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INSPIRE MAGAZINE

Fall 2018

EMPOWERING, ENLIGHTENING AND ENTERTAINING

Issue 3 • Volume 2

SAFETY OFF

Women find empowerment with GUNS

“

You have to know when life is offering you opportunities ...”

CHECK YOURSELF Know how to perform a SELF breast exam

Local singer

arado v l A ’ i i D ‘ a n Dia POWERHOUSE SCIENTIST Local making a historical mark

eams r d r e h g n i u purs

Education is your passport to the future

Editor

Lisa Seiser

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Fall 2018 • Inspire

It’s difficult to believe this is our seventh edition of Valley Women Inspire. We are thrilled to provide you with yet another opportunity to learn about women of the Valley, women’s issues and hold in your hands an entertaining publication you and your family can enjoy. This time around, we certainly have plenty of great women and inspiring stories that will make you want to reach for your best all the time. Education is our key focus in this fall edition as students, teachers and administrators are all back in class and rolling toward the end of the year. We’ve certainly found some extraordinary women you’ll want to know more about. Esperanza Zendejas is a familiar face throughout Brownsville. She is the Superintendent of BISD, one of the largest school districts in the Valley. She is at the top and it’s a tough job. But that’s not all Esperanza has done in her life. She has a lengthy list of accomplishments – some of which many people don’t know. You will enjoy her story and her path to success. Stephanie Vega recently received her doctorate degree. But her work in a scientific research lab is even more impressive. This Brownsville native was a member of a team that bio-engineered human lungs for the first time – a breathtaking feat difficult to explain and understand.

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We also met with a singer and comedian for this edition – the first time we have focused on stories about the arts in this magazine. Dii Alvarado is the lead singer of the band Rockstar Denied and is grateful every time she is able to perform on stage. Valley comedian Sonia Trevino has faced life-changing experiences, but those didn’t stop her from following her childhood dream to be on the stage. While it seems as though there may not be much of a connection between the entertainers and education, there is. These women all have in common the qualities of drive and passion that never stop. None of them have ever given up pursuing their dreams and some continue. Some are in professions that are generally male-dominated and these ladies have never let that stop them from striving for and achieving success. You can use their stories and experiences to learn from as you pursue your own dreams. We all have struggling moments and periods of time and these women fought through those to stay on their own paths. Once again, enjoy Valley Women Inspire magazine. Use it to help you steer down your own road to success.

Lisa Seiser

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/InspireMagazine250727555359202/ @InspireRGV

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Fearful of guns? Debbie Reiley has the answer. Stepanie Vega is a world class bio-engineer and she hopes other women strive for their best every day as she does.

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R E G G I R T

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ER S I E S A S I UEZ G I R D Story L O R LA E C I R A M Photos

Fall 2018 â€¢ Inspire

“YOU WANT TO KNOW YOUR GUN LIKE THE BACK OF YOUR HAND”

t’s a sunny, steamy morning as Debbie Reiley sits tall on a wooden table, her back to the shooting range she and her husband opened in La Feria about six years ago. Donning a camouflage-colored baseball cap and a pink button down collared shirt, both embroidered with bright yellow-green Rio Gun Club logos, she holds up in front of her an object many women have never touched. For some women, it is an object that generates a fear deep down they don’t believe can be overcome. That’s where Debbie makes her mark. She calmly, but with an undeniable energy, strength and knowledge, talks about every aspect of the pink and black Glock she holds in her hands. As she turns the gun in her fingers, she shows various parts of it and describes how each work. Debbie speaks at length about safety and the rules someone who shoots needs to know … and never forget.

A group of women, some new to guns and others more experienced, watch intently and focus on every word. They each know minutes later, they will hold the loaded gun, aim and shoot at a target. It’s all part of Debbie’s basic handgun class that lasts about two hours. “I love teaching women how to shoot,” Debbie says. “I have taught women who are deathly afraid of guns, some who have seen someone get shot, women of all different types and backgrounds. To see them come out of their shell and gain that confidence and just empower themselves is amazing. It is not scary (to shoot a gun), it is a fun kind of thing.”

This is the message Debbie tries to convey to women and she enjoys every minute teaching about guns and safety. As she twisted the gun, those focusing on her could see Debbie’s name written in gray on the pink slide of the Glock. “Every gun is just a little different, just like a car,” she explains with simplicity while peering at her weapon. “Your reverse, park, may be on the steering column in a car. Windows are here on the door, but it operates the same way. Every gun is a little different, but it operates the same way, too.” Debbie advises those who purchase a gun to get used to it, just like their car. “You want to know your gun like the

back of your hand,” she says. “You want to be able to operate your gun without having to look at it.” She walks around analyzing everyone’s grip. She has the women pick up the gun and grip it over and over the same way. “It’s about muscle memory,” she says. “Use your feelings and senses. I don’t even have to look at my gun … I know where everything is.” She continues to compare shooting a gun with driving a car. “When a woman has never driven before and you put her in a car, she gets more confidence in herself,” Debbie says. “It empowers her when she thought she Fall 2018 • Inspire

THE ANATOMY OF A GUN FORWARD SIGHT - is a forward protrusion that normally is used to align the forward section of the weapon with the rear and its rear sighting device. This also aids accuracy, allowing the shooter to manage well placed shots.

sight depending on the gun model. The rear sight is used to align the weapon with the front sight and direct the muzzle of the gun toward the target.

REAR SIGHT - the rear sight is similar to the forward sight and is used for aiming, it is typically slightly more advanced in its design than the front

couldn’t do it, it’s the same thing with shooting a gun.” What Debbie teaches relates to every type of gun, including rifles and shotguns. “Women’s hands are different and when you go to purchase a gun, you want to make sure you can hold it in your hands and it fits just right,” she says. Again, just like a car, you must adjust the seat. In this case, depending on the size of the grip, you adjust your grip of the gun. A firm grip is key, but not too firm. Debbie walks around and shakes each woman’s hand trying to show the correct grip level for each hand on the gun. She says a “firm 40 percent” with your main hand and 60 percent firmness on 8

Fall 2018 • Inspire

TRIGGER - the trigger is the lever used to manage the firing function at the weapon. TRIGGER GUARD - is a fixed ring set around the exposed parts of a trigger lever. This only partially protects the firearm from discharging accidentally when kept/drawn in/ from a holster.

BARREL - it is typically made of heavy duty materials to take on the abuse imparted on the assembly by the forces involved. Barrels also are rifled along their internal wall to impart a rotation onto the existing projectable - thus providing inherent stability and therefore aiding in accuracy. EJECTION PORT - is a port used to extract a spent or misfired shell casing or complete cartridge. It is a cutout along the middle portion of the slide and can also be used to check the condition of the firing chamber.

magazine into the firing chamber.

GRIP - is used by the operator’s dominant hand (shooting hand) for holding the handgun. A typical hold involved both hands, one wrapped around the grip and the other around both the grip and the dominant hand. SLIDE - the slide is the complete assembly that houses the upper and section of the weapon. This assembly is made of metal to withstand the forces at play when the gun is fired. The slide usually contains a ribbed pattern gripping and is pulled back manually to load the gun. In subsequent shots, the slide is automatically recoiled and is part of the mechanism used to introduce a fresh cartridge from the

the support hand is key. But that’s just one aspect of shooting Debbie discusses in depth. She goes through each

MAGAZINE WELL - is the well that accepts the magazine it usually features smooth walls and grooves to direct the magazine up toward the firing mechanism and slide. MUZZLE - is the business end of the barrel assembly, the last part of a gun that the exiting bullet touches. Some barrels come threaded to accept the silencer or suppressor.

and every part of the weapon, even how it can be taken apart and how each part moves and what it is for.

“A majority of the women who I have taught have been novice shooters and they have a different outlook,” she says of those including some in the class this day. “Emily was scared to touch and hold the gun, but then she shot. Then she knew what to expect. It was a fear of the unknown that is the main thing. Once you get past that, it is good.” After she’s done explaining the parts of the gun, Debbie moves toward each of the women in the class and drops bullets and empty casings in their palms. She talks about how the gun fires and where the bullet and casings exit from the gun. “The casing comes out of the ejection port,” she says. “Then, the next round in the magazine goes up into the chamber. It happens so fast, you don’t even see it.” A few minutes later, the women are loading magazines full of bullets with Debbie’s guidance. Stance is the final step before heading out on the firing range. The women use fake guns to practice their stances as they aim down range toward the targets, while still under the protective cover. “Your feet should be shoulder width apart, right foot back a bit (for right handers),” Debbie says as she takes a stance herself to show the others. “Open your feet up a bit for stability. If you are squared off, you won’t have as much balance.”

From your hips up, lean toward your target, she explains. It may feel like you are sticking your butt out, she says with a laugh. “Extend your arms out and lean in,” Debbie adds as the women all try to show off the proper form. “Take a breath in and out and then squeeze the trigger.” “Now, are you ready to shoot?” Debbie asks. The most novice of the shooters, Emily Anderson, responds with an answer about 90 minutes after first meeting Debbie during her first time at the range. “I am not as nervous as I was.” “You know the parts, how to handle the gun and the ammo,” Debbie says. “Well, maybe after I shoot I will have some questions,” Emily adds. Debbie didn’t always love guns and shooting. She was born in San Benito and raised in Harlingen. A Valley resident all her life. “I went hunting for the first

time with my uncle and shot a deer … a little doe,” she says proudly after the women had finished their class. “I was probably 15 years old. That was pretty much my first experience with a gun. I loved that excitement and I loved going hunting.” Later in life, she met her husband, an avid shooter and hunter, who has been involved in those activities all his life. It wasn’t until they built the range that Debbie really got into shooting. Just before the range was up and running, Debbie attended a camp for women and learned many facets of shooting there. “They taught a lot about safety issues and stuff that I didn’t know about,” she says. “Since then, I have gotten into three-gun shooting, including some competitions locally.” Debbie has some claims to fame. She learned how to shoot a shotgun from Lena Miculek, the daughter of Jerry Miculek, who is considered the world’s fastest shooter

TIPS TO BE A GREAT SHOT

1. Figure out your dominant hand and eye 2. Pick up your gun the same way every time and ready to shoot 3. Know where all 10 fingers are when firing 4. Proper grip firmness with both hands 5. Feet shoulder width apart Fall 2018 • Inspire

ABOUT RIO GUN CLUB During the shooting following the class, which the women fired at pink targets from 15 feet away, it was obvious Debbie was successful with her 2-hour lesson. Each of the women nailed the X part of the target more often than they didn’t as Debbie stood by and guided them with patience and calm through each shot. “Women shooters make the best shooters,” Debbie admits. “Women are receptive and they have better aim.” Debbie has no plans to stop teaching women about guns and letting everyone she can know if you are careful and treat a gun with respect, it can be very safe. That’s what keeps her motivated, along with the range, and the enjoyment of her own competition shooting. “I never could have imagined I would be here now,” Debbie says about teaching about guns and safety to women and others. “It has been a lot of fun. I am constantly learning things every day.” 10

Fall 2018 • Inspire

This family business is located on 2.5 acres adjacent to 100 acres of family property making it a safe place to shoot. With 150 to 200 members, the club is open during daylight hours and allows members to come and go as they please through a coded gate. There are cameras everywhere to ensure security. It came about when Debbie Reiley’s husband, a gun lover himself, wanted to open a range. Membership is $225 per year for an individual or family with children under 18. Among those who come out and have memberships include Border Patrol agents, ICE agents, local police and others. La Feria police officers use the range to qualify with their weapons. Debbie’s future hopes for the club would be to expand and to be able to host competitions, including skeet shooting.

Fall 2018 â€¢ Inspire

NOT TO BE DENIED NOT TO BE DENIED NOT TO BE DENIED NOT TO BE DENIED NOT TO BE DENIED NOT TO BE DENIED Story ALANA HERNANDEZ Photos COURTESY

CARLOS BARRON (Above photo) BRENDA BAZAN (Right photo and Cover photo)

Area singer weaves way to music career

hen people see a band performing, they see the group’s best side. However, in reality, keeping a band together isn’t easy. Band members need to have the love, dedication and most importantly the discipline to play music to have a fighting chance of staying united. Brownsville’s Diana “Dii” Alvarado is the lead singer of the 5-member band Rockstar Denied. She says being in a band requires commitment in order to work and describes it as like being in five different relationships. “We depend on each other,” she says. “Anything that goes on in our personal lives could affect our job, so we always remind each other how blessed we are to be able to make a living from what we love to do.” Her path to music success has been winding with hurdles here and there, but she is now exactly where she wants to be … exactly where she needs to be. Growing up, Dii always described herself as an introvert. This may seem strange to hear because she sings in front of large audiences quite often during the week. It’s when she’s on stage that she is most comfortable. It’s as if she transforms into a completely different person. 12 12

Fall 2018 • Inspire

You can tell she loves to sing and is able to get into character. “When I was growing up in private school, I was what you would pretty much call an outcast or a loner,” Dii says. “During lunch, I would be eating on the bleachers in the gym, alone. I was always shy and I still consider myself to be.”

D D D D D D

“I love singing at the beach in front of a beautiful view. I always make sure to look up at the sky and say thank you.” Dii Alvarado Lead singer Rockstar Denied Not everyone gets to do what they love for a living, but somehow Dii always had a feeling deep down in her heart she would somehow end up having a career in music. No one in her family had a background in music or sang. Dii didn’t even initially pursue the career. She chose the “traditional college path” and earned a bachelor’s degree in business management. However, she never lost sight of her dreams to be a singer. “I’m the first one to rebel and quit my college career to pursue music. So, I took a huge risk because it’s not easy to make a living with music. So, I’m proud to say I’ve been able to get everything I have through my career in music,” she says smiling. However, after hearing her talk about her journey toward her professional singing career, the conclusion is - Dii never needed to pursue music. Rather, by numerous strokes of luck, music seems to have found her. “I’ll be honest with you, I have always loved singing, but I never thought I could,” she says. However, she always had a feeling she would be involved with music somehow. She just didn’t know how or when. One day when she was working at the library, a man told her he was looking for a singer to join his band. He said for some reason he had a feeling she had the talent to sing. So, he asked her to audition. “I told him, I sing just like everyone else, which is in the shower and at karaoke,” she

admits to telling him. I didn’t have any experience performing in a band, but you have to know when life is offering you opportunities. So when they offered me the spot in the band after I auditioned, I took it. That was the first time she started to sing with a band. However, she considered it more as a hobby. “It wasn’t anything professional like I do now,” Dii says. “We just played a few shows here and there for about a year. Eventually, everyone in the band went their separate ways.” By another stroke of luck, Dii was asked to join another band one night she went to a bar with her friend. “My friend made a request to the band to play a song, but they didn’t have a female singer and told her they couldn’t play it. So, my friend put me on the spot and told them I could sing,” she says laughing. Dii ended up singing several songs with them the whole night and was asked to join the band. By this point, it’s no surprise, she said yes. After performing with the band about once a week for a while, the group eventually went their separate ways. The split may seem like an ending of her career, but it was quite the opposite. It allowed her to move to that next crucial milestone in her life, becoming the singer for Rockstar Denied. Like the popular saying goes, the third time’s the charm. About 10 years ago, drummer Edward Maldonado, who is now Dii’s fiancé, discovered her on MySpace. After seeing pictures of her singing, he asked her if she wanted to join his band because they were looking for a singer. Fall 2018 • Inspire

At the time, Dii was working at her 8 to 5 p.m. college career position. However, she decided to take a leap of faith and quit her day job to pursue her passion for singing after receiving another out-of-theblue singing opportunity. Dii has been singing professionally for 10 years, but family doesn’t always have the opportunity to see her perform. So, when she was asked what her favorite performance memory was, the mood in the room changed as she began taking long pauses and tried to hold back tears. A couple years ago, her family had a reunion on the Island and after the reunion, she had a performance her entire family attended - even her grandma, who is now 103 years old. “I have a lot of favorite mental moments from my performances. However, this is the

one I always hold in my heart,” she says with tears forming in her eyes. The band closed the show with a song and slowed it down for the audience. “As I was singing and waving my arms back and forth to the music, I saw my entire family, including my grandma in her wheelchair, smiling and waving her arms with me,” Dii says with tears streaming down her cheeks. “It’s so emotional for me because my grandma has to stay in bed now and I know she will never be able to see me perform again.” Every day, Dii is able to pursue her passion and that’s what makes her life worthwhile. “I’m thankful for being able to sing and do it for a living,” Dii says. “I love singing at the beach in front of a beautiful view. I always make sure to look up at the sky and say thank you.”

“I’m thankful for being able to sing and do it for a living.”

AARON LIMAS 14

Fall 2018 • Inspire

Dii Alvarado Lead singer Rockstar Denied

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POWERHOUSE Storywwww LISA SEISER Photos MARICELA RODRIGUEZ & JOHN D. BARAJAS

reeting Stephanie Vega for the first time, you instantly notice her physical beauty, perfect smile and engaging personality. She certainly doesn’t fit the picture we have in our minds of what a scientist looks like, or even acts like – they can be nerdy, sociallyawkward and one-dimensional. But, there’s no doubt, Stephanie breaks that mold wide open. She is a world-class scientist who has played a significant role in the bioengineering of human organs. And at 32, she’s only just started her career. Stephanie smiles and speaks with the intelligence, strength and confidence of someone who just received her Ph.D. and has already made an impact in the world of science. The Brownsville native, now living in Galveston, is an experienced and accomplished laboratory scientist who thoroughly enjoys her work every day. She continues to live a dream she never expected, involved in medical projects few understand and to some seem impossible. But, despite nothing being easy, Stephanie’s path, in some ways, was meant to lead her to this place in her life. Stephanie discovered her love of science while attending what used to be the University of

Fall 2018 • Inspire

SCIENTIST

Brownsville native member of team that successfully bio-engineers human lung Texas-Brownsville. Although she didn’t know what her major would be and the fact that she had interests in music and singing, she found her passion in science classes. “Those were the classes I was getting excited about and I was so excited,” she says with a smile. “And the next day I always wanted to see what was next. I would get excited and could see myself having a career in science and committing my life to science.” However, nobody in her family was in science and being a woman made it even more difficult. “Aside from people telling me or discouraging me, the classes were hard,” she admits. Stephanie pushed through and decided on a biology course program. It was extremely difficult. “It hit me,” she says about biology. “It was what I wanted to do with my life.” She wasn’t sure exactly what type of job that meant later down the road, but she knew science was it. Although Stephanie admits she was intimidated by her classes, she found she was able to focus and received all A’s. “I knew I could do it,” she says. “You have to have a passion and be willing to put in the time.” That was just the first step.

All about the work

“Experiments will fail 100 times. It is the one time it works, you have to do that again.” Stephanie Vega, Ph.D

er growth from a freshman to a senior gave her the confidence and reinforced her goal to be in science. At one point, she was selected to work in a laboratory performing experiments. She was just one of a handful of students to achieve that. “I worked in neuroscience,” she says about her junior and senior year experiences. “I was exposed to real science, not just book science. All things I learned, I got to apply it with my hands, do experiments and critical thinking … all the things they had taught me. It was amazing.” Then, near graduation, the question was, what is next? That’s where her first mentor made all the difference. He told me I needed to keep going because I had the potential, she says. “It only takes one person to tell you, you can do it for you to believe it,” she adds. “Sometimes you don’t think you can, but if someone else does, you do too. That was all I needed to hear.” She headed off to graduate school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. There, she was accepted into the graduate program and to a higher-level lab. Her passion for neuroscience and the study of infectious disease led her there. She could study and be relatively close to home, an only child whose parents still reside in Brownsville. That’s when the work with her current mentor Joan E. Nichols started. Their high risk research of bioengineering lungs later resulted in breathtaking results. The process started with decellularization of lab rats and then a pig, before actually bioengineering a new human lung from two different sources – something that had never been done.

It doesn’t take Stephanie Vega long to turn her focus toward the work she is so proud of. She beams with pride and excitement when discussing being on the forefront of amazing discoveries when it comes to the development of human tissue and organs. Stephanie was on a team at the University of Texas Medical Branch that bio-engineered a human lung from two different sources. The process, which took years before there was success, involves words such as “decellularization” as recellularization.” “This was the first time anyone had ever attempted a large organ,” Stephanie says. “We were first to do a pig and first to do human. Looking back at it now, we bio-engineered a human lung. It was a big deal, but not until you sit back and think about it do you realize it.” In Stephanie’s own work, the developed humanengineered lungs were used to study pathogenesis of lung disease caused by respiratory pathogens such as influenza A virus. She confidently speaks about her findings and the importance of experiments resulting in discoveries that will improve the medical field. Her dissertation potentially found new information regarding the connection between the flu and the development of lung fibrosis. A detailed explanation of her work involves words we don’t often hear, such as fibrogenesis, bleomycin, fibroblasts, apoptosis and macrophages. In basic terms, Stephanie explains it is unknown why or how people contract pulmonary fibrosis. However, through her work, there may be some new answers. She discovered the 2009 flu pandemic strain, also called the swine flu, later caused fibrosis. “So, that created some excitement,” she says. “Sure enough, studies that talked about doctors who had followed up with those in the pandemic, showed breathing problems seven months after and they had fibrosis.” However, the regular seasonal flu showed no connection with pulmonary fibrosis. Stephanie will continue her work using the lung models she and her team bio-engineered all with hopes to make new and life-changing findings.

Fall 2018 • Inspire

CHASING YOUR DREAMS Stephanie Vega has a Ph.D behind her name, making her someone to listen to. But, her path hasn’t been easy. She has some advice for those pursuing their dreams and finding obstacles. “Don’t let fears discourage you from chasing your dreams,” Stephanie says. “You are your own worst enemy. Other people tell you you can’t do it and you believe them. You already are limiting yourself.” She knows how difficult it can be, but suggests you stay strong and follow your passion and drive. “Don’t let fear scare you from moving forward,” she says. “Sometimes I think we limit ourselves more than other people limit us. Don’t always believe what other people say, instead of believing in yourself.”

Fall 2018 • Inspire

The research team Stephanie was a part of actually created a lab-grown lung. It took several years from start to finish. While doing that, Stephanie was working on her masters and doctorate degrees. “What we do is high risk research,” she says. “I can’t promise you it will work because it is so far out there with what we normally do with an animal, but we were so driven and we believed we could do something to make it work.” But, Stephanie didn’t stop there. She used the lab-grown lungs to find a cause and close the holes for research about pulmonary fibrosis, a disease that causes scar tissue to grow in the lungs and make it difficult to breathe. Her findings may change the future in determining how and why people contract pulmonary

fibrosis. Now, she has more tests and research to perform using the lab-grown lungs. “I plan to expose the model to other viruses,” Stephanie says. “I want to get a better idea of what is going on when people get sick.” That desire may lead her toward continued research now that she has obtained her doctorate. However, Stephanie is quick to point out a return to the Valley to teach isn’t out of the question. Neither is medical school. Basically, she’s just not sure. She does know she has no plans to be an academic researcher. “I am leaning more toward industry, but I don’t want to shut off other options,” she says. “The professor thing would be cool because I would like to help other students like me.”

IT’S A MAN’S WORLD

“It only takes one person to tell you you can do it for you to believe it. Sometimes you don’t think you can do it yourself, but if someone else does... that is all I needed to hear.”

The industry of science still is mostly male-dominated. At least that’s how Stephanie Vega sees it. She would know. She’s been working in the field for several years and has experienced that judgement because of her gender. “When you are a woman, they are judging you,” she says. “They say, ‘I didn’t know you did research.’” But, that can become a motivating factor as well. It is for Stephanie. “Sometimes you feel you have to prove yourself even more because they are always judging you. Your work will speak for itself and they will see what you are all about.”

Stephanie Vega, Ph.D She says there is a place in the Valley for more achievement, but there is a battle of culture that tends to keep young people close to home. “They like to stay in their comfort zone and when it gets hard, a lot of them quit,” she says about some who try to leave the Valley. “That is not for

everybody. It has been a long journey.” While Stephanie’s past has been written, her future is limitless and she knows it. “If you would have asked me when I was a little girl what would happen,” she says. “I will get a Ph.D. maybe, yes and work in science, but this much, this level, I never could have dreamed of all this.”

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Fall 2018 • Inspire

SHE’S HOME AGAIN

Melinda Rodriguez reflects on path that led her away from and back to Texas Southmost College Story STEVE CLARK Photos MIGUEL ROBERTS

oming back to Texas Southmost College wasn’t just a smart career move for Melinda Rodriguez, it also meant returning to a place that’s been part of her for most of her life. This is Melinda’s third tour with the college, which she rejoined in October 2016 after leading the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce for more than a year. Prior to the chamber position, Melinda served as TSC’s first marketing director since the institution split from the University of Texas at Brownsville. The Brownsville native’s current incarnation is as vice president of Institutional Advancement and Community Relations for TSC, a job requiring her to wear many hats, though they all fit well. “In 2016 I was asked to consider coming back and forming a division,” Melinda says. “They said, ‘We have a building and we have several departments. We’re going to put them in there and you make it a division.’ That’s the work I began here in 2016.” The division is home to the college’s marketing and community relations department, multimedia; conference, events and leasing services; sponsored programs, grants and contracts; alumni and the TSC Foundation.

Fall 2018 • Inspire

“My path was crooked, but I know that I could not be here and be successful without that crooked path. I would say allow the path to take its natural course. I fully believe that every step on that ladder was for a reason.”

Melinda Rodriguez

Melinda and her husband, Eddie, moved back to the Rio Grande Valley in 2012 after 20 years in Austin, where she had served in a number of nonprofit management, marketing and public relations, business development, grant writing and fundraising roles. Opportunities abounded in the capital city, but Melinda’s parents, who still lived in Brownsville, were getting older. “I thought, I’m the only daughter. I need to come back home,” she says. “So I came home. My mother lives with me and my dad lives down the road from me, so it’s easy to be with them and see them.” Her last Austin gig was as CEO for Catholic Charities of Central Texas. Back in Brownsville, she worked as a business consultant before joining TSC as marketing director. Reunited now with TSC as a vice president, Melinda has an opportunity to employ all the skills she’s developed, Melinda says. “I have literally done every job in my division as a career,” she says. “It helps me help my staff to do the best that they can do, and I certainly understand the challenges.”

Video production, for instance: It’s magical when done well, but doesn’t happen by magic. It’s actually a lot of work — scripting, storyboarding and so on, Melinda says. “When we get in a bind, I can write a grant and I can write a press release, and I’ve written many scripts here,” she says. “It’s great to be a practitioner, but it’s also great to lead people that are younger in their careers and growing.”

Melinda earned her master’s degree in human services from St. Edwards University and an undergraduate degree in communications from University of Texas-Pan American. She’s an alumnus of Hanna High School who, upon graduation, attended TSC for a year — a critical time, it turned out. Melinda tried two majors at the college - music and information technology. She played piano, guitar and trumpet as well as singing semiprofessionally all through high school. “Music came easy to me,” she says. “I earned a living by singing at

weddings when I was in high school. My dad wouldn’t let me work, but I told him I was going to church. Twenty bucks a wedding. And sometimes there were two or three weddings on a Saturday. Sixty bucks for a high school kid. That’s not bad.” Shooting for a career in music, Melinda enrolled at TSC as a voice major, but soon realized her options were limited. In fact there was only one: band director. That didn’t interest her, so she switched to IT. “I had a real strong IT background,” Melinda says. “I was already programming computers at 18, and just felt like it was a natural thing.” It entailed a lot of math, however, and although she didn’t know it at the time, Melinda has dyscalculia — dyslexia with numbers.

She was at a loss at that point. But a composition professor, Joe Colonga, suggested several times she should write for the school newspaper, the Collegian. Melinda didn’t think that

Fall 2018 • Inspire

suited her at all until the professor mentioned there was a stipend involved. Again, her dad wouldn’t have wanted her to work. His view was that college was where his daughter should study, earn a degree and find a husband. But, Colunga’s offer afforded the opportunity to “fly under the radar,” Melinda says. She could go to school, write stories for the paper and make $3.25 an hour. Melinda signed on as sports editor, a natural choice because she loved sports. “By second semester I was the editor of the Collegian,” she says. “It was exciting and it was easy for me.” Melinda changed her major to communications and transferred to the University of Texas Pan American, where she covered men’s sports and wrote for the school’s magazine while also working as news editor for K-LITE radio station in Harlingen. Melinda was also a teleprompter operator for KVEO’s evening news telecasts. “It was great,” she says. “It was the start of a 30-year career in writing that I parlayed into grant writing. And I did PR, stints in radio and TV.” She vividly remembers the smokefilled days at KVEO. “Back then you could smoke in a newsroom,” Melinda says. “The newsroom was just full of smoke. Actually my

Lolly Burns

lollyburns@gmail.com 956-873-2686 cell

Fall 2018 • Inspire

mother never believed that I was at a TV station. My clothes reeked. I mean my clothes just stunk.” Her first job out of college was as a public information officer for TSC, which combined her skills of writing and community engagement with a paycheck. “I was hooked, quite frankly,” Melinda says. She worked on the senate campaign of Eddie Lucio Jr., worked in PR for years and eventually leveraged her experience into a grantwriting position with TSC before becoming marketing and campaign director for United Way of South Texas in McAllen. Melinda was already married when she moved to Austin in 1994 and obtained a job with the grant department at Austin Community College. At one point, with a newborn at home, she was on the road doing 22-city media tours for the state teachers union. Now Melinda has come full

circle, back to the campus where she used to play as a child and hang out in the library while her parents were in class in the 1970s, and in charge of the division responsible for telling the world about TSC, whether through print advertising, video production or social media. “It’s been amazing work,” she says. “Whatever you’re seeing about the college is coming out of this division, with regards to telling the story. It’s a constant process of connecting and engaging with the community. That all happens here.” The division’s grant portfolio, meanwhile, is now up to around $4 million, Melinda says, describing her third opportunity with TSC as “a dream come true” in a place she loves. “A lot of people say, ‘Why would you come back?’ To me it’s very simple. It’s home and it’s always been home,” she says. “I’m just having a great time.” Melinda’s advice to today’s young professionals is don’t be afraid to follow a zigzag career path, even if it seems counterintuitive. “My path was crooked, but I know that I could not be here and be successful without that crooked path,” she says. “I would say allow the path to take its natural course. I fully believe that every step on that ladder was for a reason.”

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To be in the next edition of Valley Women Inspire, please contact Kristin Appell at 956.421.9873 Fall 2018 • Inspire

LIFE GOALS

Become a teacher Travel the world Write a book

Fall 2018 â€¢ Inspire

HARD WORK paying off } { Brownsville School District Superintendent reaches goals, but not done yet Story NADIA TAMEZ-ROBLEDO Photos J. HOEKEMA & M. ROBERTS

y the time Esperanza Zendejas was in 8th grade, she had set three goals for her life. Become a teacher. Travel the world. And write a book. Sitting in her office in Brownsville Independent School District’s administrative building, with windows overlooking the city and shelves filled with accolades, it could be assumed the eventual fulfillment of her childhood dreams was a given. But it may not have seemed so certain to a young Esperanza. Before she was superintendent, before she was a Stanford University graduate or published author, she was the youngest of nine children born in Michoacan, Mexico. Their home was humble, she says, with no electricity or running water and an outhouse. That changed when her family picked up and moved to Mexicali, where Esperanza says they waited to immigrate to the United States. “We were raised with the understanding that the United States was the land of opportunity, and my father would always say hard work would pay off,” she recalls. Her family lived in the county outside Imperial Valley, California, where her father worked at a feed lot that also employed some of her

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“There are not a lot of women (superintendents), even today. It’s a sad fact in Texas for ladies. There’s probably no more than 20 in over 1,000 school districts.” - Esperanza Zendejas BISD SUPERINTENDENT

brothers part-time. Two of them would later receive Purple Hearts for their service during the Vietnam War. At home, Esperanza trailed her mother in the kitchen as it filled up with sweet smells of frying garlic and onions while cooking. She was creative, too, drew and painted religious scenes. Growing up, Esperanza said only three career options for girls were discussed: nun, nurse or teacher. Despite that, her father was supportive of his children’s endeavors, he had wanted them to bring home medals and trophies so he knew they were doing well. While her parents were strict, they gave her the structure she needed to accomplish her goals, Esperanza says.

RUN LIKE A GIRL Esperanza developed a love of sports from an early age. “I think growing up in the feed lot had a lot

to do with that,” she says. “It was always a dash and a walk and a skip to the feed lot.” As a student in the 1960s and 70s, she says girls weren’t allowed to compete in high school sports. That didn’t keep her from running on the track alongside the boys. “Coach would let me run, but I could not compete,” Esperanza remembers. “I really didn’t pay attention to what people thought. I was more into doing what I wanted to do.” While she helped keep the statistics for the boys track and cross-country teams, Esperanza couldn’t earn a varsity jacket. One of her treasured keepsakes is a letter from her high school coach - which came with a varsity letter. The experience later shaped part of her philosophy as a superintendent. “You know, there is a lot of politics in the community, but the important thing is to focus on doing what’s best for the kids, and it’s hard if you don’t have that perspective,” she says. Fall 2018 • Inspire

She continued to volunteer as a student at Whittier College, serving as an umpire and coach for Little League baseball and playing tennis on her college team. With a love of sports, “You value the importance of keeping kids engaged when you go back in your youth and say, ‘What kept you out of trouble?’” she says. “In those early years, because girls were not playing, I think it makes me not afraid to deal with men later in my career and have a job dominated by males,” she says, adding that growing up around five brothers also played a role. “Standing up to boys does something for your future development.” Esperanza is a strong advocate for keeping students involved in school outside the classroom, and sports are an opportunity to learn, she says, about people, winning, losing and developing character. “Keeping kids busy is a critical factor to guiding them to a brighter future,” she says.

TAKING RISKS Esperanza began her teaching career in 1975 as a 6th grade instructor. As a counselor, she eventually worked for a superintendent who was a Stanford University graduate. She was inspired to earn a doctorate from the esteemed university. In order to get there, she made a plan to move closer to the city over time. Her career took her from Imperial Valley to Riverside County, then Los Angeles and Gilroy. “You take a risk,” she says. “I guess as a child, it was OK to take a risk and fail … but pick yourself up and move on. So all those lessons prepare you for who you are.” Risks are necessary to advance along the education career path, Esperanza says, but that isn’t always feasible for women in education leadership. Moving into that leadership role could require taking a job that offers less pay in order to get superintendent experience, Esperanza says. Women are also often the family caretakers, she adds. 26

Fall 2018 • Inspire

FACING THE FUTURE Before she was hired as BISD superintendent in 2015, Esperanza had served in the role from 1992-1995. Upon returning to Brownsville, she recognized that poverty was and is still a looming challenge for students. “Some things that have not changed since 1992 and have gotten worse,” she said. “Poverty of our students is still a present … element that we

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“There are not a lot of women (superintendents), even today,” she says. “It’s a sad fact in Texas for ladies. There’s probably no more than 20 in over 1,000 school districts.” Esperanza also recalls how mentors throughout her school years helped shaped the person she has become. There was her middle school typing teach, Barbara Jared, who gifted her an inspirational book “Apples of Gold.” Her coach Dwayne Reidenback supported her participation in sports at a time it wasn’t widely accepted and was later a witness when she earned her citizenship. And there was, of course, the time she spent at the feed lot watching the men in her family brand and cut horns from cattle. “I do think the experience growing up that engaged (me) in nontraditional settings and traditional settings and structured settings and creative settings were all to my benefit,” she says. “A lot of women, regrettably, don’t have the same experience I had.”

“You know, there is a lot of politics in the community, but the important thing is to focus on doing what’s best for the kids, and its’ hard if you don’t have that perspective”

as a school district have to infuse in the decisions we make.” Two years ago, she says, elementary schools began to offer open enrollment because, for some families, it makes sense for some parents to have their children attend school near the homes of grandparents’ or other afterschool caretakers. Elementary schools also began staying open until 5:30 p.m. for children who might

be home alone while their parents work, she says. “It’s more important to have them at school” where they can be engaged in activities and have supper, Esperanza adds. Not all families can afford the gas to drive their children to school, so the BISD bus system employs more than 200 drivers who pick up close to 15,000 students each day, she says. “You have to think about it when you’re big on projects,

developing budgets,” she says. “Districts in the county have taken over as centers of communities. In the 60s, I think it was the churches that played that role. Now it’s the schools.” Esperanza knows what students facing poverty are going through. She worked in the school cafeteria as a child to earn free lunch. She couldn’t be a Brownie because her parents didn’t have the money to drive her into town for meetings.

Fall 2018 • Inspire

WHAT’S NEXT

HA-30100095 HA-30078804

Beyond her career in education, Esperanza says she has a love for the arts. She has published two novels, a memoir entitled “Wings of Bamboo” and wrote a play called “Cuando los Muertos Lloran”

Fall 2018 • Inspire

}

that was staged at Texas Southmost College last fall. It’s returning for two performances in October. Perhaps her most unique hobby is ventriloquism. As a child, Esperanza spent a week at a hospital in San Diego for treatment on a broken right hand. She entertained herself by spending time in the hospital’s arts and crafts room, where she made her first hand puppets. “My parents never put up walls to discourage me from anything I wanted to try,” she says. Esperanza, by all accounts, appears to have accomplished the three goals she set for herself as a child – become a teacher, travel, write a book – and then some. But she doesn’t consider her journey complete. “I don’t believe I have made it yet,” she admits. “I have other goals, I want to keep learning. I want to keep exploring the world in different ways.” Esperanza wants to stage a play in Los Angeles someday. She has another manuscript that needs to be turned into a book. There’s still plenty to look forward to, she says. “With my grandchildren, I want to leave them where they know hard work pays off,” she says. “With determination and resilience, it’s a recipe that can take you as far as you want.”

“With my grandchildren, I want to leave them where they know hard work pays off. With determination and resilience, it’s a recipe that can take you as far as you want.”

}

“I feel I am a good fit in Brownsville because many of my own background is so similar to many of the children’s backgrounds,” she says. “The whole family had to work to make ends meet.” The big change to which the school district must adapt is the use of technology, Esperanza says. The district has brought on an assistant superintendent of technology, innovation and strategy to make sure the district’s classroom instruction is keeping pace with technology changes. It’s brought more opportunity for students to be trained in career fields, like EMT and fire program and soon a pipefitting program. Esperanza also wants to expand opportunities for technology and fine arts more programs, like mariachi program that launched last year at Lopez High School. “We have an awesome group of principals that (is) setting the bar higher,” she says. “It does take a team to make things happen. The teacherprincipal support team in our schools is phenomenal.”

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Fall 2018 • Inspire

Don’t call her Grandma It’s never too late to chase your dreams

Four years ago, Sylvia Cleary’s career seemed to be stagnant. She enjoyed her work at Golden Palms as a licensed vocational nurse and had valued her overall 20 years with that title. In her heart and mind, she had accepted the fact she would likely retire as an LVN. But, as her motto seems to be, she wasn’t done writing the book of her life yet. With a smile on her face and a casual sense about her, the 50-year-old talks about the decision that changed her life and has led her in a direction in which she can now chase her dreams. “I wanted an ‘RN’ behind my last name,” Sylvia says with pride during an interview at the Valley Morning Star office just weeks after her graduation from Texas State Technical College. “It is still surreal. I can’t believe it. When I pass the test, I still will not believe that title is behind me.” Now, it’s official, that title is hers. Sylvia didn’t just slip through and earn her associate’s degree. She made history. This past July, she was the valedictorian of the first graduating cohort of TSTC’s Registered Nursing program. But, while on the surface it seemed easy for Sylvia, she quickly admits, nothing was simple during her schooling. One thing was for sure, she never strayed from her goal. Sylvia Cleary could have quit on life a long time ago. Her journey is peppered with tragedy. When she was a junior in high school, her father died of cancer. Her first husband committed suicide. One of her children was born premature and is blind. And her current husband is a decorated Army veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. She’s certainly had her trials, but has overcome each one to create a successful life. In May of 2015, she left her job to go to school full time, not knowing exactly what to expect. She had to wait until TSTC started its first Registered Nursing courses, focusing on a biology major instead. She kept her desire a secret from her family and applied, not knowing whether she would be accepted to RN school. During her time at TSTC, she once again had obstacles bigger than the other students. With a family and husband to take care of, Sylvia’s life looked much different than that of her 29 other classmates. She noticed it would be a unique experience on the very first day of classes. “There were all these young kids,” she says of the class. “I felt like I was back in high school again.” The oldest person other than her was a woman who Sylvia says was 42 or 43. The rest were in their 20s. One, she says was barely 21 years old. “I started off in the front row and then sat in the back,” Sylvia says. “They were all talking.”

Fall 2018 • Inspire

So Sylvia focused on her own work and scores, much to the chagrin of one classmate who was very competitive. “He would ask people what their grades were,” she says. “I said I am not in high school. I am in competition with myself I wanted to succeed. I wanted to prove that at any age you can do this. I wanted to prove that to my kids.” She admits there were times when it was hard to take care of her husband and attend school on a full-time basis. She even later found out, the other students in the class referred to her as “grandma.” “I told them my grandkids don’t even call me grandma,” she says. “They had been saying it behind my back. But, I just knew I was there to learn and for a purpose.” Sylvia attended TSTC in Harlingen with little background in higher education. After high school in Rio Hondo, she was accepted to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. She wanted to go into criminal psychology and was awaiting financial aid information. But her mother never opened the letter about the student financial aid she needed to attend. So, Sylvia took a few classes at UT-Brownsville on a small scholarship. It didn’t take long before she decided to go into the workforce instead. She became a dental assistant with no experience but she learned the trade. She did that for nine years.

That’s when her first husband, who would become a nurse challenged her to take the LVN pre-entrance exam. Although she initially took the test as a way to “prove him wrong,” she attended Valley Baptist nursing school. She received all “A’s” in her classes and started to work as an LVN. She later worked as an LVN at Retama Manor before spending nine years at Golden Palms, performing jobs such as night nurse and assistant director of nursing. This is all still a long way from where she started. But it seems to be going full circle. “When I was younger, I wanted to be a math teacher,” she says now. “In ninth grade, my algebra teacher who was going to be absent wanted me to teach the class. She taught me what she wanted me to teach. She told me there would be a substitute, but I would teach the class.” Sylvia did. “On that day, I just went in front of

o r

he e

I always say, my life is a book that I am writing and I am not done writing that book. I hope you all are just beginning to write yours. Sylvia Cleary Valedictorian Speech 2018

Story LISA SEISER Photos MARICELA RODRIGUEZ and TSTC

the class and just started teaching,” she says. “That was what I thought I wanted to do.” That now is leading her to her next goal. “In 2014, I wouldn’t have even thought I was going back to school,” she says. “I was going to retire an LVN. Now, I know I can go further.” She admits, graduation was telling for her. “I got emotional myself,” she says about her graduation day. “I never thought I would graduate from college. I had a 4.0 even with the other classes. I got my medal and that was very emotional for me.” Now that she knows she can do it, she has deeper dreams. “My daughter got accepted into medical school in Antigua,” she says with a grin. “Who knows?” But, rather, Sylvia says she will be satisfied with a bachelor’s degree and masters degree so she can go into teaching. She would like to return to TSTC as a nursing instructor. She certainly knows what it takes.

Don’t let the small things stop you Sylvia Cleary has overcome obstacles her entire life. But one almost derailed her goal to become an RN. It wasn’t for a lack of intelligence. It wasn’t a lack of skills. Sylvia admits, for awhile she was just simply afraid to ask people to provide her letters of recommendation to go back to school. She says, don’t let anything stop you from pursuing your dreams, especially the small things and even the bigger issues such as finances and time. Sylvia suggests, if you want to go back to school, ask counselors and fellow students to see what scholarships are out there and what other opportunities there are. “Don’t let the money stop you,” she says. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Fall 2018 • Inspire

BOOK REVIEW

First tooth, first step. Every milestone your baby passed was reason for celebration. First day of school, first home run, you were there, cheerleading. First crush, first job. Big hopes, even if, as in the new book “If You Love Me” by Maureen Cavanagh, your baby doesn’t want them. Maureen Cavanagh isn’t the violent sort. A mother, sweetheart, and manager of a nonprofit company, Cavanagh is not the kind of person to kill, but that’s exactly what she was on her way to do last winter. It all started three years ago, when Cavanagh noticed that jewelry was missing from her home, gone from a secret location about which just one other person knew. She quickly confronted her daughter, Katie, who tearfully admitted that she’d stolen the jewelry to buy drugs. It wasn’t the first time Katie had troubles – but this was definitely the worst. When she was a teenager, she dealt with anorexia and depression. Later, she left college because of alcohol and drugs. Once again, Cavanagh was beside herself. Leaping into action, she and her ex-husband, Mike, worked to get Katie into detox but Katie bolted – just as she would 38 other times. There would be days, weeks, when she would be sober, seemingly happy, and safe in an expensive hospital, and then she’d suddenly relapse. Glimpses of the old Katie would surface and disappear behind a haze of substance abuse. Cavanagh learned to tell when Katie was high and when it was time to back off from talking about it. Most of all, though, Cavanagh learned to get the help she needed, in addition to what she needed for Katie. Finding strength in knowing

Fall 2018 • Inspire

that she isn’t alone then spurred her to make changes in her own life, and to create the perfect job. Today, Cavanagh helps substance-abusing young adults find the intervention they need, and she guides their worried, terrified parents through the storm. Needless to say, author Maureen Cavanagh didn’t murder anyone, but a disturbing end to that part of the story is inside “If You Love Me.” There’s more, too, of course, and it’s harrowing – especially when you note that nearly the entirety of Cavanagh’s tale – from discovery to a leave-us-hanging resolution – takes place in a short three-year period. That can result in a storypace that may leave a reader wrung out, because it’s a lot of in-and-outof-rehab rehashing, it can also seem repetitive. Kindred spirits, however, will fully appreciate Cavanagh’s stellar job in reassuring parents via her narrative that there is no shame in reaching out for help or support. She advocates Facebook pages for venting, also offering subtle, in-story advice and rueful observations that make this book valuable for (grand)parent, friend, and politician. This book deserves its spot on a growing list of books on addiction, just as it deserves to be on your bookshelf if you have a loved one with substance abuse problems. In that case, and if you need the comfort, you may want to reach for “If You Love Me” first.

D “If You Love Me” by Maureen Cavanagh c.2018, Henry Holt & Co. $26 U.S. and Canada 224 pages

of the old “ Glimpses Katie would surface and disappear behind a haze of substance abuse.”

DESIGN MATTERS Christina Rodriguez DIVA BY DESIGN - HARLINGEN

Interior design is an art and a science. For Christina Rodriguez, the founder and owner of Diva by Design Interiors, Harlingen, there are certain ways things need to be done. However, she says, no two projects are ever the same. “There is no way for this to be boring,” Christina says. “Not everyone like the same colors. Not everyone likes the same style. I haven’t repeated a style yet. I actually like a little about everything.” An interior designer makes spaces functional, safe and beautiful by selecting colors, lighting and materials. An interior decorator determines style, budget and the needs of the client, determines the color palette, furniture options and more. Basically, Christina does both as she determines the client’s style. “I see things you don’t,” she says. “I walk into a room, if it is empty or not, I

Six must haves to decorate your coffee table Do you wish that everyone would stop piling things up on your coffee table? Or, at least keep their feet off of it? I have an easy way to make your coffee table look good and leave room for their feet. (You know they aren’t going to stop, right?) Here are six things that you need to make your coffee table look great ...

can see how to make it better. If it is empty, I can see it finished. Most people can’t do that.” Being a good designer is like putting a puzzle together. “I can put it together very easily,” she says. “I am very good at mixing colors that some people would never think to mix.” She also is interested in Feng Shui, a Chinese system for arranging surroundings in harmony and balance with the natural world. “I found a lot of people in this area are interested in that,” she says. “It’s about the outdoor and the indoor and bringing nature into things.”

HAVE A QUESTION YOU WANT TO ASK CHRISTINA? SEND IT TO LSEISER@VALLEYSTAR.COM

1. A tray – find a tray that goes with your personal design style and is big enough to cover at least one third of your table. This leaves room around the edges for drinks (on coasters) or for the inevitable foot rest. It’s also an easy way to keep it all under control. 2. Books – Books are a designer’s best friend. The colors on the cover can be matched to the colors in your room either by covering them with wrapping paper or taking off the dust jacket to see what’s underneath. Books can also be stacked for an instant pedestal. Have at least three. 3. A candle – We all love candles. For the fragrance and even the color, candles add instant ambience to a room and your coffee table. 4. Flowers – You can buy flowers from the grocery store each week, or use silk flowers for color. My choice for silk is to find the ones that most closely resemble real flowers. If you’re allergic to flowers, find a beautiful green plant that will do well

indoors. Real flowers and plants provide an instant connection to the outdoors, and they clean the air. 5. A small box – This can be used as a pedestal like the books. My favorite use is to hide the TV remotes, but still keep them close at hand. A mirrored box will add a different texture to the mix. 6. One decorative item – This one is the perfect way to add something trendy or to show your personality. It can be anything you like and it’s a great conversation starter. Your coffee table can be wood, metal, mirrored, or even a large ottoman. It doesn’t matter. Use what you love and what works for you and your family. Mixing items in different textures will add interest and draw the eye. When your coffee table looks good, maybe you can convince your family to keep it that way! What do you have on your coffee table? Christina Rodriguez 33 Fall 2018 • Inspire

KETO FOR YOUR HEALTH Stories LISA SEISER Photos MARICELA RODRIGUEZ

We’ve all heard people talking about it. Your friends are probably on it - maybe you are, too. Yes, it’s the biggest “fad” diet out there right now - Keto. But, what is it and is it really a fad ... or can it make you healthier? Some of these stories may help you determine for yourself. But, reviews are mixed as some doctors are leery of the high fat diet, and long-term affects remain unknown.

t was about three years ago when Harlingen pharmacist Bobby Muniz learned more about the Keto lifestyle. He was attending a men’s health conference, ironically in Sin City, where carbohydrates, like sweet beverages and fried foods, are easy to give in to. But, Bobby brought the concept back to Harlingen with him and happened to have a patient he thought the low carb, high fat diet could help. “He had hypertension, diabetes, was overweight and struggling with pain in his knees and legs,” Bobby says about his patient. “He came in and said, ‘Bobby, I can’t bend over and put my boots on.’ His wife had to do that for him.” The man’s goal was to be able to do that himself. In six months on the Keto diet, the man had lost 50 pounds, didn’t need a cane anymore, and his inflammation and pain in his body went away. Most importantly, for him, the man was able to put his boots on himself. “That is when I thought, we have something here,” Bobby says while sitting in his office at Muniz Pharmacy on Commerce Street in Harlingen. He started to implement and use the Keto diet as a means to help others with their nutrition, health and weight. Bobby’s seen it all, from some patients gradually moving off of all medications, to seeing lower cholesterol numbers, lower blood pressure and improved liver function, just to name a

few health benefits. The most apparent improvements have been with patients who have diabetes. Bobby says many who have gone to Keto have been able to reduce and even eliminate medications for diabetes. In January, Bobby admits he saw the popularity of the Keto diet “blow up.” He said he believes that started because some athletes, such as New England quarterback Tom Brady was doing it. However, the diet is from the 1920s, when it was used for children with seizures. “The research is there that says we can use this again,” Bobby says. But, Bobby, who does Keto himself, is quick to point out there isn’t a magical, perfect or best diet out there. He has a different answer when people ask that. “I don’t think there is a best diet,” he says. “It is very individual. Basically, it is what is the best diet for you. For some people it doesn’t work. You need to find whatever works for you.” He helps people via word of mouth and as a pharmacist, he believes in helping people remedy their problems. “We are practicing functional medicine,” he says. “We identify the actual problem versus putting a band-aid on it. We look at the whole person - exercise, sleep, stress management and nutrition. We are being proactive and building relationships with the hopes to provide supplements versus the drugs and in the long run people will be happier.”

What is the Keto lifestyle?

This is a diet high on fats and low on carbohydrates. Basically, by eating that way, it turns the body in a fat burning machine. The human body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which is used for energy or stored as glycogen in liver and muscle tissue. But, when carbs are not consumed and go missing, the body goes to fats as its fuel supply. That’s when the body breaks down stored fat into fatty acids. When those fatty acids reach the liver, they are converted into ketones. The brain and organs then feed on ketones in a process called ketosis.

Fall 2018 • Inspire

STRIVING FOR MORE Linda Torres loves sugar and fruit. But now, she loves the way she looks and feels much more. The Harlingen resident who works in San Benito has been working on her health for months and most recently in July, started on the Keto lifestyle. She has lost more than 35 pounds to date and is planning to run in a half marathon soon and is going to sign up to run in a full marathon. But none of that would have been possible just a few months ago. Linda had weighed 211 pounds. “I saw myself in a picture at a baby shower,” she says. “I couldn’t believe I had gotten that way. I saw the picture on Facebook and decided to join the gym.” That was about a year ago. While working out was helping her body, she didn’t start to really feel a difference until she changed her diet. “I feel so much better,” Linda says. “I have more energy, I never seem to get tired.” That’s not all. She doesn’t have inflammation in the joints and no longer has headaches. But more importantly, she has seen tremendous results with her high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. “I wanted to get off the medications, that was one of the main reasons for doing this,” she says. And she is on her way. However, Linda is quick to point out it isn’t easy and it is a true lifestyle change. “Once you get where you want to be, you can up your carbs a little, up to like 50 grams,” she says. Typically, to start out, someone on Keto is trying to stay in the 20 gram range daily. It can take several days to rid your system of the carbs your body has built up. Getting into ketosis can take between seven and 14 days for some. Linda is now on her way to her goal, which she says keeps changing as she loses weight and feels better. “My goal is a 32-inch waist because that is what Dr. Oz says you need to have healthy organs,” Linda says as she laughs. “It has to be 32 inches.”

Low Carb vs. Keto Bobby Muniz believes there’s a problem with a low carbohydrate diet … there is no definition for low carbs. “With Keto, your goal is to get into ketosis, which is producing ketones,” Bobby says. “Keto is measurable.” By consuming less than 50 grams of carbohydrates a day, preferably around 20, the body will go into ketosis, which gives the Keto diet its name. Dr. Robert Atkins popularized his version of the low carb diet, which is similar to Keto. However, after an initial restriction of 25 grams of carbs a day, Atkins allows up to 100 grams a day, making it less restrictive than keto.

Fall 2018 • Inspire

LIFESTYLE CHANGE Laurie Mancilla never realized how important diet and nutrition was to how she felt. She knows now. After starting the Keto diet in late June, her life has changed. She did Bobby Muniz’s 21-day Keto challenge and since that time, she’s a different person. “My energy level increased and my mental clarity is better,” says Harlingen’s Rodriguez Elementary School teacher. “Before, I would have needed all these stickies on my computer to remember dates and meetings. I was always ready, but not as far in advance. Now I am ready and willing to conquer all the time. My whole mentality has changed with my energy.” Laurie says Muniz smiled as she told him about her experience on the challenge and beyond. “You know why that is … right? It is because you have removed those foods from your diet,” she recalls him saying. “Your body is relying on fat for energy. He was giving me all the science on it. I told him I don’t know what’s going on, but I just feel so much better.” Laurie also used to suffer from regular migraines – about twice a month – she said were severe enough to lay her out for two days. “I have not had a migraine since June,” she says. “It is amazing.” That’s not all. She says she no longer has a racing heart and anxiety she once did along with normal blood pressure. She is able to sleep all the way through the night, also. “I wake up ready to go and I’m not sluggish,” she says. “I wake up ready to start my day and go all the way through.” Added to her benefits – weight loss of about 35 pounds. Laurie has long had a battle with weight, but it is more than that. She admits she has never really been super thin or healthy, but things became worse after she gave birth to her son. After a C-section and infection, she was later diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, which leads to weight gain. For Laurie, the weight kept coming and she closed in on 250 pounds. But, now with the weight coming off due to her diet and exercise plan, her next goal is to get under 200 pounds. She’s thankful for the Keto diet to keep her on track. Laurie admits she’s tried every diet you can think of and she believes this one she can make a real lifestyle change with.

Keto tips from Bobby & Linda

Fall 2018 • Inspire

• Receive guidance - There is a lot of misinformation out there, so know the facts. • Stick to it - Either a person is in ketosis or not, but the key is to stick with it. Going in and out of ketosis is not good for the body, especially the liver. • Prepare your meals - In order to stick with the lifestyle change, find out what you like and cook extra to save for later. Prepare and plan out meals. • When going to restaurants - One of the hardest things for some people is to stay on their nutrition goals while going out. But it can be done. Linda says to find some restaurants that fit your nutrition goals and also be willing to ask to change some components on a plate that don’t fit the diet. • If you do stray off the diet and have a soda, bread or rice and beans, make sure you exercise to burn it off as soon as possible so you can return to ketosis.

WHAT YOU CAN’T EAT

“I don’t want to go back there,” she says about her recent past. However, that doesn’t mean those on Keto don’t fall off the wagon once in awhile. Recently, it was worse than that for Laurie. “I face planted off Keto,” she admits about drinking soda and eating bread. “I immediately felt lethargic and bloated like I hadn’t for months. I had a twinge of a headache. I felt horrible and my energy was gone.” Her body wasn’t used to the carbohydrate intake and couldn’t handle it. She has no plans to do that again. “I want to feel the way I am feeling now because I enjoy how I feel,” she says. “I want to give my students the very best and I honestly feel like I am doing much better in every aspect of my life.”

• • • •

• Corn • Beans • Rice

Bread Pasta Sugar Milk

WHAT YOU CAN EAT • • • •

Nuts/seeds Berries Green vegetables Eggs and dairy

• Some non green vegetables • Oils • Meat

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Story ALANA HERNANDEZ Photo SHOOTER ROBERTS

onia Trevino remembers watching her first stand-up comedy special with her dad when she was a young girl. The comedians’ ability to make people laugh fascinated her. She thought the career was the coolest thing ever and wanted to become one also. However, after facing numerous life-changing experiences, Sonia finally fulfilled her childhood dream and became a comedian, one of only a few female comedians in the Valley. Here is the story of how that came to be. After a multiple year relationship with her boyfriend ended, the now 38-year-old needed an outlet to steer her away from her heartbreak. This was the spark in her life she needed to push her out of her comfort zone. Soon after, instead of only watching comedians perform, she gathered the courage to switch roles from audience member to performer. It was her turn to stand behind the microphone. Sonia began doing stand-up in 2010. Her first show was at the historic Cine El Rey performing arts theater in McAllen and she continues to perform there every Wednesday. “I was given three to five minutes to tell some jokes and apparently I did OK because here I am almost eight years later and performing my stand-ups quite often and hosting shows,” she says laughing.

Fall 2018 • Inspire

Being able to perform jokes in front of an audience and hear people laugh is “insanely rewarding” for Sonia. “I even like it when it’s quiet. It’s a bittersweet feeling because they may not be laughing, but they’re not talking, which means they’re listening to me,” she says. “So, I like that too.” However, the most rewarding moments for Sonia don’t particularly take place during the show. She says what’s really rewarding is when people come up to her after she performs. Time after time, audience members have introduced themselves and told her that her performance “made their bad week feel so much better.” “I’m like wow really? That’s amazing and I’m glad I could help because this world is tough and if we can laugh about stuff - I’m all about that,” she says.

Her life before comedy

duced her to the world of comedy. However, her memories of him never left her heart. “When you lose someone so close to you, especially someone like your father, you never really get over it,” she said. “You just learn how to cope with it.”

Son having a mom as a comedian

“I can’t tell you how many times a day my son rolls his eyes at me because I’m always cracking jokes, especially with him,” she says laughing. “I could be the most hilarious person in the world, but in the end, I’m still his lame old mom. However, Saul is a big fan. “But he also gets embarrassed sometimes because he knows that a good portion of my jokes are about him,” she says smiling. “I am just very thankful for having my son. I love that I was given such a beautiful spirit to walk through life with.”

Women pursuing comedy

Within a three-year span, two impactful moments occurred when Sonia was a teenager. Moments she says made her grow up fast, from one day to the next. When Sonia was 16, she became pregnant with her son, Saul, and went into labor when she was 17. Saul’s father was in their life for a short period of time. However, even though her son’s father was no longer around, she looked at the bright side. She “felt thankful” for receiving a tremendous amount of love, help and support from her family and friends. However, difficult times soon struck again. The year after her son was born, Sonia’s father died. She may have lost the person who intro-

Unfortunately, there’s a lack of a level playing field and misconceptions when it comes to woman performing comedy. Throughout her career, Sonia has noticed “a decent number of female comedians, but not enough in the male-dominated profession.” So, whenever she finds out that other female comedians will also be performing, she loves being able to meet them and watch their stand-up. Sonia hears a lot of people say “women aren’t funny.” However, she has never let these comments bring her down. If anything, it does the exact opposite. They reinforce the strength, passion and commitment she has to continue bringing joy to people’s lives with her comedy. “Men and women are people who have the capability of making other people laugh so come to my show and I’ll show you that women are funny,” she says with confidence. She attributes the confidence to pursue her dreams to her beloved father. He was someone who always reassured her that she could do anything she wanted to do in life. “He never made me feel like a girl. He treated me like a person,” she says. “He said if I wanted to be a mechanic, I can be a mechanic. If I want to fly planes, I can fly planes. If I want to be a comedian, I can be a comedian. So, she did just that. “If others want to do stand-up comedy, they should pursue it,” she says. “The world needs more love and laughter so if you have the power to make people happy, follow your dreams and make them come true.”

o n i v e r t a i n o s Fall 2018 • Inspire

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Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas Ambassador Hannah Edelstein wanted to address the issue of domestic violence while assisting local non-profit, Friendship of Women, Inc. Hannah worked with fellow Girl Scouts, businesses, community organizations and individual volunteers for the project that added a laundry room with three commercial washers and driers, plus a covered walkway connecting it to the shelter. Most importantly, she prepared an educational power point presentation to raise awareness of the needs of abused families, the needs of Friendship of Women, which services families from all over the Rio Grande Valley, and to raise community involvement in helping victims and organizations who support families in need. For her efforts, Hannah was selected as a 2018 Gold Award Girl Scout. This is Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas; building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

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Fall 2018 • Inspire

As part of a nationwide recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Texas Oncology invites 1 Annual local breast cancer survivors to join in our 10th Wreath Project. The entire community is invited to join the Wreath Project by simply visiting Texas Oncology Brownsville and placing a signed pink ribbon for yourself or a breast cancer survivor.

Breast Cancer Survivors, family and friends are invited to drop by Texas Oncology Friday October 12p to 3pm for 14 516 from 12pm food, refreshments and goodie bags. Self-breast exam demonstrations will be provided by Registered Nurses between the hours of 12pm to 3pm

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Fall 2018 • Inspire

How to perform a SELF breast exam H

ealthcare professionals emphasize there is value in conducting a regular breast selfexam in order to help identify breast cancer in its early stages. Sarah Cannon recommends women age 20 and older conduct monthly breast self-exams.

• Perform your self-exam two weeks after your period starts, when your breasts are less likely to be sensitive or sore. • Using a mirror, begin with your hands on your hips and look at your breasts to observe that they are their usual shape, size and color, are evenly shaped and are without visible distortion or swelling. You should be looking for dimpling, puckering or bulging of the skin, nipple discharge or a change in the nipple’s position, as well as redness, soreness, rash or swelling. • Still in front of the mirror, raise your arms and look for the same observances as you did with your hands on your hips. • While lying down, use your right hand to feel your left breast and left hand to feel your right breast. Using a firm, but smooth touch with the pad of your fingers, use a circular motion about the size of a quarter to feel all parts of each breast. Be sure to cover the entire breast from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen and from your armpit to 42

Fall 2018 • Inspire

your cleavage. • Be sure to cover all the tissue from the shallow parts of the breast to the deepest parts. Use light pressure for the skin and tissue just beneath the nipple and medium pressure for the tissue in the middle of the breast. Use firmer pressure for the deep tissue in the back – when you feel this part of the breast, you should be able to feel your ribcage. • Finally, repeat the exam process while standing or sitting. Many women find it easiest to do this portion while the skin is wet, so you may opt to do this portion in the shower. • If you come across any unusual findings – a lump, bump, a tender spot that wasn’t there last month, nipple discharge, change in coloring, change in size or anything similar, schedule an appointment with your doctor for an evaluation to determine if any imaging or tests should be done. It is important to also remember not to panic, since breast tissue goes through many phases, so a tender spot or change in size does not necessarily mean anything concerning.

To understand breast cancer, it is first important to understand exactly what cancer is – the production of abnormal cells. Your body is programmed to routinely replenish cells in different organs. As normal cells age or get damaged, they die off and new cells take their place. This is what’s supposed to happen. Abnormal cell growth refers to a buildup of extra cells. This happens when new cells form even though the body doesn’t need them or when old, damaged cells don’t die off. These extra cells slowly accumulate to form a malignant (or cancerous) tissue mass, lump or growth called a tumor. These abnormal cells can destroy normal body tissue and spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system. Breast cancer starts in the breasts, but it can spread to other parts of your body if it isn’t caught at an early stage. When cancer cells form, they can break away from where the tumor is located

and travel into your blood vessels or lymph vessels (vessels connected to small masses of tissue called lymph nodes). From your vessels, these malignant cells can attach to other tissues and grow into new tumors. Breast cancer can be ductal carcinoma (cancer that starts in the breast ducts — the system that carries breast milk from the lobules to the nipple) or lobular carcinoma (cancer that starts in the breast lobules – the glands of the breast that produce milk). If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you know that your healthcare team is very important throughout your journey. This group of supporters may include your oncologists, surgeon, nurse navigator, a dietitian, a social worker or other medical professionals. Every member plays an important role. During the staging process of your cancer, you will learn that the TNM

Courtesy of Valley Regional Medical Center Brownsville THE POWER TO DETECT BREAST CANCER EARLY

is in your hands Here are three steps that can help detect breast cancer early:

staging system is used for all types of cancers, not just breast cancer. The letters TNM describe the amount of cancer and how much it has spread throughout your body. T: indicates how big the tumor is and whether the cancer has spread into surrounding tissue. N: indicates whether the cancer has spread to surrounding lymph nodes. M: indicates metastasis, which means that cancer has spread to other body parts. Using TNM, your doctor will diagnose your cancer according to one of the following stages: Stage 0 - This is an extremely early stage where abnormal cells are present. They may be in the lining of a breast duct, for example, but there has been no spread. Stage 1 - This is an early stage where cancer cells are in the breast tissue but have not spread beyond the breast. The tumor is not more than two centimeters across. Stage 2 - Breast cancer is in Stage 2 when the tumor is less than two centimeters in size but has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm, is between two and five centimeters and has spread or when it is more than five centimeters, but hasn’t spread. Stage 3 - This stage is called locally advanced cancer. The cancer has spread from where it began into nearby tissue and lymph nodes. Stage 4 - This stage refers to a tumor of any size that has spread to other parts or areas of the body beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes. These areas may include lungs, distant lymph nodes, bones or brain.

Learn more about breast cancer through Sarah Cannon, the Cancer Institute of HCA Healthcare. Annual screening mammograms can detect breast cancer at its earliest stages and early detection of breast cancer can improve a woman’s chance of survival. Valley Regional Medical Center offers a high-risk screening program as a component of the mammography program. This screening includes genetic testing for patients that may be at an elevated risk of developing cancer in the following sites: breast, ovarian, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, melanoma, and endometrial. Valley Regional Medical Center’s goal is to empower women with the most current information available to them. Need to schedule your mammogram? Call (956) 350-7525.

01 FEEL

Use your hands to check for lumps or knots

LOOK Use a mirror to check for changes or abnormalities

FEEL AGAIN Lie down on your back and repeat step two

NOW WHAT?

If you find something unusual:

If you don't find something unusual:

Don’t panic.

Great! Continue to

Make an appointment

self-examine monthly.

to get it checked out.

Need Help? At %%SENDER NAME%%, we perform clinical screening exams for you.

SCHEDULE A VISIT

Courtesy of Valley Regional Medical Center Brownsville Fall 2018 • Inspire

DESIG

Fall 2018 â€¢ Inspire

IGNING FOR THE CURE

DINING BY DESIGN

DAYTIME PREVIEW OPEN

YOU SHOULD KNOW

DINNER GALA

WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 15 WHERE: Casa De Amistad, Harlingen CONTACT: Natalie Leal at 956-2441789 or nleal78@ gmail.com.

Since 2001, Dining by Design has donated more than $700,000 to the American Cancer Society. Recent year fundraising exceeded $85,000.

Tablescapes are set up for viewing from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A light lunch will be served by a local professional catering company. Ticket price is $25 per person in advance and $30 at the door. All are invited to attend this part of the event.

This is the hottest ticket in town. The tables are filled by event sponsors, table designers and their guests. About 500 typically attend this great fundraising event. Dinner will be plated prepared and served by the caterers. Doors open at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 7:30 p.m. These seats are not sold at the door. Fall 2018 â€˘ Inspire

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THE BEST CHOICE Brainsville Opportunities

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