Valley Women Inspire

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INSPIRE MAGAZINE

EMPOWERING, ENLIGHTENING AND ENTERTAINING

Summer 2017 )SSUE s 6OLUME

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“It’s given me a sense of MY SOUL A connection to a larger picture of

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Sports & Fitness

Girls

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How to look your best!

LIFE v

Always keep looking forward

Editor

Lisa Seiser

Content

TEAM

Writer Kayleigh Sommer

There are many reasons why it’s so fantastic to be part of this wonderful women’s magazine.

One that comes to mind immediately is, after each edition, we have the opportunity to improve on the next one. We learn what works and what doesn’t, and what our readers like and what they may not. Our hope and goal is to make each magazine better than the previous one.

But, there’s another reason that exceeds all others.

That is the opportunity to meet and speak with the wonderful women of the Rio Grande Valley. This is undoubtedly the highlight of working on this quarterly publication.

There’s definitely no shortage of women out there making a difference, taking charge and following their own dreams every single day.

In this edition, we suspect you will be inspired by great stories of these women leading the way in what most see as male-dominated professions.

Some of these women are firsts of their kind. They are true trendsetters.

A pair of them featured in this edition are even first cousins.

It’s impossible not to admire McAllen Station Border Patrol Agent in Charge Melissa Lucio.

She carries herself with extreme confidence and is easy to talk to. It’s plain to see why she’s been tapped to move up the ladder at the Border

Photographer Maricela Rodriguez

Sales

Patrol over the years to end up taking over the busiest station.

Only six percent of the 20,000 Border Patrol personnel are women. There are only a handful of women ranked higher than Melissa in all of the Border Patrol.

Melissa’s cousin, Julie GuerraRamirez, the Progreso International Bridge Operator, also is a fan of Melissa’s, calling her a “great lady” who has done much in her career.

Their mutual admiration is linked with the knowledge they are both trendsetters. Julie is the first and only female bridge director in all the Valley.

Another trendsetter is Miryam Anderson. She’s the very first female deputy chief of the Harlingen Police Department. That just happened this year.

The stories of these women are truly inspirational and we hope they make a difference in your lives the way they have in ours. Listen to them and learn from them.

We hope you enjoy our second edition of Inspire.

But, keep in mind, not everything in these editions is meant to inspire.

Our other stories and features are intended to entertain, educate and inform.

in·spire

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

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Lisa Seiser

@InspireRGV

Editor

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© Copyright 2017 AIM Media Texas

What’s inside?

36

12

18

CUISINE

FEATURE

SPORTS

30

06

ON THE COVER

BEAUTY

12

18

25

42

44

Super Stefania

Leading the way

Book review

Building fun

Kids bored?

The Rio Grande Grill owner and chef talks about sustainability and gives us some tips on how to cook like a real professional chef.

Melissa Lucio is the Border Patrol Agent in Charge in McAllen, leading the third-largest station.

What makes her so special? We tell you.

Ever feel like you are just as busy on the weekend as you are during the week?

Well, that’s not good for you and “The Weekend Effect” tells you why.

A group of women recently helped work on a Habitat for Humanity house.

Why did they participate and what did they learn?

The summer slide is real. It’s when kids lose some of the achievement gains they made during the school year. We have some tips to avoid that.

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Yoga & meditation

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Tree – Vrksasana Pose Level – 1 Benefits

• Strengthens thighs, calves, ankles, and spine • Stretches the groin and inner thighs, chest and shoulders • Improves sense of balance • Relieves sciatica and reduces flat feet

6

3UMMER s Inspire

some way

g your to

l u So Story by KAYLEIGH SOMMER Photos by MARICELA RODRIGUEZ

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — There’s something about sunrise yoga on the beach.

For one thing, you are totally alone. The breeze off the water is cool, but not cold, and the sand doesn’t burn your feet.

As your yoga mat or towel sticks to the dewy sand, you stretch and prepare for your beginning poses.

The sun peeks out on the horizon, the waves are crashing softly in front of the orange and purple sky.

Aziza Barker

The sun is why we’re here, says Aziza Barker.

Barker is the owner and operator of the Laguna Madre Yoga, Meditation and Dance Center. She is also a yoga instructor with experience dating back more than 30 years.

On this day specifically, a Sunday at 7 a.m., Aziza and a group get together for sunrise yoga.

You can do yoga anywhere. But practicing yoga on the beach at sunrise is the ultimate lesson in appreciation. The sun is the reason for everything.

“It’s why the earth exists. So being appreciative of it and giving gratitude is an important part of this,” Aziza says.

She has a calmness about her – probably from all the years of meditation and yoga.

She talks softly and her knowledge of yoga is immense.

She says she started in college about 40 years ago – before it was popular.

While at college in north Texas, a yogi from India came to teach a class, and Aziza fell in love. As a dancer, Aziza loved the way yoga and dance came together for her.

For years, she has practiced not only yoga, but pursued the meditation part of it.

Her love for yoga led her to become a teacher in the practice.

After teaching yoga on South Padre Island for many years, she

3UMMER s Inspire

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opened her own studio. who Everyone who a benbenpractices yoga tly. For For o efits differently. ys itt has has a Aziza, she says gevi v ty given her longevity and vitality.

“It’s given me a sou ul. A sense of my soul. oa connection to e off llife,” ife, if e,” larger picture she says. a is That’s whatt yoga about. ering “Remembering onthat we are conreater nected to a greater

being. Our source or being. ut toggling life is about bei eing ng the between being in ndi d vidual we e are individual and moving moving g in in the the h and worl wo rld d and and realizing rea ali lizi zing world w are all ll connected. con onne nected. we moleccul ules in my The molecules b dy bo y are just jus ust as far body apar ap art as tthe he m olapart moles off the h stars. ecules Th her ere iiss space out There ther th ere e and space there with thin in us. us. s We We learn n within a to to b e self sel elff in yoga be aware and aware of g else,” everything a explains.

Aziza

POSES Hero – Virasana Pose Level - 1 Benefits

• Stretches the thighs, knees, and ankles • Strengthens the arches • Improves digestion and relieves gas • Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause • Reduces swelling of the legs during pregnancy (through second trimester) • Therapeutic for high blood pressure and asthma

There is no o one, set way to practice yoga.

Everyone agrees, you are never too old or too young g to practice yoga. It is made for everyone e because poses are molded to fit the body dy - not the other way around.

Petra Kanzz is proof of that. Petra has practiced yoga oga on and off for about 8 years.

What’s different erent about Petra’s methods?

Well, sometimes mes she does yoga on a paddle board.

Yes, the board oard is floating on water.

She is the owner and instructor of SUPose Stand up Paddle ddle Boarding Yoga Rentals.

With her help, p, students of yoga can take their poses outside and on the water.

This, Petra says, creates a new atmosphere. She invites everyone to try it, even if you are new ew to the yoga scene. a native also is no stranger to The Austria sports injuries es in her line of work. Petra at yoga can sometimes help in maintains that ation of those injuries. It also the rehabilitation -align mentally. helps her re-align aw something I could really “I think I saw f. Once I got better at it, it do for myself. could come through me and to the outside world, too. It could affect other people because I would be calmer or happier,” Petra says.

Cobra – Bhujangasana Pose Level – 1 Benefits

Supported Headstand – Salamba Sirsasana Pose Level – 1 Benefits

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression • Stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands • Strengthens the arms, legs, and spine • Strengthens the lungs • Tones the abdominal organs • Improves digestion • Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause • Therapeutic for asthma, infertility, insomnia, and sinusitis

Petra Kanz

3UMMER s Inspire ER s Inspire

• Stretches the chest and lungs, shoulders and neck, belly, groin • Strengthens the shoulders and arms, and the muscles of the back • Strengthens and stretches the thighs, calves, and ankles

• Strengthens the spine • Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen • Firms the buttocks • Stimulates abdominal organs • Helps relieve stress and fatigue • Opens the heart and lungs • Soothes sciatica • Therapeutic for asthma

Yoga on the water is a “thing” ing”

8

Warrior One – Virabhadrasana Pose Level – 1 Benefits

See more poses on page 11

HOW TO MEDITATE AT HOME Meditation n and d mindfulnesss are e huge e pa parts of yoga. Meditation c relationship p to o yoga.. Yogis have been practicing hass a symbiotic meditation forr millennia. o give e yoga a meditation n a try? ? Follow Foll Wantt to this advice for getting d via a Bestt Health. started Cho • Set aside just a few minutes at first. Choose a time of day when interru you’re able to meditate without interruption.

You might coordinate befo or after a physical yoga your meditation so you do it right before p actice. pr practice.

Gina Rowland

•

Sit with good posture eithe either on the floor, cross-legged, or in a chair if it’s more comfort comfortable. (If seated cross-legged, switch which leg is crossed on top each time you meditate.) • Gaze at a simple object such as a candle’s writte on a piece of paper. Or, flame or a black dot written close your eyes and hone in on the rhythm of your yoga breathing. •

be ‘As you become more familiar with how i to meditate, increase your practice by a minute or two at a time.

Fi • Finally, to avoid frustration, rem remember this common yoga me meditation myth: Meditating is not about achieving a blank min It’s more about resisting the mind. temp temptation to react to the thoughts that do pop into your head.

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FUN FACT! WHY IS YOGA PRACTICED BAREFOOT? • It strengthens your feet

When you practice barefoot, you engage the smallest muscles in your feet which are inactive when you are wearing shoes. This way you are making your feet stronger and healthier.

• It helps you do the poses the right way

As you know, your body is your temple where your soul resides.

And your feet are the foundation of this temple. It’s a lot easier to balance when your feet touch the surface.

Some poses require you to grab your toe. It won’t be easy if your feet are covered with socks or shoes.

• It massages your feet

When your bare feet touch the surface, it stimulates the nerve endings in the soles of your feet. These nerve endings send signals to your brain making it possible for the body to figure our proper balance and joint position. As a result, you feel more grounded.

If you have your reasons to wear socks or special shoes to your practice, for example, you feel cold or you are very concerned about the way your feet look, it’s totally fine to wear socks to a yoga class, no yoga teacher will make a fuss about it. In all other cases, it’s strongly recommended to practice yoga barefoot. It’s safe, comfortable, and very healthy.

Source: YOGA.com

The Heart Opener

Double Downward Dog Dancer Natarajasana Pose Level – 1

Benefits • Stretches the shoulders and chest • Stretches the thighs, groin, and abdomen • Strengthens the legs and ankles • Improves balance

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3UMMER s Inspire

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression • Energizes the body • Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands • Strengthens the arms and legs • Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause

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Fish – Matsyasana Pose Level – 1 Benefits • A traditional text states Matsyasana is the “destroyer of all diseases.â€? • Stretches the deep hip flexors and the muscles

between the ribs • Stretches and stimulates the muscles of the belly and front of the neck • Stretches and stimulates the organs of the belly and throat • Strengthens the muscles of the upper back and back of the neck

Forward Bend – Ardha Uttanasana Pose Level – 1 Benefits • Stretches the front torso • Strengthens the back and improves posture • Stimulates the belly

Mountain Pose – Tadasana Pose Level – 1 Benefits • Improves posture • Strengthens thighs, knees, and ankles • Firms abdomen and buttocks • Relieves sciatica • Reduces flat feet

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CUISINE

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3UMMER s Inspire

Story and photos LISA SEISER

In back, behind the Rio Grande Grill on Van Buren Avenue in Harlingen, there’s a small garden.

There are mostly tomatoes and some fresh herbs, but restaurant owner and chef Stefania Trimboli-Wright has dreams of much more.

Illustrations Created by Freepik 3UMMER s Inspire

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Stefania leans over and picks the near ripe, small tomatoes. With the red ones in her left hand, she digs in and gently squeezes others with her right.

“Those aren’t ready yet,” she says as she moves to the next plant.

For the chef of the popular, successful and award-winning Tex-Mex BBQ restaurant, this is just the start.

It’s something she’s been thinking about as a way to make a difference in the world.

She has a dream to make her restaurant sustainable – in the way of preserving nature and the environment.

“We go through a lot of waste and food,” Stefania says. “I can do really good or I can do bad. I can be part of that cycle of waste or I can change. I can have that affect with my surroundings.”

Stefania made her choice and she has a plan.

“Outside, we are going to make our own compost and soil,” she says. “We will save our wood ash, which is hard to come by and we produce a lot of it. We will grow our own things, having our own garden, using all of that.”

The trigger for the change – seeing how much is spent on food.

But, that’s not all.

The nature lover knows the waste also has an affect on the environment, which is very important to Stefania.

“Seeing the sea turtle with the straw in its nostril,” she says has an affect on her.

“Seeing the trash in the ocean.

I hate that.”

Living in the Rio Grande Valley and the coastal region is part of that caring about nature.

When Stefania was growing up, she wanted to be an underwater photographer.

Her father was a photographer, too.

She has long been drawn to nature and preservation.

“So, even in my cooking, I am thinking about that,” she says about the environment.

“Now, I am really getting into the sustainable part of the grill and what makes a restaurant sustainable.”

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3UMMER s Inspire

“

It is an honor to be part of people’s greatest memories.

Anniversaries, weddings, when someone dies, when they are born, birthdays – every big moment in life revolves around food.

Food is at all of those memories. For me to be part of that in people’s lives, there’s nothing more heartwarming.”

Stefania Trimboli-Wright on why she loves what she does

Although she feels on her own in this journey right now, she would like to someday help other restaurant owners think similarly and come up with their own sustainable ideas.

She also is interested in the idea of aquaponics – a system in which the waste produced by farmed fish and other aquatic animals supplies nutrients for plants grown hydroponically, which in turn purify the water.

“The symbiotic relationship between fish and plants and how they all feed each other is interesting,” Stefania says. “If I could figure out a way to grow our own fish and have a system set up like that.”

While that may be down the road a little, Stefania is ready to make a difference now.

“I have to do something about it and I am feeling a call to action,” she says. “I have a business and I can do something about it.”

Chef Stefania’s tips on how to make your dishes taste better Don’t forget the salt – It is imperative to add salt to each ingredient added. Chef Stefania says it brings out the natural flavors and is absolutely necessary. Throughout the cooking process, keep it seasoned.

Layers make the difference – Instead of tossing several fresh ingredients in at once, put one in and let it get color and change. Then, add another ingredient.

Textures count – Chef Stefania, like others, bases a lot of her cooking on textures as much as taste. “You have the acidic, fat, sweet, salty, soft and crunchy. Make sure you get everything in there. You have to have a lot of stuff happening. That is what makes good food.”

Dry herbs vs. fresh herbs – For Chef Stefania, fresh herbs are always the way to go, but there are uses for dry herbs. Just make sure you use dry herbs at the beginning of the cooking process and fresh herbs at the end.

If it feels like your dish is missing something – You may just need a little acid. Chef Stefania suggests a little lime, lemon juice or a douse of vinegar. She says it is imperative for a good dish to have a mixture of fat, vinegar and acid.

It’s Stefania Trimboli-Wright has high standards and can be so hard on herself she has to fight away thoughts that perfection is attainable.

But, to some people, her most recent endeavor may be perfect.

The Rio Grande Grill chef and owner has created “Wildfire Dinners” inspired by the natural way of cooking over wood fire.

Held out back behind the restaurant, a communal table next to the barbecue smoker transforms the area into Stefania’s kitchen. With her florist mother creating the decorations, live music and the sweet smell of mesquite firewood, it’s quite an experience to behold.

“I am really inspired by the natural way of cooking over wood fire,” she says. “But I have a theater background so I like to perform. This way, I have an audience. So, I am combining all those things with this.”

As she talks about the dinners, its obvious Stefania enjoys every moment.

Her seventh Wildfire Dinner is set for July 1.

Inspired by her own experiences as well as others, Stefania has created a

A chef’s journey Born and raised in Harlingen, Stefania’s mother was from Mexico, her father from Sicily.

Her grandparents came to Harlingen because her father was among those involved in the building of the Treasure Hills subdivision.

At a young age, she learned the ins and outs of cooking.

She spent hours in the kitchen cooking for herself and her family.

“I was very independent when cooking and learned how to cook young,” she recalls. “It was a skill I just learned.”

Her mom enjoyed cooking and Stefania admits her grandmother still cooks every meal.

She picked up some of her skills from her.

But being a chef wasn’t on the radar of what Stefania wanted when she became older.

However, once she visited Le

‘Wild’

rare opportunity to watch a talented chef in action and understand what’s being done, and why.

She first came up with the idea after seeing an Argentinean chef on television cooking food over fire in the mountains.

“I thought, ‘oh my God, this makes so much sense,’” Stefania says. “I want to do that and love that. We already cook with wood every day. Now I am just doing it in front of people more in the grill style rather than the smoking, which takes hours.”

The one aspect Stefania enjoys the most – interacting with her diners.

“I get to talk about what I am making and why,” she says. “I tell them about the details and how it inspired me.”

People have the opportunity to see Stefania in a different, more passionate and knowledgeable way that doesn’t always show when she’s in the kitchen at the Rio Grande Grill on a Saturday night.

“I am very honest in my cooking and when I talk to the people,” she says. “It moves me and I let myself feel moved.”

It also gives her the opportunity to

remember her travels and other cultures she’s been able to experience over the years.

“I want people to think they are in Sicily,” she says. “I want to bring Sicily here. I have traveled a lot and I want to bring what I have seen to this culture. I miss the air and the smell and the people and the environment and food of Italy. So, what can I do, but bring it here.”

She’s also traveled to Southeast Asia, Thailand, Mexico, Sweden and Norway among others. She has siblings all around the world and this is her way to celebrate them so far away.

“I want to incorporate this stuff into these dinners,” she says. “Each has a theme and I want to keep that. I want to bring those elements inspired by my own siblings.”

The best thing for Stefania, she believes each wildfire dinner is getting better.

“I know my next one, I will be more on it,” she says. “That is what is exciting. You feel yourself growing and getting better each time.”

A step toward perfection?

Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin and slid the chef’s jacket on, Stefania never turned back.

“I thought, oh, man this feels really good,” she says about that experience years ago. “The uniform, the military style, hierarchy, the discipline, I really liked all that. If I could go to culinary school all over again, I would.”

Being a chef is not easy – typically hard work and long hours.

At 21 years old, she was working 16 hours a day in a restaurant in Las Vegas.

Years later, she had the opportunity of a lifetime.

The Rio Grande Grill Stefania and her husband Daniel would eat at the Rio Grande Grill as part of their business with the magazine Daniel was publishing.

“We would come here and 3UMMER s Inspire

15

eat and sell the owner advertising,� Stefania says while sitting at one of the back corner tables at the cozy, but colorful restaurant that looks like a fiesta with the smell of barbecue wafting about. “One day, we passed by, we saw the for sale sign and we both said, ‘No, we love that place.’�

They scheduled a showing with the owner to walk through it. “There is something about this place, we were drawn to it,� she says. “I remember thinking, I almost didn’t care what it looked like, we were going to buy it.�

That was four years ago.

If some thought it was a gamble, Stefania and Daniel have proven it was not. “The potential and draw was so great and strong,� she says. “I knew this was a place I could do something with.�

The future Now, she has hopes the entire block and area can grow and improve as the Rio Grande Grill does.

Stefania has announced the restaurant is expanding next door into an additional 1,200 square feet.

That area will be used mainly for special events and catering and will set the stage for more land in back to be used as a garden and for additional storage. “I have a vision for this block,� Stefania says. “This could be the art district or something really cool. I have a lot of hopes for this block and area.�

How to achieve your dream Rio Grande Grill owner and chef Stefania Trimboli-Wright has paid her dues.

While it involves hard, determined work, she believes all young people with the dream to be successful in their career, whatever it may be, must start from the bottom. “A young woman should start working as soon as she can,� Stefania urges. “Get work experiences in the field she wants to be in. Start at the bottom and learn. Learn how to wash dishes well and put them

away and be a good steward.�

While doing that, watch everything happening around. “Be observant of what everyone else is doing in the positions you will one day want to be,� Stefania says. “Really learn all of that, so when you get to that point, you can do everything and you can be a good leader.�

She adds that just because someone is thrust into a leadership role, it doesn’t guarantee success. “You need to know what you’re doing,� Stefania says.

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Stefania Trimboli-Wright is a busy woman. Not only is she the owner and executive chef at the Rio Grande Grill, but she also has two children and is back in college pursuing her bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences. She hopes to take advantage of that to learn more about plants and animals that are edible and how to cook with them. Others say no matter how busy Stefania is, she always has a smile on her face and is “all in� on quality.

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LEADING THE WAY

“

The footprints are there. Don’t brush them away. Make sure they are still there.

And clear and leave breadcrumbs so they can follow you.”

Melissa Lucio on women continuing g to blaze a trail for fellow women

A L B L I A R T hee TTh

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3UMMER s Inspire

Story and photo LISA SEISER

M

elissa Lucio has “it.”

Although sometimes difficult to explain and understand, we all know the “it factor” when we see it.

A blend of confidence with humility, charisma, an interest in others all combined with a mission bigger than herself, the McAllen Border Patrol Station Agent in Charge defines the very nature of having “it.”

There are qualities about her that are undeniable - from her beaming smile the minute you meet, to her outgoing, honest nature with which she speaks about her job, life and the people she leads every day.

Melissa may have one of the toughest jobs in America.

In McAllen, she leads a total of 650 Border Patrol Agents. It is the third largest station in the U.S. and the busiest. She came back home to the RGV in March of 2016, promoted to lead the same station she served at more than 10 years ago.

A Batgirl poster and other memorabilia in her office are telling to how Melissa sees herself and her job.

“She is educated and feminine,” Melissa says about Batgirl. “In her day job, she is a librarian. Then she goes home and goes to her feminine vanity and behind it is a kick ass motorcycle and a kick ass outfit. She says, after all, ‘I am just doing my part as a citizen.’”

Melissa also has always wanted to make a difference in the community. Her main battle has been to do all she can to keep drugs off the streets, drugs from her kids and from their friends.

She likens Batgirl’s tools to her own years

R R E E Z A

of hard work, experience and training in Border Patrol and law enforcement operations.

“All of that makes me not so much a heroin, but a crime fighter,” Melissa says of her career with the Border Patrol.

The knowledge and experience are the factors that helped her land the top job she’s at now and how she facilitates change to help her people and the station become better every day.

She beat out seven others for the position. Melissa called it a surreal experience to return to the Valley and take the top job at the busiest station.

“I told them (the interviewers) I believe everything I have done has led me to this position and that it is mine,” she says confidently about her years with the Border

Melissa Lucio admits when she was young herself, her parents told her she could be whatever she wanted to be. That included president, a doctor, lawyer, teacher and more. But, they didn’t mention police officer, firefighter, astronaut and others.

Now, women really can be anything they want to be. And there are keys to achieving.

“There are a lot of young girls out there and their life depends on making good choices, staying out of trouble, working hard and thinking about where you want to go,” she says. “Don’t be afraid, just do it.”

Patrol. “This is where I am supposed to be. This was where I was supposed to go.”

Life leading Now, 25 years into her career, her position is much more of mentor, teacher and most importantly a leader.

She takes each of those jobs very seriously with the intention of guiding the next generation of Border Patrol leaders.

Since arriving in McAllen, she’s been at the forefront of leading her team to make improvements and changes in field operations.

On her whiteboard in her office, there are several quotes. They are telling to who she is and what she expects from her field agents and herself.

“If better is possible, then good is not enough,” states one written in purple ink.

“Status quo is not acceptable,” states the other in red and at the top of the board.

Melissa admits, it took some time to implement change in McAllen, but her leadership style focuses on her people coming up with the ideas and moving forward with them under her guidance – also with the knowledge she won’t always be around.

“I am different in how I approach things,” she says about her style. “I ask a lot of questions and am very analytical. I want to stimulate their thinking so they can figure things out on their own. I support and provide an environment that allows and encourages them to be better and function without me.”

Her journey Born and raised in Harlingen, where she and her husband reside again, Melissa’s career life started slowly. She married right out of high school and had five boys by the time she was 25.

Once her youngest was a year old, she decided it was time to make a difference in the world. It was 1992.

An very good athlete in her high school days, Melissa had put on about 120 pounds since that time. It was her highest weight in her life.

But she wanted to be part of the Border Patrol more than anything.

“I had to be all in,” she says. And she was.

Even her husband, who has supported her throughout her journey and was in the BP himself at that time, wasn’t sure she would make it through the academy, which is physically 20

3UMMER s Inspire

Find your own road It seems as though McAllen Border Patrol Station Agent in Charge Melissa Lucio has made all the right decisions throughout her life and especially her career.

After nearly 25 years in the Border Patrol, she is the fifth-highest ranked female and is the first female patrol agent in charge here in the Rio Grande Valley.

But, she also knows every woman has to find their own path to success.

However, she has some tips for girls and women trying to find their place in this world.

The first is to find your passion and do it to the best of your ability, she says.

“Always dream,” Melissa says. “Not just thinking about it, but setting it as a goal and taking actions toward that end. Don’t give up on those dreams.”

It won’t be easy, she warns.

“It is hard work trying to juggle all those roles, especially wife, mother and whatever your passion is,” she says sitting comfortably in her Border Patrol Station office just steps from her desk. “It is possible, but it is a lot of hard work. Persevere, it is work. When things don’t go your way, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on the horse.”

Melissa is quick to point out, the road for her, may not be the same one another person wants to take or should take.

“You may not go from point A to B,” she says confidently remembering her road to success. “You may have to take a scenic route, but just don’t give up.”

demanding. She lost weight and cruised through the academy.

Melissa’s ability to analyze problems, solve them, work with people, push others to their best and lead them has made all the difference.

Her move up the ladder went from agent, to supervisor to field operations supervisor, assistant chief of headquarters, assistant chief of patrol sector and now patrol agent in charge.

Her future At one point in her life, Melissa had her eyes set on being the top chief at the Border Patrol. While she seems to be clearly on that path, some things have changed.

About a year ago, she and her husband welcomed their first grandchild.

Her grandson lives here in the Valley. “He changed our life,� Melissa says with a gleam in her eye.

She and her husband also are taking care of other family here in the RGV. That may be why she is more inclined to stay in the area.

Right now, she really has her eyes set on her current boss’ job. He oversees 12 agents in charge at the Border Patrol stations. That position would be in Edinburg.

However, she is willing to go elsewhere if she is needed. “I am having a lot of fun, so I

wouldn’t mind staying here,� she says with a grin. “But that’s subject to change.�

A trailblazer?

Melissa says she doesn’t think of herself as a trailblazer.

But, the numbers may prove otherwise.

Only about six percent of 20,000 Border Patrol agents are women.

Melissa is the fifth-highest ranked female in the Border Patrol and is the first female patrol agent in charge here in the Rio Grande Valley “People say, I want to be where you are at, how do I get there,� she says.

She tells them what she did, but wants them to figure out their own path. “This is what I did, but their story may be totally different,� Melissa says she tells them. “What are the things you are doing now? Are you picking the right assignments and training? Are you waking up and striving to be successful and go 100 percent all the time?�

She says whether she is a trailblazer must be answered by others. “I don’t think I am the one who can say that, whether I am or not,� she says. “I just hope I am doing all the right things.�

“

They are by far my legacy. No matter what I have done, our boys are our legacy. They are a great bunch and they are doing great things with their lives.�

Melissa Lucio on her five sons

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LEADING THE WAY

IN

SERVIC TO OTHERS

Story and photo LISA SEISER

T

he story is not typical, but it’s how Miryam Anderson can best describe the impact of being a police officer.

Earlier this year, Anderson, the first female deputy chief with the Harlingen Police Department, was involved in an arrest.

The young lady who was arrested had three children living in a hotel and was involved in drug activity.

Miryam tried to give the woman advice.

“We try not to pass judgment,” Miryam says while sitting in her office on the second floor of the HPD. “But we have a job to do. If I 22

3UMMER s Inspire 3PRING s Inspire

have the opportunity to change a life, I will try. We don’t always realize what our words mean.”

Months later, that same woman strolled into the police department, a gift basket full of snacks and other items in her arms. She asked Miryam if she remembered her. Of course, the deputy chief said.

“This all motivated her and was a trigger for change,” Miryam says about the woman and her arrest,

CE

“

Our culture is male dominated. When I came here, all I wanted was to be part of the team. I was able to prove myself as an officer. As long as I do that, I am part of the team. I admire that they respect you if you can do the job, then you are one of them.�

Miryam Anderson on being an officer and first female deputy chief in the HPD

3UMMER s Inspire

23

now with a smile, rather than the sadness from months ago.

“Now she is doing great and trying to get her kids back. I can die happy.”

Those are the stories that keep the 20-year Harlingen PD member going through the tough times.

“To remain in service to another is the most wonderful thing in the world,” Miryam says. “I have learned that if we make our main focus in a field to remain in service to one another, everything falls into place and you will have all your emotional needs met.”

When the people who are helpeded come back to say thank you, it makes it all worthwhile.

“It is a fulfilling job,” she says with a whiteboard behind her packed with names of the officers she now supervises. “It allows me to do what I wanted – to serve others. Every day I have the opportunity to do that here.”

The road to success Born and raised in Brownsville, Miryam always sought adventure and to make a difference.

Her road to becoming Harlingen’s first female deputy chief was both typical in some ways and not in other ways.

While at Texas Southmost College, she decided to join the U.S. Army. A flute player who loved music, she changed her path.

“I wanted an adventure and I found it,” she says about the Army. It’s also where she realized self discipline would pave her way to success.

The road led from the Army into law enforcement.

“When I got out, what was important to me was a job that I could give back,” she says. “I wanted to be a servant. I looked at the medical field and then police.”

She discovered the city of Harlingen was hiring and she’s never looked back.

Miryam laughs as she recalls what her first police ID read – “patrol man.”

Since that first job 20 years ago, she has been a detective, sergeant, worked with the traffic unit, and then became 24

3UMMER s Inspire

commander with criminal investigations before eventually reaching the level of deputy chief.

Making an impact One aspect has been clear throughout her life – her parents, especially her father, made sure Miryam had no limits in her mind. Over the years, Miryam also forged a competitive desire – always challenging herself and trying to learn more to get ahead of her fellow officers.

Miryam’s parents were both raised in Mexico City and were very proud of their heritage, Miryam says. But, they’re also proud of the culture here. Both earned their citizenships and Miryam says they are extremely proud of that. It’s that foundation of strength Miryam draws on every day.

“The neat thing is they are traditional, but my dad also told me, whatever I wanted to become, I could do it. He never separated me and the boys.”

Early to rise Discipline also is a key component to Miryam’s success. She still gets up at about 3:45 a.m. every day, citing the old Army slogan of “We do more before 9 a.m. than most people do all day.” She learned that discipline in the military.

Miryam runs in the morning and is up to 10 miles. She is training to hit 18 by the end of the year with a goal to go to Boston some day and compete in the marathon there.

She also plans to finish college and obtain a degree in social psychology.

Regardless of whether she meets those goals, which based on her history few would bet against her, in her heart, she will always be an officer there to help where needed.

That young lady at the start of this story likely has Miryam and the Harlingen Police Department to thank for her new, better life.

Miryam wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s about remaining in service to others, every day.

GENDER NO LONGER AN OBSTACLE Harlingen Police Department Deputy Chief Miryam Anderson has always been around men.

She has three brothers, two sons and has been with the PD for 20 years.

It’s also why she doesn’t believe gender has to get in the way of pursuing dreams and succeeding in whatever career you want.

“One thing I want to say is that in 2017, we are at an age in humanity when gender doesn’t matter,” Miryam says. “We got here. It’s great. It’s fantastic.

For those who want to make a difference, my advice is don’t get stopped by being a man or a woman.”

She also is quick to point out, certain careers such as law enforcement and the military don’t mean you have to give up your feminine side.

“I didn’t stop being a woman,” she says.

She still crochets, paints, does arts and crafts. She also is quick to admit she can spend all day in Hobby Lobby or at Home Depot.

“If I want to do something, it is because I have the skills, the heart, desire and motivation,” she says. “Gender does not play a factor.”

BOOK REVIEW

‘The Weekend Effect’

BY TERI SCHLICHENMEYER BOOK REVIEWER

Zzzzzzzzzip.

That was the sound of your last weekend as it passed by, but it probably doesn’t matter anyhow.

It was packed with work, To-Dos and obligations, kid’s sports, and more work.

Sometimes, you wonder why you even bother.

You might as well just go to the office – but first, read “The Weekend Effect” by Katrina Onstad before you zip out Friday afternoon.

When was the last time you had two full days without plans?

If you’re like most working adults, answering may take you a few minutes. Chances are, it’s been awhile.

Like millions of North American employees, our weekend is “not a weekend at all.”

Much like the seven-day week, weekends are manmade things.

Ancient civilizations created our modern week, the Old Testament demarked a day of rest, and employers tried forcing workers to toil most of both.

In 1791, U.S. carpenters held the first strike over hours – the eighthour day started to take hold in the late 1800s. Henry Ford introduced a five-day workweek in 1926; and generally, there we were until the digital age, when employees could – and do – carry work with them everywhere.

Considering that fifteenth-century serfs enjoyed a holiday-filled church calendar, says Onstad, you may work more now than did a medieval peasant.

That’s not good for mind or body, and employers are starting to recognize that.

Known for obsessively-focused marathon workweeks, Silicon Valley may taketh away, but it also giveth.

Some high-tech start-ups offer employees flex-time and demand down-time.

Your boss may welcome happier employees who aren’t so stressed.

Four-day workweeks aren’t rare anymore, nor are half-day Fridays.

And yet, Onstad says, if someone asked you what you’d do with free

weekends, you might struggle with a list.

Think – you can actually visit with real people, in-person. You could volunteer more, read more, attend more church, or go for more walks.

In short, you can stop, and learn to do less.

What would you do with two unencumbered days? Imagine the possibilities, and then read “The Weekend Effect.”

While it might seem that few people need convincing when it comes to taking time off, author Katrina Onstad shows, in her first pages, why some people feel trapped into working more.

Readers might see themselves in some of Onstad’s short profiles – we obviously have compatriots in our drivenness – as we learn why a “cult of overwork” is detrimental to both individual and to a business.

Yes, we can brag, but it’s unsustainable and we’re hurting ourselves, as it turns out.

Once you have the ammo needed to try to make change, Onstad offers things that might now take up that newly-gotten free-time.

There’s a surprise in that whatever you think you like to do on your weekends, you could be doing it all wrong.

This book is eye-opening, but it may also tell you something you already know - you work too hard.

For confirmation, though, or for further reasons why you need shut off your phone and find a hammock, “The Weekend Effect” has that all zipped up.

“THE WEEKEND EFFECT”

By KATRINA ONSTAD c.2017, HarperOne $25.99 / $31.99 Canada 304 pages

eaders might see themselves in some of Onstad’s short profiles – we obviously have compatriots in our drivenness – as we learn why a “cult of overwork” is detrimental to both individual and to a business.

R

3UMMER s Inspire

25

LEADING THE WAY

S “

You don’t come into this world knowing things. I tell my children with their own children, you learn lessons along the way. I am still learning.”

Julie Guerra-Ramirez

26

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g n i g d i r B

s s e c Suc Story and photos LISA SEISER

S

eventeen years ago, Julie Guerra-Ramirez became the Progreso International Bridge operator.

But, few probably knew at the time, she had no idea what her job even entailed.

After all, she had spent the previous 25 years in the banking industry.

Now, she confidently strolls into her office, and takes a peek at the large television showing several black and white feeds from cameras positioned in all areas of the bridge.

She points to one view showing the toll booth with cars lined up ready to cross into Mexico.

Julie says there are many stories the cameras tell each day and with her desk facing the screen, she keeps an eye on it all.

She steps away from the flat screen for a few seconds opening the window shades to reveal the bridge in all its splendor.

It’s clear, she is proud of it and how she contributes to success on a daily basis.

The Rio Grande Valley’s first female bridge director, Julie’s rise to the position at the privately-owned facility was an unlikely one.

It also was a huge surprise – to her, her family and her coworkers at the time.

Now 60, Julie was in her early 40s when her life changed.

She had been in banking most of her life, moving up in different institutions and companies, starting as a teller and reaching the heights of First VP of Human

Resources and Personnel.

“I had 25 glorious years,” she says. “I thought I would die and be buried at the bank.”

But, one day, Sam Sparks came calling.

He was looking for a bridge operator and had heard about Julie from her own boss at the bank. Sparks was clearly focused on bringing Julie on board.

Apparently, few people said no to Mr. Sparks, as Julie references her former boss. He was well known in the Valley as a farmer, entrepreneur and leader.

Sparks was most known for being the owner of the bridge and at that time in the midst of rebuilding a larger bridge.

That was 2000.

It was also when he tapped Julie to

You probably didn’t know

When Julie Ramirez’s cell phone rings, and it rings often, the tone sounds the lead-in music for the popular TV show “Law and Order.”

Not only does Julie love that show and could watch it all day long, at one point, she considered becoming an attorney.

“I thought about going to law school,” she says.

One of her uncles is a lawyer and she looked up to him. But Julie admits, college and school were not for her. After finding out how many years it would take to become a lawyer, she changed paths.

That doesn’t mean she still can’t be interested.

“I can marathon it, telethon it, whatever,” she says about watching the show.

3UMMER s Inspire

27

“

We are all made out of steel, but we are flowers. I feel if you think along those lines, you can do almost anything.”

Julie Ramirez on being a successful woman through trials and tribulations

come run his business.

“He had a vision to see this bridge and port grow,” Julie says. “He made that vision happen.”

Julie was drawn to that mission and confidence of Sparks.

However, Julie had a difficult decision to make - leave all she’s known for 25 years.

She said she knew the banking business like the “back of her hand.” Now, she was going to take a job that involved immigration, customs, the government and sometimes the Border Patrol.

“I was leaving something very comfortable to go somewhere I had no idea what I was doing,” she says. “Prayer and discussions in the wee hours of the night with family showed me I knew it was the right decision for me. It was scary. It was scary.”

It took some time for her to gain confidence in the position of leading the operations of the bridge.

“I was scared and nervous,” she says about starting her 28

3UMMER s Inspire

new career. “I thought am I who he was looking for? Was I going to be happy here? I had these questions over and over and a lot of sleepless nights.”

About a year in, her earlier beliefs were realized. She now calls the scenario which led her to the position, “a blessing from the sky” that came to her when she wasn’t even looking for it.

“I didn’t know I wanted to come to this bridge,” she says.

But after a year I was glad I was here. Every day is a learning experience.”

During her tenure, she has developed relationships with the merchants, doctors and government officials from Mexico. She is able to make many decisions on her own and still handles the monetary facets of the bridge, which is all very comfortable to her.

“It is the best decision I ever made,” she says about taking the job.

Early days For Julie, there was a time when she didn’t know what

How to be successful Julie Ramirez has excelled in two careers during her 60 years of life, so she knows what she’s talking about.

Three qualities have led her throughout – strength, stamina and determination.

The first may not be what you think. For Julie, she admits she has long worked with men and says she has obtained strength from them.

She watched how they worked and what they did.

Even though men and women are different, she kept a close eye on how men did things in order to improve her own leadership abilities.

The second quality – stamina – relates to what is needed to lead a team made up of people with different personalities living in all types of situations.

The third may be the most important – determination. Julie still remembers a message written in her yearbook from a neighbor girl she looked up to many years ago.

“Determination is the key to many of life’s challenges,” Julie repeats the message from memory. “Keeping this in mind can and will help you accomplish your desired goals. That has stayed with me forever and I have passed that on. I can still see it in my yearbook.”

Julie says that girl was right.

“You have to be determined,” she says. “I would say to any girl – you want to do something, do it. What is to stop you?”

she wanted.

She was young and working at a boutique at the old Sun Valley Mall in Harlingen. Julie, who was born and raised in San Benito, had just decided college wasn’t for her. “I learn things by doing rather than studying,� she says. “That has always been me. Show me, don’t make me read it. College isn’t for everybody, so at the end of two years, I told my parents I wasn’t going to waste any more of their money and my time.�

She would make the boutique’s bank deposits. One day, the bank president had an application in her hand and asked Julie if she wanted to become a teller.

Her reply was quick. “The next thing I knew, I was a teller,� Julie says.

For 25 years, Julie loved every minute of her banking career.

Strong base Julie’s strong ethics and determination come from two important people – her mother and father. “My parents are my biggest support system in anything and everything,� she says. “I am the oldest of three girls, so I always have to set

the example.�

That’s what she’s tried to do over the years.

Despite differences in the Hispanic culture, especially when she was growing up, focused on the wife staying home and the man working, that wasn’t the case in her younger days. “My mother worked part time as we were growing up,� she says. “It was rare. So, when she worked, he took care of us. I learned that it was OK for women to go to work.�

It was that example, along with their focus on honesty and integrity, that made an impact on a young Julie.

Current focus Julie uses those qualities, which also include hard work and full focus on her position, to lead a staff of 17, who run the tolls, parking and maintain the bridge.

She calls them Team Progreso, which works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year manning the bridge.

And the Progreso International Bridge has quite a future, according to Julie.

All crossings on the bridge are on the rise. There are nearly 800,000

Monica A. Gonzales Agent

southbound pedestrian crossings each year. About 530,000 personally-owned vehicles cross each year and 45,000 commercial trucks. “We have seen big growth and we are expecting more,� she says.

Julie and the bridge are in the “business of going south.� The Mexican government receives the revenues from the vehicles and pedestrians headed north.

Her mission is to promote usage of the bridge headed to Mexico.

That fits with the “touristy� nature of the bridge. But Julie wants to expand in order to be known as a trade and commercial bridge as well.

She’s recently been working with architects and engineers preparing for the bridge’s expansion projects.

The future is bright for the bridge and continues to shine for the determined, hard working leader of the facility.

The vision of Spark continues, and so does Julie’s love for what she does. “I feel as good as I did when I was in banking,� she says. “It took me awhile to say that, but I do.�

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BEFORE 1.

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Color match to hair as much as possible.

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Prime eyelids to help eyeshadow stay on throughout the day. There are white and translucent shades and it is a slightly sticky base.

9.

Smoke out under the eyes to give some depth and make them pop. Highlight inner corner of eyes to accentuate them even more.

30

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False eyelashes applied.

Prime the face. A green tone concealer will offset the red in her face.

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Skin tone foundation is applied with a sponge. The tone should match with the color of the body and face.

Sponge and dab.

with then ga

AFTER

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Spray face to set the makeup.

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Using a bronzer enhances the facial structure and defines the cheek and under the lip. Use sponge to continue blending.

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Add volume to curly, thin hair by rolling the hair over and under the curling iron. Then, use spray to expand it to give it more thickness.

Use blush on the cheeks to bring more depth to the face and accentuate the shapes of the cheeks.

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Up close with the curls.

3UMMER s Inspire

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APPLYING YOUR MAKEUP

Use the correct brushes to get the blend you want.

Smaller brushes lead to a more streaky look, while a fluffy brush is best for that blended look.

YLIANNA DE LA ROSA’S PRO TIPS

Do the eyes first. If you do them last, you can ruin your foundation and other makeup.

Match your foundation color to your neck color or shoulder color, not your cheeks.

Contouring and highlighting can define cheekbones and the jaw line, reduce the look of a double chin, minimize a larger nose and lift sagging eyes.

Accentuate your features and blend, blend, blend to make it look natural.

Powder in between primer and foundation. One way to make sure your makeup lasts all day is to set your primer with powder before applying foundation.

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KEEP THESE THINGS IN MIND #OLORS ARE KEY To master these, look at a color wheel. Opposite colors such as red and green actually cancel each other out. Also, keep in mind the undertone of your skin, eye color. For example, purple makes green and blue eyes pop while golden hues work best on warmer skin tones.

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3UMMER s Inspire ERR E

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SPORTS

Are you

RE

FO n e m o w l a c o L t i h a g n i t t pu on the sport y l t s o m d e y a l p by guys 36

3UMMER s Inspire ns sp pir ire

RGV Clovers

EADY for some

OOTBALL? Story and photos LISA SEISER

They’re nurses, substitute teachers, office employees and homemakers.

They’re wives, mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts.

However, each weekend from May through July, these women also are football players.

They don helmets and shoulder pads just like the NFL pros and head to the field where they run, tackle, kick, grab and hit. But most importantly, they compete in a sport that used to be only for the boys.

“I like how playing football makes me feel,” RGV Vixens first-year star running back Samantha Escandon says while watching her teammates practice at Arroyo Park in Harlingen recently. “It makes me feel confident. Everyone says that football is for guys, so when you see a group of girls go out

and play, it makes you feel good that you are not restricted by anything.”

Fellow Vixens player Ashley Flores, whose nickname is Happy Feet, says she loves playing football and it has become part of who she is.

“When I heard about it, I decided I wanted to be part of it,” Ashley says.

The quarterback, who is one of the original team members going back to 2014, says she and her teammates practice and play hard, just like the men who play the game do.

What is the IWFA? With the motto on the website “Strong, beautiful, successful women” it is obvious the football league is all about promoting the talents of women.

There are 17 teams in the IWFA from as far away as Austin, Houston and San Antonio as well as several teams right here in the Rio Grande Valley.

The league is considered the premier women’s contact football association in Texas.

3UMMER s Inspire

37

Harlingen Honeys

“I am a nurse, s think it is funny that during the I help heal peop And, on Saturda nights, I bring t hurt to people.”

Samantha Escando

TNT, Shredder and Bea RGV Vixens Runni Brow

“I get real nervous. I can’t eat the day the game or I will throw up. Right befo the game, we get together and get pum up and that helps us play really well.”

Kathryn Knudstrup a.k.

Offensive guard RGV

Photo by David Pike

“We are breaking the stereotypes and the boxes we are put in,” Ashley says about women playing football. “I love it, that is why I put as much effort into it as I do.”

That’s exactly the purpose RGV Vixens owner Lorie Ramirez had when she created the team.

“It encourages self confidence and also inspires and empowers women of all ages and all walks of life,” Lorie says. “It inspires women to succeed in what is typically a male-dominated sport.

For Lisa Leal, the volunteer general manager of the RGV Vixens, being part of the league has been “the most fun” she has ever had. But, it is serious, too.

Both the RGV Clovers and RGV Vixens practice two to three hours a day, four days a week during the season. That doesn’t include the time and travel for games on weekends, in which they may have to travel as far as Houston.

Lisa says conditioning and dedication are the keys to suc38

3UMMER s Inspire

“The biggest thing is overcoming obstacles, no matter what gets in the way.”

Ashley Flores, a.k.a.

cess as a team and Happy Feet and Red Bull as individuals.

RGV Vixens Quarterback Harlingen “If you are not ready to give give 100 percent to conditioning, this is just not for you,” she says.

Jessica Sanchez is in her first year as a member of the RGV Clovers and is experiencing camaraderie and competition she has wanted for some time.

“I always liked playing football, but my mom wouldn’t let me play,” she says about when she was younger. “So, I found the opportunity as an adult to get to go try out.”

Now, she’s loving every minute of it.

“I love sports, so I love anything physically challenging and trying new things,” she says.

Jessica is the interim director at the San Benito Boys and Girls Club. Jessica finds time to play on the team as one of its quarterbacks. She’s enjoying the new friendships while sharing an experience with others.

Clovers owner Neka Gonzalez

RGV Vixens

“I love tackling and I love the hits. It is an adrenaline rush.�

so I y day ple. ay the �

Mindy Barrentes a.k.a. Beast Mode Rio Hondo

on a.k.a.

ast Mode ing back wnsville

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RGV Vixens

.a. Kitkat V Clovers

RGV Clovers

“I think it is going to become down the road not as big as the NFL, but pretty big. Now you see younger girls in junior high and high school and they are playing with the boys. Now, they know there is full contact football. They know after high school, they can play in a league like this.�

Anna Beltran RGV Vixens Santa Maria RGV Clovers

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3UMMER s Inspire

39

calls it a sisterhood as she watched a recent practice, a speaker with music blaring aimed at the field.

“They spend a lot of time together,” Neka says. “They get to know when you are having a good day or a bad day. They have to protect each other on the field and you want to know who you are protecting.”

For Kathryn Knudstrup, who is better known as Kitkat on the field, playing in her first year has not only helped her lose 25 pounds, but it also has helped her make new friends and be more open. The Clover’s lineman from Harlingen works in an office and dresses up to go to work. Her life prior to playing on the Clovers mainly included going between work and home.

“I am a homebody and I don’t socialize a lot,” she says. “These girls have brought me out of my shell.”

But, in the end, for all, it is about the game and competition.

“I have always wanted to play football since I was little,” says Melinda Gonzalez, a third year player with the RGV Clovers out of San Benito. “But, they didn’t have it for women.”

In high school, she played soccer and enjoyed the physical nature of that game.

However, this is more up her alley.

“I love the way I get to tackle people,” she says. “I just love the sport and always loved the sport. The feeling of being able to play a sport a guy plays is just amazing.”

40

3UMMER s Inspire

RGV Clovers

“I think everyone should come see them play. It is not what you think. These women would amaze people because they are playing real football.”

Lisa Leal RGV Vixens GM and former player

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

COMMUNITY

M

I’m part of the Junior League of Harlingen and when they presented this event to come and help out, I kind of thought how awesome is this. I’ve never done anything like this before. It helps me recognize my abilities as a woman. Not only am I a mom but I do things at home too. My dad was a contractor. I kind of wanted to try it and just see what it’s about and I like it.

Vanessa Munoz - With the Junior League of Harlingen - Lives in San Benito

other’s Day was hours away, but this was important. More than 50 area women volunteers hammered boards and lifted wall frames into place. They painted, put up sheathing and attached hurricane ties.

Their efforts were poignant and an accomplishment – they helped build two Habitat for Humanity homes on this day.

This Women Build happened in Primera as part of the Lowe’s national project, while partnering with Habitat for Hummanity and several other organizations.

Lowe’s helped launch National Women Build Week in 2008. The purpose of the Women Build is to educate and inspire women to build and advocate for decent and affordable houses in their communities.

So, why did some of the women participate? What did they learn?

Here is what they said.

42

3UMMER s Inspire

We wanted to do a team gettogether to help the community.

It’s giving us confidence that we can do it.

Jeobana Rios

To help out the family who is in need and can’t afford a house.

I’ve learned a lot. I’m learning how to work with tools, now I can do stuff at my house.

Yasmin Flores Lowe’s in Harlingen Lives in Mercedes

I volunteered to be part of something and help out building a house. Whatever they can teach us we will learn. We can do whatever we set our minds to do.

Vanessa Garcia

3UMMER s Inspire

43

EDUCATION

Story KAYLEIGH SOMMER

P

arents and educators don’t want students to lose that momentum gained during the school year. That loss is known as the summer slide. Kids actually lose parts of the information they learned during the school year, thus creating a knowledge gap and issue for teachers.

You may have noticed it in your kids at one time or another. It’s very common.

Kids spend their days in school and once summer hits, it’s adios to some of the knowledge learned.

So, when they start the new school year, teachers are unable to jump right in.

Most, if not all, start the new school year off with a couple weeks of “catch up,” putting a damper on the teacher’s current curriculum plans.

Harlingen school district’s chief academic officer Dr. 44 44

3UMMER s Inspire

Alicia Noyola sees the reoccurrence of the summer slide every year.

This is why she encourages all parents to keep their kids engaged this summer.

“It’s about keeping students engaged academically,” she said. “If the brain is not engaged toward learning, everything starts to recede.”

Reading is the kicker here.

It’s also the summer slide’s number one enemy.

One of the greatest things parents can do is encourage

“

It’s about keeping students engaged academically,” she said. “If the brain is not engaged toward learning everything starts to recede.”

Activities to do with your children to prevent the summer slide.

Read every day, everything from fiction, nonfiction, ebooks, poetry, newspapers. Read out loud.

Cook with your children. It’s the best way to integrate math, reading and following directions.

Plant a garden together. This teaches children responsibility and pride as they watch their plants grow.

Take a field trip to a museum, zoo or a local park with walking trails. Encourage your children to keep a journal of their travels.

Learn a new word each week. Hang it on the fridge and keep a tally of who can use it the most in that week.

Play flash card games.

Take pictures and make a summer scrapbook.

3UMMER s Inspire

45

What does the research say?

their kids to read. Ready anything. Read the newspaper, magazines, books, novels and graphic novels.

Studies show if kids read four books per summer, students remain academically challenged and engaged.

But it’s not just about reading. There are other ways parents can keep their kids engaged over the summer.

True, it might take some creativity on the parent’s part but as long as it engages the students, they should remain prepared for the next school year.

The days of sitting home all day and watching TV will not cut it anymore. Your kids 46

3UMMER s Inspire

require more.

Even the school district is getting in on the action. They want to help with the implementation of summer programs.

Summer programs keep kids in that frame of mind.

Harlingen CISD is hoping to turn the corner on the summer slide with summer programs. There’s plenty to choose from. They range in activities from science, robotics to coding, etc. Overall about 4,000 spots are open for students.

Here is a list of all the programs being offered this summer. http://www.hcisd.org/ summercamps

•

Children in low-income households fall behind an average of two months in reading during the summer.

•

Summer learning loss accounts for two-thirds of the ninth grade achievement gap in reading between students from low-income households and their higher income peers.

•

Students from low-income households with access to books over the summer see significantly more gains in reading scores from Spring to Fall than students from high-income households with access to books and those from low-income households without access to books.

•

Difference in children’s summer learning experiences during their elementary school years can ultimately impact whether they earn a high school diploma and continue college.

•

The public library is an excellent free resource for families to have access to books.

•

Reading four to six books over the summer has the potential to prevent a decline in reading achievement scores from the Spring to Fall.

Why Beltone?

Definition:

Summer Slide Is the tendency for students, especially those from low-income families, to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year.

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