women were featured in the first year of the magazine. This time around, we have doctors, one who even has become a pastor. We have entrepreneurs, a longtime school administrator and an environmentalist. However, it’s not what they do that makes them unique. It’s their path to where they are now. They each have an inspiring story to tell and that’s why they are in this magazine. Jennifer Wilson was a teacher for years before truly pursuing her passion for flowers. Now she is a successful business owner of Wild August Nursery and Flower Farm here in Harlingen. Lori Thompson simply had a goal for her family to live a more healthy life. Now she and her husband own

in·spire verb

1. fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

Find us on : https://www.facebook. com/Inspire-Magazine-250727555359202/

@InspireRGV

Lisa Seiser Editor

Harlingen area Sales

TEAM Have a great story idea?

lseiser@valleystar.com 956.430.6215 Graphic Designer Ana Villaurrutia

Ad Director

Representative

Digital Marketing

Christina Castillo

Emily Anderson

Cashay Engineer

Beverly Ticer

Want to advertise in Inspire?

ccastillo@valleystar.com 956.430.6200

Inspire is published four times each year by the Valley Morning Star Digital content Diana Maldonado

Spring 2018 • Inspire

Representative

Clarissa Charles

Kristin Appell

Marco Alejandro

THE HISTORY OF DERBY

Spring 2018 • Inspire

have turned into a sort of alter ego for the players. The new persona helps them go into the game tougher and stronger with a new passion for competition.